Day 124: 5 Minute Freewrite: Tuesday - Prompt: snake

Courtesy of: 10 Crazy Uses For Animal Venom | Popular Science

They are the reason why most farm houses are raised above the ground. In the Philippines, snakes are a common sight across all farmlands, mainly because of the swamplands or the plantations that surround them, making it their ideal hiding place. They also have the tendency to unexpectedly enter homes and cause trouble among family members.

However, looking from a medical perspective, there are many medicinal benefits that snake venom can offer, including the ability to treat cancer cells. For example, the venom of a rattlesnake contains a chemical called "crotoxin". It is toxic to living cells. However, those toxins only work on specific kinds of cells, which are in the blood and muscles. Scientists and researchers were finally able to create a new chemical called "CB24", which searches for and kills malignant tumors that grow without control. As of now, it's not totally widespread, but clinical trials showed a sense of hope to medicine experts about the treatment of cancer.

Truly, snakes like the rattlesnake have proven to the world that they are not as deadly and vile as we think. The antidotes from other snake venom may not be commercially available at this time. But still, we are given a new hope that one day, alternative and natural medicine will find its way to being widely used globally, even in hospitals.