Bothrops lanceolatus

Prepared from the venom of the Bothrops lanceolatus, a highly venomous pit viper native to Martinique and nearby Caribbean islands. The snake’s venom contains potent procoagulant enzymes and tissue-destroying toxins, producing both local necrosis and systemic vascular effects. In crude form, the bite is often fatal due to extensive thrombosis, haemorrhage, and circulatory collapse. The homeopathic remedy is prepared by serial trituration and dilution of the venom to remove toxicity while retaining dynamic action.

Pathogenetic data comes primarily from toxicological observations and clinical application by homeopathic physicians, notably in cerebrovascular and thrombotic conditions, rather than from formal Hahnemannian provings.

Bothrops embodies the dark, obstructive, clot-forming poison that halts the life-flow in veins and arteries, leading to paralysis, gangrene, and death. The homeopathic picture is dominated by thrombosis, phlebitis, apoplexy with aphasia, and purplish skin changes. The patient is sluggish, weak, and fearful of moving, with a deep toxic state pervading the system.

• Blood & Vascular System: Venous and arterial thrombosis, coagulopathy.
• Nervous System: Paralysis, especially following haemorrhage or thrombosis.
• Cerebrovascular System: Apoplexy, hemiplegia, speech loss from vascular obstruction.
• Eyes: Retinal haemorrhages, visual disturbance from vascular congestion.
• Skin & Tissues: Ecchymosis, gangrene, necrosis.
• Heart: Cardiac weakness from circulatory toxin load.

Dullness and confusion as if intoxicated [Clarke], often preceding apoplexy. Fear of death, especially at night. Anxiety with restlessness of the limbs, yet a dread of movement because it aggravates symptoms. Memory loss or inability to recall recent events, often following cerebral congestion. In severe cases, mental stupor and unconsciousness, passing into coma [Hering].

Restless in early illness; later profound coma in apoplexy. Sleep disturbed by anxious dreams.

Nightmares of suffocation or paralysis; patient wakes in fright.

Characteristic effects on the vascular system: tendency to form clots, local venous inflammation, and systemic septic absorption. Paralysis following haemorrhage or thrombosis is a keynote, especially when aphasia is present. Marked left-sidedness in some cases, though not exclusive. Worse from slightest motion in thrombosis.

Low, muttering septic fever with periodic chills. Skin alternately hot and cold.

Chilliness with blue extremities; flushes of heat; night sweats of sour or offensive odour.

Sudden rush of blood to the head with violent throbbing, flushed face, and carotid pulsation. Headaches with a bursting sensation, worse from stooping or lying on the back. After cerebrovascular accident, head may be heavy and drawn to one side. Vertigo with staggering gait, sometimes ending in collapse. Sensation of constriction around the head as if bound tightly [Allen].

Congestion of conjunctiva with deep redness. Haemorrhages into the retina causing sudden partial blindness or black spots before the eyes. Diplopia in post-apoplexy states. Heaviness of lids, oedema of periorbital tissues.

Buzzing, roaring, or rushing sounds in ears during high vascular tension. Deafness following cerebral haemorrhage from thrombosis [Clarke].

Epistaxis of dark, fluid blood, often in the elderly or in septic states. Nose may appear bluish in severe circulatory stagnation.

Pale and anxious or dark and congested. Cyanotic hue around lips and nose. Muscular distortion of one side of face in hemiplegia. Expression dull, stupid, or vacant in chronic post-stroke cases.

Tongue often protrudes slowly and clumsily; may be dry, brown, and tremulous. Aphasia or inability to articulate clearly after thrombosis of cerebral vessels [Kent]. Taste metallic or foul in septic states.

No direct proving data; secondary dental looseness may occur from septic involvement of gums.

Difficulty in swallowing from paralysis of pharyngeal muscles. Liquids regurgitate through the nose in severe bulbar involvement.

Oppression of breathing with sighing respiration. Heaviness over the sternum. Violent palpitation in septic fevers.

Irregular, intermittent beats. Pulse slow in early stages, later rapid and weak. Heart feels as if compressed in a vice [Farrington].

Difficult, slow, and stertorous in apoplectic coma. Rapid and shallow in septic collapse.

Loss of appetite with nausea in early septic states. Vomiting of dark blood in cases with gastric haemorrhage from coagulopathy.

Distension with soreness of abdominal walls in septicaemia. Hepatic tenderness possible from sluggish circulation.

Dark, offensive, bloody stools in haemorrhagic enteritis. Tenesmus in low septic fevers.

Suppression or marked diminution of urine in acute septic or thrombotic states. Haematuria with dark, almost black urine in severe blood dissolution.

No desire for food; thirst for small sips of cold water.

No proving-specific symptoms; impotency may follow chronic debility after stroke.

Metrorrhagia of dark, fluid blood with tendency to clotting in pelvic veins. Puerperal thrombosis with local inflammation.

Pain and stiffness in cervical spine after apoplexy. Lumbar aching from venous congestion.

Marked sphere of action. Great swelling, heat, and livid discolouration of limbs in phlebitis. Trembling and weakness, progressing to paralysis. Limbs feel heavy and powerless, especially on one side. Severe pain along the course of thrombosed veins; overlying skin tense and glossy [Hering].

Ecchymoses and large purplish blotches. Tendency to gangrene in extremities following vascular obstruction. Skin often cold and clammy in collapse.

• Lachesis mutus – More loquacity, extreme left-sidedness, aggravation after sleep; Bothrops more paralytic and thrombophilic.
• Crotalus horridus – More haemorrhagic dissolution of blood with jaundice; Bothrops stronger for local phlebitis and cerebral thrombosis.
• Vipera berus – Marked aggravation from hanging down the limb; Bothrops more generalised thrombotic tendency.

• Complementary: Vipera, Crotalus cascavella in septic vascular states.
• Antidotes: Alcohol in crude venom poisoning (emergency use); homeopathically, Lachesis may antidote.
• Follows well: After Arnica in head injury when paralysis remains from clot formation.

• Indispensable in post-stroke paralysis with aphasia.
• Highly effective in preventing extension of thrombosis in deep vein inflammation.
• Use in septic puerperal thrombophlebitis when limb is swollen, tense, dark.
• Often prescribed in 6C to 30C potencies, repeated cautiously in acute danger.

Mind:

• Delirium, muttering.
• Fear of death at night.
• Confusion, intoxicated feeling.
• Memory loss after apoplexy.

Head:

• Apoplexy, with aphasia.
• Congestion of brain, with vertigo.
• Paralysis after cerebral haemorrhage.

Eyes:

• Haemorrhage into retina.
• Diplopia after stroke.

Stomach:

• Nausea during septic states.
• Vomiting of dark blood.

Skin:

• Ecchymosis, purplish blotches.
• Gangrene of limbs.
• Skin cold, clammy.

Extremities:

• Phlebitis, limb swollen, tense.
• Paralysis, one-sided.
• Trembling after apoplexy.

Generalities:

• Thrombosis tendency.
• Septic states with low fever.
• Worse from motion.

Clarke J.H. – A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Toxicological basis, paralysis, thrombosis.

Hering C. – The Guiding Symptoms: Venous inflammation, septic fevers, paralysis.

Allen T.F. – Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica: Collected toxic and clinical records.

Hughes R. – Manual of Pharmacodynamics: Venom pathology, circulatory effects.

Kent J.T. – Lectures on Materia Medica: Aphasia and paralysis indications.

Farrington E.A. – Clinical Materia Medica: Differentiation from other snake remedies.

Lippe A. von – Keynotes: Thrombotic sphere.

Boericke W. – Pocket Manual: Summary uses in apoplexy and thrombosis.

Boger C.M. – Synoptic Key: Paralysis from vascular cause.

Nash E.B. – Leaders in Therapeutics: Acute vascular obstruction.