When Shelley invoked the snake symbolically in this fashion he was hardly doing anything new. The snake's association with death, rebirth and the cycle of nature is practically universal. For the ancient Egyptians the snake was the life of the earth, and there are texts from as early as 2300 B.C. referring to the Quroborus or tail eating serpent, the symbol of the cyclical nature of the cosmos....

Recent reports in the lay press have suggested that bites by rattlesnakes in the last several years have been more severe than those in the past. The explanation, often citing physicians, is that rattlesnakes are evolving more toxic venom, perhaps in response to anthropogenic causes. We suggest that other explanations are more parsimonious, including factors dependent on the snake and factors a...

Snake bite is often met emergency in Indian subcontinent especially rural settings. We sent a case of 26-year-old male, residing North India who sented with complaints swelling over left leg along breathlessness. His renal functions deteriorated gradually. In view various physical and laboratory findings, diagnosis vasculotoxic snake envenomation acute kidney injury pulmonary oedema was made. H...

Snakebites envenomation is an important public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries and the most affected being farmers, pastoralists, hunters and children. Most of the snakebite morbidity and mortality remain undocumented especially in rural areas since most incidences of snakebite are attended by traditional healers/herbalists mainly by using plants. Pharmacological studi...

Haematomas in various body organs have been reported following snake bites. We report the case of a post-menopausal woman who presented with a broad ligament haematoma diagnosed two days after a viper bite which required blood transfusion and laparotomy. This rare possibility should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a woman presenting with a lower abdominal or pelvic mass, anaemia ...