Comparative study of the pathogenetic symptoms of four homeopathic medicines derived from snakes: relationship between venom composition and snake species

Resumo

Abstract

One of the traditional foundations of homeopathy is the proving of medicines in healthy individuals. This to say, before used in clinical practice by means of the law of similarity, substances or drugs are tested in healthy volunteers to establish the signs and symptoms they cause with full precision. Homeopathic medicines prepared from snake venoms are used quite often in clinical practice, Lachesis muta in particular. The aim of the present study was to compare the set of pathogenetic symptoms of four homeopathic medicines derived from snakes, i.e., Elaps corallinus, Bothrops lanceolatus, Crotalus horridus, and Lach to correlate common actions, and discuss the biochemical differences that account for each one’s specificities. The pathogenetic descriptions of Lach, Elaps, Crot-h and Both-l exhibit many traits in common with the effects of the venoms of Lachesis muta, Micrurus corallinus, Crotalus horridus and Bothrops jararaca, respectively, which justifies the inclusion of toxicological data in the homeopathic materia medica. We conclude that the investigated homeopathic medicines exhibit pathogenetic traits corresponding to hemorrhagic, inflammatory, and neurotoxic events, however, they also exhibit individual and clinically specific actions that hinder the elaboration of a single pathogenetic picture. The composition of each snake venom accounts for the pathogenetic action of the corresponding homeopathic medicines, as well as their similarity with snake bites.

Keywords

Homeopathy; Pathogenetic trials; Snake venoms