History of Electrical Venom Neutralization:
The use of High Voltage Pulsed Current (HVPC) to treat venom toxins has a long history dating back into the 1700’s. Some of the more recent advances took place in the 1930’s and grew steadily into the 1950’s. Because of the success and low cost of this form of treatment, special interests got involved and largely ignored or shunned the technique.
Many patents have been awarded regarding the utilization of electrical signals to neutralize the effects of venom toxins; such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,770 to Leveen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,980 to Suzuki, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,554 to Gratzel. A more recent patent: US Patent 5074305, "Method for Treatment of Toxins Received From Snake Bites and the Like", Dr. Ronald Guderian (1988) describes the use of an "apparatus and method for treatment of toxins present in an affected area of the body, including generating an electrical signal having sufficient voltage to produce a current in the affected area/tissues of the body where the toxin is present and applying the electrical signal to the body in such a manner that current moves through the affected area of the body, causing the substantial neutralization of the harmful effects of the toxin."
There are many anecdotal stories on the internet (some links are below) describing surprisingly good results via the use of HVPC to alleviate the affects of insect and snake bites. Some even describe unlikely cures from Lymes disease, sting ray bites, and jelly fish stings. It is worthwhile to note that there was one funded University study which tested for disruption of snake venom molecules in vitro with the predictable result of "ineffective". Interesting how they never tested on an actual human being! ( Ref. 3 below)
In a more recent situation told to me by a work associate (2011), his wife was stung by a recluse spider on her right ankle (after a trip to a state park). She didn’t notice it until the following day at which time there was a classic red ring around the bite wound with the beginning of a black necrotic flesh ring at the wound’s center. After several trips to doctors, all they would do was apply antiseptics and bandages - but it kept getting worse. Her husband was an engineer who had come across the Dr. Ron Guderian patent noted above and convinced her to try a low-energy stun-gun device across the wound. – this took a little persuasion !! – after several sparking and painful applications, the wound showed signs of healing the next day and, with normal wound care, the afflicted area was completely healed in a matter of weeks. I am told that she also applied some essential oils to the area while healing and that, she believes, also eliminated any scarring, etc.
The obvious problem with this treatment is that the stun device just plain hurts – ouch!
Dangerous Bites Vs. Irritating Bites:
A big "ouch" and temporary pain from application of a 20,000 volt or more stun device is probably an "ok" fix for most persons if they are in imminent danger of death. I am sure that one man in Florida would have gladly tolerated a stun device from his recluse spider bite since he died from its toxic effects thereafter. (http://www.wfla.com/story/24840281/lakeland-man-dies-from-spider-bite)
But what about the far more numerous bites from bees, wasps and the like? If your child received a wasp bite and its swelling was only modest, it’s unlikely you would unleash a stun device on his wound ! --
Wouldn’t it be great if we could invent a method to disrupt the injected venom’s toxic molecule using electrical pulses -- but in such a way that it didn’t hurt !
Amazingly, such a method has been recently invented (patent pending) and it is embodied in these new e-StingRelief and V-Zap™ ouchless series of devices.
Recent History and Further Reading Links
Back in 1986, a New York Times author (Lawrence K. Altman, M.D.) wrote an article (ref. 2 below) which explains the use of stun devices for snake bite, in the South American jungles. In this article he noted:
" … In this case, all three doctors knew that injections of anti-venom would prevent death or injury in snakebite cases when the biting snakes could be identified and when the anti-venom was available. ‘'The problem is that people living in a jungle often get bitten a four hour canoe ride from anywhere where there might be an anti-venom’."
Electric shocks were administered around the wound area and … "Most astonishing to the authors was that the jolts of electricity were successful even after serious symptoms had already developed. Two additional patients suffered intense pain and swollen limbs from viper bites. Although they were not treated with electric shocks until two hours after the bites, they were relieved of pain within 30 minutes. Their symptoms did not progress, and both recovered with no serious lasting damage." …. "Dr. Williams saw the treatment firsthand, he said he realized ''it was a first-aid measure that worked better than anything else.''
For further reading:
The use of High Voltage Pulsed Current (HVPC) to treat venom toxins has a long history dating back into the 1700’s. Some of the more recent advances took place in the 1930’s and grew steadily into the 1950’s. Because of the success and low cost of this form of treatment, special interests got involved and largely ignored or shunned the technique.
Many patents have been awarded regarding the utilization of electrical signals to neutralize the effects of venom toxins; such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,770 to Leveen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,980 to Suzuki, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,554 to Gratzel. A more recent patent: US Patent 5074305, "Method for Treatment of Toxins Received From Snake Bites and the Like", Dr. Ronald Guderian (1988) describes the use of an "apparatus and method for treatment of toxins present in an affected area of the body, including generating an electrical signal having sufficient voltage to produce a current in the affected area/tissues of the body where the toxin is present and applying the electrical signal to the body in such a manner that current moves through the affected area of the body, causing the substantial neutralization of the harmful effects of the toxin."
There are many anecdotal stories on the internet (some links are below) describing surprisingly good results via the use of HVPC to alleviate the affects of insect and snake bites. Some even describe unlikely cures from Lymes disease, sting ray bites, and jelly fish stings. It is worthwhile to note that there was one funded University study which tested for disruption of snake venom molecules in vitro with the predictable result of "ineffective". Interesting how they never tested on an actual human being! ( Ref. 3 below)
In a more recent situation told to me by a work associate (2011), his wife was stung by a recluse spider on her right ankle (after a trip to a state park). She didn’t notice it until the following day at which time there was a classic red ring around the bite wound with the beginning of a black necrotic flesh ring at the wound’s center. After several trips to doctors, all they would do was apply antiseptics and bandages - but it kept getting worse. Her husband was an engineer who had come across the Dr. Ron Guderian patent noted above and convinced her to try a low-energy stun-gun device across the wound. – this took a little persuasion !! – after several sparking and painful applications, the wound showed signs of healing the next day and, with normal wound care, the afflicted area was completely healed in a matter of weeks. I am told that she also applied some essential oils to the area while healing and that, she believes, also eliminated any scarring, etc.
The obvious problem with this treatment is that the stun device just plain hurts – ouch!
Dangerous Bites Vs. Irritating Bites:
A big "ouch" and temporary pain from application of a 20,000 volt or more stun device is probably an "ok" fix for most persons if they are in imminent danger of death. I am sure that one man in Florida would have gladly tolerated a stun device from his recluse spider bite since he died from its toxic effects thereafter. (http://www.wfla.com/story/24840281/lakeland-man-dies-from-spider-bite)
But what about the far more numerous bites from bees, wasps and the like? If your child received a wasp bite and its swelling was only modest, it’s unlikely you would unleash a stun device on his wound ! --
Wouldn’t it be great if we could invent a method to disrupt the injected venom’s toxic molecule using electrical pulses -- but in such a way that it didn’t hurt !
Amazingly, such a method has been recently invented (patent pending) and it is embodied in these new e-StingRelief and V-Zap™ ouchless series of devices.
Recent History and Further Reading Links
Back in 1986, a New York Times author (Lawrence K. Altman, M.D.) wrote an article (ref. 2 below) which explains the use of stun devices for snake bite, in the South American jungles. In this article he noted:
" … In this case, all three doctors knew that injections of anti-venom would prevent death or injury in snakebite cases when the biting snakes could be identified and when the anti-venom was available. ‘'The problem is that people living in a jungle often get bitten a four hour canoe ride from anywhere where there might be an anti-venom’."
Electric shocks were administered around the wound area and … "Most astonishing to the authors was that the jolts of electricity were successful even after serious symptoms had already developed. Two additional patients suffered intense pain and swollen limbs from viper bites. Although they were not treated with electric shocks until two hours after the bites, they were relieved of pain within 30 minutes. Their symptoms did not progress, and both recovered with no serious lasting damage." …. "Dr. Williams saw the treatment firsthand, he said he realized ''it was a first-aid measure that worked better than anything else.''
For further reading:
- http://insects.about.com/b/2008/12/22/brown-recluse-bite-grab-a-stun-gun-and-zap-away-the-pain.htm
- http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/05/science/the-doctor-s-world-new-shock-therapy-for-snakebites.html (see full NY Times Article Below):
- There were studies run in vitro which suggests that venom is not neutralized in a simple saline solution : http://www.kingsnake.com/aho/pdf/menu5/davis1992.pdf but yet actual anecdotal results with venom in human flesh demonstrate otherwise – over and over !
- http://electroshockbite.blogspot.com (Dr. Ronald Guderian works in the Esmeraldas Province of the Ecuadorian jungle and uses a modified stun gun routinely on snake bites as well as scorpion, stingray, ant and bee stings )
- http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1459718.html (recluse spider bite and stun gun)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KszMMyfPBKE (Dr. Carl Baugh lecturing on Stun Guns for recluse spider bites and snake bites)
- http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=388953 (Stan Abrams, M.D. discusses use of a stun device for brown recluse spider bites)
- http://www.wfla.com/story/24840281/lakeland-man-dies-from-spider-bite