Forensic Issues in Snakebite
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Snakes have been venerated and worshipped in India
(espe-cially by the aboriginal and Dravidian races) since ages. The mysterious
power of inflicting death possessed by venomous snakes, their slithering
movement, and periodic shedding of skin, inspired awe and dread among people of
ancient civilisations, and led to their worship in idol form. Among all the
snakes, the cobra has been the object of most atten-tion in India. Even today
it is worshipped by many Hindus. On Nag Panchami day (as per the Hindu
calendar), milk is offered to cobras as a form of propitiation.** Hindus
generally do not kill cobras on account of such veneration. Also, there is a
popular belief that he who kills a cobra will be cursed for generations.
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Almost all cases of snakebite reported from around the world
are accidental in origin, and the vast majority are due to inadvertent or
deliberate provocation of a snake by a human. Snakes rarely if ever, attack
human beings on their own. Several occupations are associated with increased
risk of snakebite: grass-cutting, working in rubber, coconut, areca nut, and
tea and coffee plantations.
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Perhaps, the only recorded case of suicide accomplished with
the help of a venomous snake is that of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt (69–30 BC),
who is said to have delib-erately induced a snake (an asp) to bite her.
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While homicides can be accomplished by using a venomous
snake as a tool, actual instances of murder committed by such an exotic method
are rare.
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Deaths due to snakebite are regarded as medicolegal in
nature, and a forensic autopsy is mandatory. Unfortunately, clear-cut signs of
envenomation may be lacking in such cases, and even fang marks may not always
be discernible.
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Today, immunodiagnosis with the help of ELISA makes it
possible to conclusively diagnose death due to snakebite by analysing tissues
around bitesite, or blister fluid, or even body fluids such as blood and urine
for venom antigens.
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