User:C.Andrews0311/New sandbox

History
Snakes and their viscera have long been considered by followers of Traditional Chinese medicine to be invaluable for the promotion of vitality and health. The drink was first recorded to be used in China during the Western Zhou dynasty (771 BC) and the medicinal use of snakes was noted in the medical manual Shen nong ben cao jing (神农本草经) compiled between 300 B.C. and 200 A.D. The detailed use of various snake feces, their body parts, and various preparations were greatly elaborated in Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu (本草綱目).

Snake wine can be found in many areas of Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Southern China.

Claims of medicinal value
Snakes are widely believed to possess medicinal qualities and the wine is often advertised to cure everything from farsightedness to hair loss, as well as to increase sexual performance. In Vietnam, snake wine (Rượu rắn) is widely believed by some individuals to improve health and virility. A similar drink is made with dehydrated geckos or sea horses rather than snakes. Snake wine, due to its high alcohol percentage, is traditionally drunk in shot glasses.

It is illegal to import snake wine to many countries because many of the snakes used for its production are endangered species.

Health risks
Although snake wine has been pronounced a sort of remedy in Chinese culture, there are risks when consuming such a beverage. When ingesting snake wine, due to the venom of the snake, it may cause systemic envenomation. This certain scenario may differ from features noticed from direct envenomation by a snakebite. However, coagulopathy can happen in either situation as long as snake venom has entered the body.

Overall, snake venom can cause a plethora of health problems on the vascular system, including damage to the vascular wall endothelium, abnormal platelet function and activation, and coagulopathy.