Submitted by Dr LAU Chun Wing Arthur, ICU, PYNEH, Hong Kong, on 25 June 2009
A 70-year-old man was admitted to the ICU after a bite by a bamboo snake (Green Pit Viper) at the right middle finger. Examination showed swelling up to right forearm, all vital signs were stable. Green Pit VIper antivenin was given. He claimed that after the snake bite, he treated himself by taking the roots of a plant called 七葉一枝花 (literally seven-leaf-one-flower, Paris polyphylla) with alcohol orally. It was said to be a kind of herbal medicine as antidote. What is Paris polyphylla (七葉一枝花)?
Figure. Bamboo snake (Green Pit Viper)
Figure. Paris polyphylla
The classification of Paris polyphylla is as follows:
界： 植物界 Plantae
門： 被子植物門 Magnoliophyta
綱： 單子葉植物綱 Liliopsida
目： 百合目 Liliales
科： 黑藥花科 Melanthiaceae
屬： 重樓屬 Paris
種： 七葉一枝花 P. polyphylla
The common name is "love apple". "Paris" means "balance" (parisos in Greek) and "polyphylla" means "many leaves". Information from Wikepedia: 七葉一枝花（學名：Paris polyphylla）為百合科重樓屬的植物。分布在不丹、越南、錫金、尼泊爾以及中國大陸的貴州、雲南、西藏、四川等地，生長於海拔1,800米至3,200米的地區，一般生於林下，目前尚未由人工引種栽培。
主治: 流行性乙型腦炎，胃痛，闌尾炎，淋巴結結核，扁桃體炎，腮腺炎，乳腺炎，毒蛇、毒蟲咬傷，瘡瘍腫毒。(Main indications: Japanese B encephalitis, stomach ache, appendicitis, TB lymphadenitis, tonsillitis, parotitis, mastitis, poisonous snake bits, poisonous insect bites, abscesses and ulcers.
毒蛇咬傷致使血液中毒：七葉一枝花(根狀莖)、王瓜根、徐長卿、蒲公英各15克，枳殼、梔子(炒)、半邊蓮、八角蓮各9克，大黃、連翹各12克，野菊花，紫花地丁各18克。水煎服。
The Paris polyphlla found in Hong Kong is a variant called 「華重樓」(Paris polyphylla var. chinensis)。
Figure. Paris polyphylla var chinensis, Chinese Name: 華重樓
Figure. Root of Paris polyphylla var chinensis (Source: 七葉一枝花，深山是我家)
The antivenin was from the The Thai Red Cross Society. There is a beautiful array of antivenin for snake bites by different snakes.
Figure. Various antivenin from the Thai Red Cross Society (Source: The Thai Red Cross Society website)
Reference
1. 七葉一枝花
2. 七葉一枝花，深山是我家