Dwain Holmes

I am again back in Makuma in the jungle. I am sending pictures of the
zappers I am currently using. First a little history.

I started using shock treatment in 1990 with an 80,000 volt stun gun. I
used it successfully on scorpion stings several times. The pain would go
away immediately and there were no ill effects, but the voltage was high
enough, many were afraid to come for the treatment, even though I would
demonstrate that it wouldn't kill you by zapping myself in the calf of the
leg each time :-) .

I later "downsized" to a 30,000 volt stungun. I could hold that against the
bottom of my arm for some time. It would slowly curl my fingers, but it
didn't really hurt. That was some better and again I used it successfully
on scorpion stings and conga ant stings.

The problems with the stun guns were two: 1) the light wires to the battery
were very susceptible to corrosion and breakage. 2) without adding leads
to it, it was impossible to run the current through the pocket of venom.
All I could do was zap around the site, except in the case of fingers, where
sometimes the finger could be put between the two prongs. The obvious
problem with the crank zappers is that it takes two hands to crank it and,
normally, two hands to hold the contacts.

Then a friend of those in a visiting work group heard of what we were doing
and designed (by himself or with consultation, I don't know) and built the
zappers in the pictures. The larger green one is the one I carry with me
everywhere. I have used it for several years. I doubt that I can come up
with specific dates, but have successfully used it on many scorpion and
conga ant stings and also snakebite.

It has a shaft with a cam that activates a sparker like is in a butane gas
lighter that one uses to start gas stoves. It is very simple inside. I think
you can see it on the picture. I'm going to write the guy who built these
and see if he is sensitive about me sending pictures of his design to others.
I'm almost sure he isn't, but I'd better check before it shows up anywhere.

A typical "treatment" would be cranking the zapper for anywhere from 10-40
times, waiting a little and zapping it again if they wanted. In the case of
snakebite, sometimes they would come back later and ask me to zap it again
as it was still hurting a little. Invariably by morning or the next day,
the pain would be completely gone as well as swelling etc.

One afternoon I zapped a 19 year old male in Mashumarentsa who had been
bitten on the middle finger by a Bothriopsis bilineatus smaragdinus
(two-striped forest pit viper). There were 3 puncture wounds, the finger
was swollen and he was in considerable pain. It had been close to an hour
since the bite. I zapped him good, waited a few minutes and zapped him
again. About 7 pm one of his friends came and asked if I could give him the
zapper as it was still hurting a little bit. So I did, and they zapped him
again. In the morning when I went to see how he was, there was no swelling
and no pain. This is typically what I have done in the case of snakebite.
Scorpion sting and conga ant stings are normally only given the one
treatment and relief is immediate.

I have had a couple experiences that I can't explain. I stepped on a conga
ant. It stung me on the bottom of the next-to-the-youngest toe on the right
foot right next to where it joins the foot. I have been stung by them a
number of times (unfortunately, mostly B.Z. (before zappers), and it is
always 10-12 hours of intense pain. The Shuar/Achuar will confirm it is at
least as painful as a scorpion sting, if not worse. I zapped the sting and
the pain went away immediately, however, the foot still swelled up. It
looked like a rubber glove that has been slightly inflated. My toes stuck
straight out, but there was no pain. It was 5 days before I could get my
foot in a boot, but again, no pain.

The other was the treatment of a snakebite. I was in Kuchintsa when a 50ish
woman, in good health, was bitten on the calf of the leg by a large Bothrops
atrox (fer-de-lance). I got there within 10 minutes and zapped each
puncture individually, several times. The health promoter had a suction kit
and he used that several times. About 3 hours later, she was taken to the
hospital in Shell. I would think the records are available as to what they
did there. The end being, she was returned to her village, but continued to
have a lot of problems with it. She went out to the hospital again,
returned home, but didn't walk again. A couple months later she died. As I
type this, I'm thinking I need to see if I can get her records from the
hospital to see exactly what the complication was.

There have been several cases like the following: A man brought his small
daughter to the house. She had been bitten by a Bothrops atrox. I zapped
her, waited a little and zapped her again. They then left. I saw him a
couple days later and asked how she was. He said, "She's fine. We stopped
at the witches' house on the way home and he cured her." So, even though
credit isn't given where credit is due, I've seen too many cases of obvious
envenomation where treatment by electric shock has given immediate and
permanent relief, to doubt that it is a beneficial first aid treatment. We
still recommend that snakebite victims go out for medical treatment. But
many times the bite occurs late afternoon or evening and by morning, when
they could call the plane, it is no longer needed. They are better.

I know the critics claim many of the snakebites we claim to have treated
were "dry bites," and while that may be true, I've never heard of a "dry"
scorpion sting or a "dry" conga ant sting.

I realize I've rambled here, but wanted to give you a little background on
the zapper experience I have.