Times Of Swaziland: HERBS MAY OR MAY  NOT TREAT SNAKEBITES

HERBS MAY OR MAY  NOT TREAT SNAKEBITES
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 BY ZWELAKHE MOAHLOLI on 03/02/2018 00:56:00


MBABANE – Once, twice, three times lucky – that is the tale of a five-year
old boy who was bitten by a puff-adder.
The puff adder, Bitis arietans, is the most common and widespread venomous
snake. Found throughout Africa and into Arabia it is only absent in the
rainforest and extreme desert habitats
The infant is said to have been bitten three times by the same snake before it
slid away into a thick bush. The incident occurred late last year at a Dlamini
homestead situated at Maphungwane in the Lubombo region.
Piercing screams of the crying boy are said to have brought elders of family
running. The grandfather, Twister Dlamini, found his grandson on the ground
crying hysterically with fear was written on his face as he pointed towards the
direction the snake took after biting him.
Dlamini said fear also engulfed him as he thought his grandson was going to die.
Screaming
The old man narrated that the boy was playing behind the family two-bedroom
house when they heard him screaming.
“I suspect that it was something he could have been playing with, that he
might have kicked it, judging from the bite marks on his foot,” Dlamini said,
giving an encounter of his thoughts.
After discovering that he had been bitten by a snake, they tried to arrange
transport to take the child to hospital but failed and opted for public
transport.
Worth noting is that the hospital, Good Shepherd Hospital is approximately 20
kilometres from their residence.
At the health centre, the boy was given anti-venom before being admitted for a
few days.
“While in hospital, I noted that his condition was not improving. I then went
for another option, the traditional route.”
Dlamini mentioned that he was referred and directed to a herbalist based at
KaBhudla known as Maphuthuma Zwane.
“He gave me some herbs known as sibiba for the boy had to ingest. I used to
give him while he was in hospital. I noted that his condition improved after
taking the herbs.”