Nobody wants to be stung by a bee or bitten by a snake and the fear is well founded: animal poisons are actually dangerous weapons of nature. A bee sting can cause painful swelling in humans, while a snake bite can be fatal. As long as they do not feel threatened, the animals are harmless and do not use their poison. This is a valuable resource for defense against attackers and is used for survival or to paralyze small prey animals.
Animal poisons are also valuable in medicine. Serum is obtained from snake venom, which can be used to cure the effects of snake bites. Dangerous and at the same time healing poisons are also used in homeopathy, for example from these four animals:
The honey bee – on the day of Honigbiene
To produce the remedy “Apis mellifica”, honey bee venom is used, which is most poisonous in spring. The honey bee venom has a very intense effect and causes rapid swelling of the parts of the body that have been stung.
According to the homeopathic principle “like cures like”, the use of Apis is characteristic for stabbing pain and severe swelling with great sensitivity to touch, i.e. for symptoms such as those that occur with a bee sting. The skin and mucous membrane of the affected area is sack-like, swollen, pale red, for example in the case of sore throat or hives. Apis has a wide field of action. This remedy is also indicated for cystitis, where stabbing pain can also occur.
Lachesis muta – the bushmaster snake
The drug Lachesis is obtained from the venom gland of one of the largest venomous snakes, the bushmaster snake. It occurs in the rainforests of South America, is 2.50 – 3.80 meters long and is yellowish brown with a dark brown rhombus pattern. The snake loves moist areas and likes to eat rodents and other small animals.
Lachesis is a diverse constitutional remedy and is used, among other things, for insomnia, manic states, phobias and behavioral disorders. But it is also used, for example, in cases of alcoholism, heart disease, menopausal symptoms and sore throats.
Bufo rana – the common toad
Behind the head and on the back of the common toad are bulging skin glands that secrete a toxic substance, bufotaline. The homeopathic remedy “Bufo rana” made from it primarily affects the nervous system and the skin. It has been reported to have a healing effect on epilepsy and mental retardation in children, as well as premature senility in adults.
It is characteristic of “Buforana” patients that violent convulsive attacks occur during sleep, they are anxious and nervous and tend to get angry quickly. They crave solitude and are sensitive to noise. Itchy, burning pustules form on the skin and secrete a foul liquid; even minor injuries fester. Pain is often described as running up the arms.
Cantharis – “Spanish fly”
The Spanish fly is actually not a fly at all, but a shiny metallic-green beetle. Its Latin name is “Lytta vesicatoria”. The beetle produces a yellow secretion that contains the neurotoxin cantharidin. The insect releases this poison to protect itself from attackers. The “Spanish fly” is known as a sexual enhancer – but this type of use is not entirely safe as it can attack the urinary and sexual organs and cause inflammation. But in homeopathic doses, “Cantharis” can also cure diseases of the urinary organs such as kidneys and bladder. In contrast to Apis, the remedy is indicated for burning, cutting pain. It can also be the right medicine for burns and itchy skin infections.
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