Remedies from venomous snakes, Crotalus, Elaps, Lachesis, Naja, and Vipera sp., are well known and in use since late 1800s-early 1900s. Recent developments in homeopathy enable us to identify words and gestures used by people requiring remedies from these snakes, and prescriptions can also be based purely on symptoms and pathological indications.

However, some individuals express the language and gestures indicative of venomous snake remedies without presenting any hint of the ferocious energy and immense physical power of these snakes. Will remedies from venomous snakes still benefit them? Or do they need remedies made from nonvenomous snakes?

These questions led Dr. Vatsala Sperling to explore the nonvenomous snakes belonging to Colubridae family, understand their natural behavior and the winning strategies they use for survival and compare these with the natural behavior and survival strategies of venomous snakes. The author draws from her study of animal remedies and Colubrid snakes to show their unique expertise – mimicry. She explores the place of snakes in the periodic table of animals developed by Drs. B and S Joshi and shows how mimicking bigger, and venomous snakes help the Colubrids attain self-protection. Six cases from her practice are used as examples. In these cases, repertorization points to venomous snakes. However, focusing on the words, energy and gestures used by clients in the clinical setting, instead of relying on rubrics, led her to differentiate between venomous and nonvenomous snakes, and choose remedies from nonvenomous snakes. Five different species of nonvenomous Colubrid snakes, Cyclagras, Elaphe, Lampropeltis, Natrix and Thamnophis sp. are described in detail with regards to their general, maternal, predatory, and anti-predatory behavior. The outcome after taking the indicated nonvenomous snake remedies shows the effectiveness of the remedy choice.

Identifying and including nonvenomous snake remedies in your own practice enables you to help a larger number of your clients who express themes, words, and gestures indicative of nonvenomous snake.