HOW WORKS

HOW
WORKS

How Rattler Venom Works
ANTHONY PATTICHOT

How Rattler Venom Works
Copyright © 2014 by Anthony Pattichot
All Rights Reserved. This book or any
portion thereof may not be reproduced
or used in any manner whatsoever without
the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a
book review.
First Printing, 2014. isbn 1997351298754
Granadil Publishing 33 Belderiver Ave
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
Written and designed by Anthony Pattichot
Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Venom Gland
Anatomy of the
Venom System
Venom Route
Envenomation
( 30 minutes after bite )
Hemotoxin
Envenomation
( 6-12 hours after bite )
The Process of Necrosis
Antivenom
Colophon
1
2
3
5
7
9
10
11
15

To my best friend, Roxy.

THE VENOM GLAND
Thtrekd
The venom gland is a modified salivary gland which contains a chemical
mixture that may contain many proteins, enzymes and strongly basic
peptides. Also found in this concoction are three types of toxins:
Neurotoxin : Abrasively attacks the nervous system causing it to fail
or drastically malfunction.
Cytotoxin : Attacks and destroys cells, especially those found within
the muscular system.
Hemotoxin : Causes rupturing of blood cells which causes internal
bleeding and massive hemorrhaging.
The main difference between the two terms
is strictly the method of delivery. Venom is
attached to a venom gland and is injected
into the blood stream by means of fangs
or a stinger. Venom is only harmful to the
victim when injected into the blood stream.
A poisonous creature secretes poison from
the skin and and affects the victim through
touch. The terms upon affliction is poisioned
and envenomated.
1

( 2 )
The venom then travels through the accessory gland,
which regulates the amount of venom that is injected
into the victim. Then, the venom goes through a more
restrictive flow through the secondary venom duct.
( 3 )
The venom then travels through hollowed out fangs
and is injected into the victim, causing envenomation.
4

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`
Envenomation
(30 minutes after bite)
Within thirty minutes of envenomations, a severe and searing
pain is noticable. Local soft tissue swelling spreads distally
and proximally and can even spread to parts of the body that
are unbitten..This is called edema.
The hemotoxins will take effect, causing bruising of the skin.
Much of the venom absorption takes place in the lymphatic
system, thus regional lymphnodes will start to swell and feel
tender after the bite. It is strongly recommended to seek
medical attention and treatment with antivenom at this stage.
On the site of the bite, edema starts to set
in. This is a conditon in which swelling and
redness set in around the site of the wound
and soon spread throughout the body.
5

HEAD
dizziness
blurred vision
headache
fever
LYMPH
NODES
swelling
RESPIRATORY
laborious breathing
CARDIO-SYSTEM
altered and abnormal pulse
low blood pressure
SKIN
numbness
bleeding spots
GASTRO
INTESTINAL
vomiting
nausea
diarrhea
6

Hemotoxin
Hemotoxin in rattlesnake venom is actually a misnomer as it affects other
areas as well as the blood. But its trademark is changing how the blood acts.
In rattlesnake venom, the specific type of hemotoxin is called, hemorrhagin,
which ruptures blood cells thereby eliminating the bloods ability to clot and
deliver oxygen efficiently.
Healthy blood cells travel down a sound artery.
Hemotoxin introduced in bloodstream.
7

Another by - product of the hemorrhagin is the deterioration of the arterial
walls. The heaviest damage sustained is to the renal arteries connected to
the kidneys. Because of this degradation of healthy artery wall, blood leaks
out into the surrounding areas. This is what is happening behind the massive
bruising found within rattlesnake victims.
Blood cells rupturing due to hemorrhagin’s
( the type of hemotoxin ) destructive properties.
Walls of the artery are also damaged.
8

Envenomation
( 6–12 hours after bite )
If the snake bite goes untreated by a physician
and without the aid of antivenom, the victim will
lapse into a fever, have very low blood pressure,
loss of limb due to neurotoxins, and severe necrosis
at the site of the bite as well as in the renal tubes in
the kidneys. If untreated beyond the six hour mark,
death looms closer with each passing moment.
9

Antivenom
When the antivenom is introduced into the bloodstream,
the anitvenom’s antibodies seek out the venomous antigens
and they bind to and neutralize them. Thus, eliminating
the damaging effects of the venom. The liver and kidneys
flush out any excess waste.
Antivenom antibody
Venom molecule
11

The antibodies engulf and
neutralize the venom molecule.
The antibody signals for nearby assisstance.
Making antivenom is a long and tedious process.
The snake handler milks the snake’s venom
glands and collect a miniscule amount. It takes
a snake handler three years and approximately
69,000 milkings to produce one pint of rattler
venom. The venom is then injected into a test
animal, typically a horse, due to the fact that they
are found in many different environments and
encounter many types of species. Soon the horse
is then injected with a chemical that acts
as a catalyst for the horses to produce
antibodies. The horses blood, now rich
with antibodies, is then drawn and placed
into a centrifuge. Once the antivenom is
separated from the blood, it is then kept
in refrigeration and awaits approval from
the fda. Antivenom can cost up to $1600
per vial.
12

15
This book was created by Anthony Pattichot under the supervision
of Jen McKnight as an assignment in Advanced Problems in Graphic
Design II in the spring semester of the year 2014 at the University of
Missouri – St. Louis. Pages were composed in InDesign cs 6 using
image files that were created in Adobe Illustrator cs 6.The typeface
used throughout the publication is Verlag and Vitesse set in various
weights. The drawn type is based off of Molle.