The Sterility of Snake Venom Solutions

The haemostatic effect of viperine venom and the analgesic effect produced by cobra venom have made venom therapy a popular form of treatment, particularly in chronic painful conditions. In addition to these specific indications snake venoms are in considerable vogue in some centres and are administered in an increasing number of clinical conditions. The venom preparations are used differently, (a) by direct local application, or (6) by intradermal, subcutaneous, or even intravenous injections. A severe reaction after a subcutaneous injection of snake venom led to the examination of the venom solution that had been used. This solution contained many viable bacteria. A further 24 samples of venom solutions were examined for sterility. Standard methods of testing were employed, using sufficient fluid medium to ensure that the preservative content of the final dilution shall be less than 0.01 per cent. For the purposes of this calculation the maximum content of the preservative was taken to be 0.5 per cent. Each venom was examined for the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The results are summarized below :??