While Googling some information on brown recluse bites, my eyes were immediately drawn to two words that seemed out of place - stun gun. As in, "uses a stun gun to treat brown recluse bites," a snippet from an Arkansas newspaper article. That certainly aroused my curiosity.
Brown recluse spider
Photo: CDC
Before I continue, let me get this disclaimer out of the way. Should you decide to shock yourself with a stun gun or other similar device after reading my blog, I won't be held responsible. I'm not telling you to try it.
Dr. Stan Abrams, a family physician who's been in practice since 1973, reportedly uses a stun gun to treat brown recluse bites all the time, and with success. He's even created a website to share his stun gun technique with others. According to his site, there is a biological basis for using a shock to destroy the spider venom:
- The current will influence the hydrogen bonds of the enzymes, destroying their secondary and tertiary structure.
- The high voltage, low amperage current applied will reduce metal ions and zinc, copper, magnesium, iron, or calcium ions, which are firmly bound to some venom enzymes and are mandatory cofactors for these enzymes.
- The electric particles interfere with the membrane as well as the positive charged polypeptides, decreasing their cytotoxic properties.
Word of the stun gun remedy seems to have spread and joined the ranks of other home remedies for bites. Some folks who live in brown recluse territory have added stun guns to their medicine cabinets.
I've never experienced a brown recluse bite myself, but I imagine the pain must be pretty severe if it drives people to whip out a stun gun and zap themselves with 100,000 volts of electricity. And I'd really like to meet the first guy who decided to try electrocuting himself to ease his spider bite pain.
Comments
Can’t help but wonder what else might get zapped in the process such as perhaps braincells?
My first thought was, “Who came up with this, and who tried it first”…. Whew, Debbie! I know insects are exciting, but who’d have thought they were so electrifying!!
I have used a MODIFIED stun gun to cure spider bites. You do not just use it as intended or the patient will pass out. The first person did it by accident.
I’m hearing more and more about mini stun guns being used in the treatment of spiders. As a seller of stun guns I can’t imagine having to shock myself over and over again.
I have heard of using a stun gun on the lowest setting to not only cure spider bites, but also snake bites. There is a case where a woman was bit by a black mamba and they used a stun gun to treat her. Only a hand full of people have ever survived such a bite. All it takes is two zaps on the lowest setting(one would probably suffice), which, by the way, will only make your muscle reflexes jump. From what I understand, it’s not a process you repeat until the wound heals, but just a one time jolt to break up the harmful venom into the basic enzymes, proteins, etc. which are actually beneficial to the human body.
I first learned of this technique when I was at a gun show. A Dr. came by and told me my products had been used to treat brown recluse spider bites.
A recent customer showed me his pictures he had taken with his cell phone about a year ago. Amazing to say the least!!!!!