Is this guy for real= Self envenomation

[manlyfish]

wait so what exacly is he doing? i thought he was getting high on snake venum

if that was true everyone would want a snake like that...

 

[A. gigas]

we also have to consider that this could be a publicity stunt, possibly with venomoid snakes.

the fact that he uses the hook to pick them up and pin them, but then gets them to bite him tells me that something's off...

 

[snakeguy101]

I saw that a long time ago at this link and posted this:

"If it is working for you then good for you but this is not a very controlled way to go about it. starting with a small snake and moving to bigger snakes is not going to make a difference in the venom injected, it is just too variable. Also, you will have to continue doing this for the rest of your life. If you cease to evenomate yourself then when you get bit after all the antibodies are lost, you will be hyper-allergic to the venom and will react more adversely than to a normal bite."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_MLowxUDck&feature=related

 

[snakeguy101]

wait so what exacly is he doing? i thought he was getting high on snake venum

close, he is getting high off the attention from it.

 

[davo]

There's a few people that do it. Recently channel 4 in this country did a show about Steve Ludwin who does it and I think they are doing a follow up to because they had only just started doing tests on his "super blood". It's called the man who injects venom... it's probaby on youtube.

 

[knifegill]

So can I be famous for getting poked by my raphael catfish every once in awhile? I mean, they do have a toxin in their spines. So I must be awesome.

 

[Sylvias]

Self envenomation has the potential to be a good thing and even a scientific advancement but it has to be done under very controlled circumstances. I have not even watched the video in the originally posted link so I am not entirely sure how this guy is doing but there are people doing it the right way that have contributed somewhat to medical science. It is not to terribly different than making antivenin in a horse...but it needs much less refining obviously since it is already within a human body.
I believe Bill Haast has done this as well... I am not certain that is the name but I think so... I know it's someone around here and not George Van Horn to my knowledge....

 

[NixMix]

we also have to consider that this could be a publicity stunt, possibly with venomoid snakes.

the fact that he uses the hook to pick them up and pin them, but then gets them to bite him tells me that something's off...

I noticed that too... lol I found myself thinking "wait... he's letting them bite but not actually strike. He's using the hook so he can place them? Whhaaat!" lol

 

[SemperFish]

So what is the point? If this works for him he will be resistant to snake bites? So he's planning on what? getting bit up more? Its like saying, Im going to drink a little poison every day so that if I drink a big glass of poison I will be ok. To which most people will say - Dont drink any poison dumb@$$ and you wont have to worry about it!

 

[Miguel]

Self envenomation has the potential to be a good thing and even a scientific advancement but it has to be done under very controlled circumstances. I have not even watched the video in the originally posted link so I am not entirely sure how this guy is doing but there are people doing it the right way that have contributed somewhat to medical science. It is not to terribly different than making antivenin in a horse...but it needs much less refining obviously since it is already within a human body.
I believe Bill Haast has done this as well... I am not certain that is the name but I think so... I know it's someone around here and not George Van Horn to my knowledge....

Ok, except no one takes count of the horses and sheep that die in the process.

The guy you mention was Bill Haast, from Florida. He started this process after being accidentally biten.

There existed no anti venoms at the time.