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Stun Gun Technology
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The Nova XR-5000 stun gun (Nova Technologies, 2207 Braker
Lane, Austin, TX 78758) was first marketed in 1983. It is a hand
held stunning device where the front 2 prongs (spaced 2 inches
apart) must be pressed against the person for contact effect. One
probe acts as the ground terminal, and the other applies the
current.
A single 9-volt battery with step-up circuits creates a DC
electrical spark of 45,000 volts and 60 microamps (very low
amperage) at a rate of 20 to 23 pulses per second. Two to four
seconds of contact temporarily immobilizes an individual. Any more
contact may cause serious electrical burns. High amperage AC
electricity from your household outlet on the other hand can easily
kill you.
With high voltage and low current, just enough DC electricity is
transmitted to your body to interfere with the normal electrical
circuitry of your nerves and muscles. You react with involuntary
muscle spasms and a temporary dazed condition.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s tests revealed no
danger to wearers of artificial pacemakers or patients with heart
conditions. In certain U. S. cities though, stun devices are illegal
for citizens to carry. For the do-it-yourself kind of person,
Radio Electronics Magazine (Sept. 1986) outlined
details on making your own stun weapon.
Besides self-defense, another use for shock devices has recently
been developed. 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
(Outdoor Life, June 1987, p.55, June, p.64, July 1988
p.45).
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A Cure for Bee Stings?
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It all came about when a friend of Dr. Guderian mentioned a
Farm Journal article that described how an Illinois
farmer who was allergic to bee stings had accidentally found a cure
when he touched an electrified fence. Afterwards, Dr. Guderian began
successfully treating insect stings and snakebites with the ignition
systems of outboard motors, chain saws and automobiles.
He attached a wire from a spark plug and used another wire as a
ground. Then he applied the live ends to the bite or sting site for
1 or 2 seconds to provide relief. Now Dr. Guderian uses a Nova stun
gun. Since insect stings are near the surface, treatment consists of
simply spanning the site with the 2 probes and delivering a
momentary shock.
With the deep fang wounds of snakebites, he added an extension wire
to the shorter probe so that it could be held to the opposite side
of a bitten limb while the other probe was applied directly to the
fang punctures. In this way, current could travel through the wound
on its way to the extension wire on the other side of the
limb.
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Some Case Histories...
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In 34 recorded snakebite cases (mainly fer-de-lance and
bushmaster varieties), Dr. Guderian applied the current
within a half-hour’s time of the bite, no serious medical
complications developed, all pain disappeared within 15 minutes, and
none of the patients died. No antivenom was ever administered to any
of the patients. Within an hour, each patient was able to return
home, and follow-up examinations revealed no necrosis (cellular
tissue damage) around the bite.
Two patients arrived with swollen limbs and were treated 2 hours
after being bitten. Seven electrical treatments spaced 5 to 10
seconds apart provided considerable pain relief and after 12 hours,
swelling no longer increased. After 3 days, the swelling had
practically disappeared, and only a small necrotic area was visible
around one bite site. Seven patients who refused electrotherapy
suffered the usual complications of considerable swelling, bleeding,
necrosis, shock and kidney failure. Of these, two patients could
only be saved by limb amputation.
One patient, that had been bitten 3 times by a bushmaster (the
largest pit viper in the world), stumbled into Guderian’s medical
station 3 hours after being bitten. Despite several applied shocks
to the wounds, the patient died within 24 hours. There was just too
much venom in his system and too much time before treatment to save
the man.
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Why Does It Work?
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The biological reason electroshock treatment neutralizes the
incompatible alien proteins of snake venom remains unclear. Besides
proteins, snake venom contains enzymes and trace elements that could
easily be uncoupled or ionized by high-voltage electricity. In the
British medical journal, The Lancet (Dec. 6, 1986), C.
Kroege and K H. Meyer propose the theory that electricity may
neutralize the snake venom by destroying the secondary and tertiary
structures of enzymes by influencing their hydrogen bonds.
High voltage electricity may also reduce metal ions that are
attached to harmful enzymes, thus making these enzymes no longer
destructive. Also since body tissue is negatively charged and snake
venom is positively charged, unlike charges attract. With the
application of electricity, venom may become negatively charged,
thus negating its magnetic attraction to body tissue.
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An Electronic Snakebite Kit
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As a result of Dr. Guderian’s successful treatment technique,
pilots, missionaries, mining engineers and many explorers are now
carrying stun guns into the jungles of the world as standard first-
aid gear. Even doctors in many remote regions of the world are using
and having good results with this method of treating
snakebites.
Since this treatment has been known for several years in the U.S.,
anyone who dies as a result of a Crotalid snakebite or being
allergic to bee stings has only the ignorance of their own doctors
to blame if this technique is not at least tried on them, whether in
conjunction with traditional treatments or not. It is certainly
something to remember if anyone has suffered a mass attack of
“killer bees.” If all the reports are true, to continue denying
electrical treatment to bee sting and snakebite victims in the face
of so many successful patient recoveries is simply
tragic.
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Emerging Treatments
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Depending upon how quickly treatment is administered, multiple
electric shocks are some-times necessary, but swelling and pain
disappear, and recovery is complete when a charge is applied in the
early stages after being bitten. For most snakebites, 20,000 -
25,000 volts (at less than one milliamp) like from a modified stun
gun is sufficient (The Lancet, July 26, 1986 p. 229).
Researchers are experimenting to determine how wide a range of
animal poisons can be neutralized in this way.
It seems that primarily the hemotoxic poisons (destroyers of blood
and other tissues) in snakes are affected by the electro-treatment.
There is not enough data on how it affects the neurotoxic venoms
(which attack the nervous system, resulting in paralysis of the
diaphragm and bodily muscles) of Elapid snakes (cobras, corals,
mambas, etc).
Jim Scroggins, vice- president of Nova Technologies, the originator
of the Stun Gun, found it also works wonderfully on fire ant stings
as well. His wife, Donna, is extremely allergic to fire ant stings.
While doing some yard work one day, she accidentally got stung by 4
fire ants. Scroggins spanned the sting sites with the stun gun
probes and gave her 2 quick half-second zaps. She did not go into
her normal anaphylactic shock where her breathing would become
extremely difficult. Her pain quickly stopped and no blistering or
swelling appeared. The normal emergency room visit for such a mishap
become unnecessary.
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More Research Is Needed
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Even though the curative principles behind electroshock treatment
remain puzzling, expensive antivenin and heretofore lethal
snakebites could both be a thing of the past if only doctors would
seriously investigate the reasons behind why this new treatment
works. Years ago, Bill Haast of the Miami Serpentarium developed
some immunity to the neurotoxic venom of cobras by injecting himself
with minute amounts of the poison, and then gradually increasing the
dosages so that more and more antibodies could build up in his
system.
You’d think it would dawn on some serious researcher to do a similar
experiment using a stun gun. Through small injections of hemotoxic
venom coupled with shock treatments from a stun gun, the truth could
easily be demonstrated. This would also silence doubting doctors
thinking that Guderian’s Indians had an immunity or that the snakes
didn’t inject much venom ?!__MDS
Publisher’s disclaimer: The purpose of this article is not to
recommend, but to inform. Since controlled laboratory experiments
have yet to be tried, the author and publishers accept no
responsibility for results obtained by using this
treatment.
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References:
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1) High Voltage Shock Treatment for Snakebite. July 26, 1986. The
Lancet. P. 229.
2) Electric Shocks for Snakebite. Sept. 6, 1986. The Lancet.
P. 578.
3) AIDS, Cancer and Snakebite - What Do These Three Have In Common?
Jan. 1988. West. Jour. of Medicine. 148(1):84.
4) Shocks For Snakebites. June, 1987. Outdoor Life. P.
55+.
5) Latest Research: A Shock Cure For Snakebite, Part 1. June, 1988.
Outdoor Life. P. 64+.
6) A Shocking Cure For Snakebite, Part 2. July, 1988. Outdoor
Life. P. 45+.
7) A Letter On Electroshock For Snakebite. Aug. 1987. Veterinary
and Human Toxicology. 29(4):320.
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