Deadly Snake Bites Man's Tongue After Astrologer's Nightmare Advice

A deadly snake bit a man's tongue after an astrologer told him that performing a ritual with the serpent would stop his nightmares.

The 54-year-old man, from Gobichettipalayam in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, sought the advice of an astrologer after he had a dream involving a snake, The Hindu reported.

A local astrologer—someone who practices traditional Hindu astrology—told him to perform a snake worship ritual at a temple to stop the dreams.

The temple priest told the man that the snake in his dream had been a Russell's viper—one of the most dangerous snakes in Asia—and brought a real life one to him.

The Russel's viper is also one of the most common snakes to inflict bites on people in India.

During the ritual, the man mimicked the snake's tongue flickering movements, which is when the incredibly deadly snake bit him.

After the snake bit the man, the priest attempted to make a cut in his tongue using a knife, which only worsened the pain, The Hindu reported.

The venom from a Russell's viper usually causes cardiovascular complications, hemostatic abnormalities, renal failure and other effects. Those who are bitten need treatment immediately.

The man was rushed to a nearby medical center.

Chief Doctor S. Senthilkumaran told The Hindu that they found damage to an artery within his tongue. This caused severe bleeding, which blocked the man's airways, causing him to collapse, the news outlet reported.

Surgery was performed and the man was discharged seven days later.

"He almost lost his life and people should exercise caution against undertaking such risky practice of worship," Senthilkumaran told The Hindu.

In India, about 5 million snakebites occur each year, and these are responsible for between 81,000 and 138,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Snakes are still often used in religious rituals and for traditional practises.

Dr. Senthilkumaran told The Hindu that policies were urgently needed to stop rituals as they could be incredibly dangerous. The doctor also said education, especially in rural areas, was needed to make people aware of the dangers of such rituals.

Snakes are a particular problem in rural areas, as people don't have fast access to antivenom.

Those living in rural communities will also often rely on herbal remedies to treat snake bites, which may cause thousands of deaths per year.

Romulus Whitaker, an India-based herpetologist at the Madras Crocodile Bank, which works to educate villagers on snakebites, previously told Newsweek: "[People should] not waste time going to a local healer using herbal or other purported, useless remedies. These suggestions are easy to make but the reality is that snakebites often happen in remote places where transport to a hospital could take hours and people strongly believe in local healers located in their village," Whitaker said.

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