# How are they still alive?



## paulds (Mar 17, 2009)

Watch the vid and tell me why this village isn't full of dead people if you can :gasp:.

YouTube - Bitten By Cobras

Thanks :2thumb:


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## kelboy (Feb 10, 2009)

Possibly a similar reason to why many of these people are still alive. Although, here, they don't wantonly invite bites, but they have a "cure" for them.

YouTube - king Cobra Village Thailand-Ban Khok Sa-nga


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## paulds (Mar 17, 2009)

kelboy said:


> Possibly a similar reason to why many of these people are still alive. Although, here, they don't wantonly invite bites, but they have a "cure" for them.
> 
> YouTube - king Cobra Village Thailand-Ban Khok Sa-nga


Nuts :2thumb:


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

its because they take a root every day and its proven to destroy venom but has to be taken everyday and if you get bit taken straight away. there was some research done on it and when the root was added to them venom in a sample of blood it deformed the venom stopping it doing lasting damage


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## kelboy (Feb 10, 2009)

bloodpython22 said:


> its because they take a root every day and its proven to destroy venom but has to be taken everyday and if you get bit taken straight away. there was some research done on it and when the root was added to them venom in a sample of blood it deformed the venom stopping it doing lasting damage


On the OP's video, it's a place in India, and it shows a "ring" of herbs, which don't look anything like the root that they use in Ban khok sa nga. But apparently, that root can be grown anywhere, so it makes sense that it would be what they used, especially as the two countries are less than 1000 miles apart.


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## cbreakenridge (Apr 27, 2009)

One word. 
Freaks.


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## paulds (Mar 17, 2009)

I'm impressed about this root. Does it work on different venom types??


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

paulds said:


> I'm impressed about this root. Does it work on different venom types??


 from what i read about it from banga yeah and grows like a weed so


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## paulds (Mar 17, 2009)

bloodpython22 said:


> from what i read about it from banga yeah and grows like a weed so


Brilliant, if I can get my hands on that I can bother all types of dangerous snakes.


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

paulds said:


> Brilliant, if I can get my hands on that I can bother all types of dangerous snakes.


 lol still would want to put my life in the hands of a root tho


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## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

> its because they take a root every day and its proven to destroy venom but has to be taken everyday and if you get bit taken straight away. there was some research done on it and when the root was added to them venom in a sample of blood it deformed the venom stopping it doing lasting damage


I think a number of phytosterols isolated from plant extracts have been implicated as potential antagonists to certain snake venoms, but none has been shown to 'destroy' venom conclusively. It would require some kind of super-molecule to be able to halt the action of all venom components (without killing the snake bitten patient) because snake venoms are so complex and diverse. I know there was a documentary that suggested a root was able to 'cure' king cobra envenomations, this was simply another case of the media misrepresenting and overstating the importance of scientific results, relying on the ignorance of the general public to how science works.

With regards to the original video clip, although I don't know for certain, I am doubtful that the aim of the festival is to get bitten by venomous snakes. If this was the aim, then the festival wouldn't last for many years as there would be an incredibly strong selective pressure against those taking part! If these people regularly encounter and get bitten by venomous snakes then they will develop resistance (just like the Australian 'snake men' of the last century), but I would guess that stunts like this will involve surgically altered snakes.

David.


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

DavidR said:


> I think a number of phytosterols isolated from plant extracts have been implicated as potential antagonists to certain snake venoms, but none has been shown to 'destroy' venom conclusively. It would require some kind of super-molecule to be able to halt the action of all venom components (without killing the snake bitten patient) because snake venoms are so complex and diverse. I know there was a documentary that suggested a root was able to 'cure' king cobra envenomations, this was simply another case of the media misrepresenting and overstating the importance of scientific results, relying on the ignorance of the general public to how science works.
> 
> With regards to the original video clip, although I don't know for certain, I am doubtful that the aim of the festival is to get bitten by venomous snakes. If this was the aim, then the festival wouldn't last for many years as there would be an incredibly strong selective pressure against those taking part! If these people regularly encounter and get bitten by venomous snakes then they will develop resistance (just like the Australian 'snake men' of the last century), but I would guess that stunts like this will involve surgically altered snakes.
> 
> David.


thats interesting then hanks for clearing that up


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## gizmossister (May 13, 2009)

the other cool thing about cobras is they conserve as much venom as they can so they dnt waste it, they can regulate how much venom they deliver and can give "dry bites" so venom is not always injected.
feel free to correct me on this but i found this on many studies and ive seen it on documentries on tv too .


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## paulds (Mar 17, 2009)

DavidR said:


> I think a number of phytosterols isolated from plant extracts have been implicated as potential antagonists to certain snake venoms, but none has been shown to 'destroy' venom conclusively. It would require some kind of super-molecule to be able to halt the action of all venom components (without killing the snake bitten patient) because snake venoms are so complex and diverse. I know there was a documentary that suggested a root was able to 'cure' king cobra envenomations, this was simply another case of the media misrepresenting and overstating the importance of scientific results, relying on the ignorance of the general public to how science works.
> 
> With regards to the original video clip, although I don't know for certain, I am doubtful that the aim of the festival is to get bitten by venomous snakes. If this was the aim, then the festival wouldn't last for many years as there would be an incredibly strong selective pressure against those taking part! If these people regularly encounter and get bitten by venomous snakes then they will develop resistance (just like the Australian 'snake men' of the last century), but I would guess that stunts like this will involve surgically altered snakes.
> 
> David.


Hi David,

Thanks for the well informed reply.

I don't think it would be that easy to put a stop to the festival as it is of a religeous nature. Governments are not overly keen on putting a stop to cultural practice unless it is detrimental to the state and looking at the scarring on the practitioners I would say that there is definitely some envenomation occurring although it does look particularly mild.


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