|
Response from Lee
to
Professor Harvey
Dear Professor Harvey,
Thank you for your email response received on
December 19, to my letter concerning “Letter to
the Editor”. I do understand and appreciate your
concerns as well as those of the journals’. I do
have the same concerns. However, this
information is not being presented to a
periodical directed to the “novice”, but to a
scientific journal. The notable American Journal
of Tropical Medical Hygiene Volume 9 pgs 284-292
(1960) published the remarkable paper “ACTIVE
IMMUNIZATION OF MAN AGAINST THE VENOM OF THE
AUSTRALIAN TIGER SNAKE (NOTECHIS SCUTATUS)” and
then there is Y. Sawai’s comprehensive
“Vaccination against Snake Bite Poisoning.”
I do respect your decision not to publish the
letter. However, in my case there is objective
evidence of the production antibodies as
indicated with the increasing doses. I do
realize that no specific antibodies are labeled
or identified in my paper. No immunoassays or
antibody titers were conducted. It was not done
as a study but to afford me some protection
against envenomation. However, these
inoculations have afforded me personal “first
hand” experience with the effects of these
venoms and then the later subsequent absence of
these effects using much higher doses than those
originally that resulted with notable effects.
Interestingly I presently feel nothing, except
burning at injection site, following
inoculations using Green Mamba venom. The
effects of Cape cobra venom is basically the
same, but with leaving notable sores. The “old”
estimate used for LD50 of these venoms 1 drop =
1/20 ml = .05. The dose, of both venoms, I have
used on several occasion is .15ml. Maybe a very
general estimate, but never the less a potential
lethal dose. Monthly booster inoculations are
only .05 ml.
My life’s work was inspired from working for
Bill Haast at the Miami Serpentarium, when he
was still in Miami, Fl. Now of course he is
still continuing his work in Punta Gorda, Fl. He
was also concerned with this issue and never
gave any advice or instructions concerning
immunizations. His case however was presented
Amer. J Med Hyg. 4 pgs 1135-1137 (1955)
I admit this is a legitimate concern. Perhaps
some details of these immunizations should be
omitted. May I suggest that a generalized paper
featuring this subject and citing the individual
cases, only revealing the case, claim and
contact information. These multiple accounts of
Haast, Wiener and my case will prove to be of
some interest in future research in related
subjects.
In any case I respect and honor your decision.
Lee Moore
Serpentoxin Laboratory
P.O Box 565
Ft. McCoy, Fl. 32134-0565
Email
LeeMoore@serpentoxin.com
• I do not have the
specific source and citation on Y. Sawai’s
article, but I can forward copies if you are
interested. |
