MESOBUTHUS tumulus —that’s the scientific name of scorpion, specifically the Indian red scorpion, a creature so dreaded in ancient times that some 10 passages can be found in the Holy Bible talking about what it can do. But reputed as such, a scorpion can be easily missed, eclipsed by the cunning prestige of the snake. Thus goes an ancient Egyptian proverb: “Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion.” And missing a scorpion when you should not, can result in getting its deadly sting. A scorpion’s sting is considered an acute medical emergency as it can pose a life threatening situation. Its venom can close the sodium channel in the human nerves, resulting into a so-called “autonomic storm,” wherein endogenous catecholamines are suddenly poured into the blood circulation. And this leads into... [ Read more. ] This article appears in SunStar Cebu on 20 April 2011.
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