Common Aconite. Monkshood. Wolfsbane, (Moist pastures and waste places in mountainous districts, Central and Southern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, and Central Asia.) *N. O. Ranunculaceae. Tincture of whole plant with root when beginning to flower.
Clinical
*Amaurosis. *Anger. *Apoplexy. *Asthma. Blindness, sudden. *Bronchitis. Catalepsy. Catheter fever. *Chest, *affections of. Chicken-pox. Cholera. *Cholera *infantum. *Cold. *Coldness. *Consumption. Convulsions. *Cough. *Croup. Cystitis. *Dengue *fever. *Dentition. Diarrhoea. *Dropsy. Dysentery. Dysmenorrhea. *Ear, *affections of. Enteritis. *Erythema *nodosum. *Excitement. *Eye, *affections of. Face, flushing of. *Fear, *effects of. *Fever. *Fright, *effects of. Glands swollen. Glossitis. Gonorrhoea. Haemorrhages. *Haemorrhoids, *strangulated. *Headache. *Heart, *affections of. *Hip-joint, *diseased. *Hodgkin’s *disease. *Hyperpyrexia. *Influenza. Jaundice. *Joints, *affections of. *Labour. *Lactation. *Laryngitis. Liver, inflammation of. *Lumbago. *Lungs, *affections of. *Mania. *Measles. *Meningitis. *Menstruation, *disorders of. *Miliaria. *Miscarriage. *Mumps. *Myalgia. *Myelitis. Nephritis. *Neuralgia. *Numbness. Oesophagus, inflammation of. *Paralysis. *Peritonitis. *Phlegmasia *alba *dolens. *Pleurisy. *Pleurodynia, *Pneumonia, *Pregnancy. *Puerperal *fever. *Purpura. *Quinsy. *Remittent *fever. *Roseola. *Scarlatina. *Shivering. *Sleeplessness. *Smell, *disorders of. *Stiff-neck. *Testicles, *affections of. *Tetanus. Tetany. *Thirst. *Throat, *affections of. *Tongue, *affections of. Toothache. *Traumatic *fever. *Urethra, *spasmodic *stricture of. Urethral fever. *Urine, *suppression of. Uterus, prolapsus of. *Vaccination, *effects of. *Vertigo.
*Whooping-cough. *Yawning. *Yellow fever.
Characteristics
The *Wolfsbane “grows in the damp and covered parts of almost every mountainous country in north or middle of Europe, especially in the Jura, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. ” Teste mentions that it has the reputation of being much more poisonous to carnivorous animals than to the herbivora. This he partly endorses, and it has recently been apparently confirmed by a vain attempt to poison an elephant with *Aconitine in this country. A carrot was scrapped out and enough *Aconitine to poison 2,000 men was put in. The elephant ate it readily, but nothing at all happened, and three hours later a large dose of prussic acid had to be administered, which proved fatal in a short time.
Before Hahnemann’s time *Aconite had a reputation as a sudorific, in cases of rheumatism, sciatica, and tumors, but it was not till Hahnemann proved it that its properties were really understood. *Aconite is more closely associated with the rise and progress of homoeopathy than any other member of the materia medica. If *Cinchona was the “Newton’s apple” of the homoeopathic discovery, *Aconite was the remedy by means of which Hahnemann was able to meet most of the conditions which in his day were treated by blood-letting. It was *Aconite more than any other remedy which paved the way for the disappearance of blood-letting from general medical practice. One of the deadliest and most rapidly acting of poisons, through Hahnemann’s discoveries has been turned into the best friend of the nursery. *Aconite in potencies above the 3rd is a perfectly safe medicine for any age. Sensitive patients complain of its depressing action when repeated, and I have known instances in which the characteristic prostration of mind and body has occurred after *Aconite had been given in the potencies. But such cases are exceptions, and are not attended with danger when they do occur. The great majority of patients to whom *Aconite is given in the potencies experience nothing of the kind.
The rapidity of action of *Aconite determines its appropriateness for conditions in which the symptoms set in with great intensity, such as Asiatic cholera, certain fevers, and acute inflammations. To this list may be added attacks of sudden blindness. But it must not be supposed that the sphere of *Aconite is limited to acute cases. When the symptoms correspond it will cure cases of great chronicity_for example, cases of indurated glands.
Dr. Hughes has acutely remarked that the condition to which *Aconite is homoeopathic is one of *tension, and this word gives the best idea of the action and sphere of *Aconite. There is emotional and mental tension, as shown in fright or fear and its consequences, anxiety, and fear of death, tension of the systemic vessels, as in the effects of a chill, Asiatic cholera, and Haemorrhages; muscular tension, as in tetanus, tension of involuntary muscles; as in heart spasms, and tension of the semi- involuntary muscular apparatus of respiration, as in asthma, and finally tension of the special senses in heightened sensation and heightened sensitiveness to pain, in a feeling of numbness in parts, as if bound tightly, and also a sensation of being tightly bound in the limbs and in other parts. Hence it is that *Aconite in its therapeutic action corresponds to the effects of a number of conditions which excite a state of tension. Plethora may be classed under this head. Plethoric persons of a lively character, bilious and nervous constitutions, high colour, brown or black hair, are specially suited to *Aconite Active, sanguineous congestions of all kinds, especially those following chill. Guernsey puts it in another way: “The pure and fully developed blood globule, in its most perfect type, when diseased, has a great affinity for *Aconite When the blood globules are disorganized it is seldom indicated. We think of *Aconite in sudden inflammation, especially if caused by cold, *dry *air, suppressing exhalations of the body.” Teste relates a remarkable case of an Englishman who had been obliged to take a long sleigh journey in North Russia in midwinter, who suffered thereafter for two years from violent paroxysms of palpitation and acute stitching pains in the heart region, threatening cerebral apoplexy. Aneurism had been diagnosed by leading physicians in England and on the Continent. Teste localized the affection to neurosis or spasm of the pectoralis major muscle, and proved his diagnosis by promptly curing it with *Aconite The keen, cutting winds of the mountains amongst which the plant flourishes give the signature of this remedial action.
There are not many drugs which have causation so strongly marked among their characteristics. Chill, fright, injury, or surgical operation, the effects of these will be met in large majority of cases by *Aconite, the timely administration of which will ward off serious results.
The reaction from the primary effect of chill gives another characteristic of *Aconite, that of fever. With the *Aconite fever there are: Restlessness and tossing about, and the tension state is evidenced still in the anxiety with which it is accompanied, sometimes amounting to fear of death. The mental exaltation sometimes goes so far as to the predicting of the day and hour of death. Clairvoyance. Extreme sensitiveness to light and sound and all sensations including pain. When the sickness is borne with calmness and patience *Aconite is not likely to be required. It was the feverish restlessness of the *Aconite provings that led Hahnemann to infer its homoeopathicity to so many fever states, and it is the presence of this restlessness, anxiety, fear, and exalted sensibility which are its leading indications in cases of all kinds.
Some characteristics of *Aconite are the following: Active Haemorrhages in stout, plethoric people. Passes almost pure blood by Stool and Anus.. In Haemoptysis the blood comes up with great ease by hemming and coughing, bright red in large quantities, from cold, dry winds, with great fear, anxiety, and palpitation. Every inspiration increases the cough. After the cough tingling sensation in chest. Unquenchable thirst: everything tastes bitter, except water (*China everything, *including water). In croup the child grasps the throat with every coughing fit. Coldness, numbness, and tingling characterise the paralyses and neuroses of *Aconite Facial paralysis from exposure to cold, dry winds. The fear and apprehension of *Aconite is shown in dread of crossing streets. There is intolerance of music. Some curious symptoms are: Imagines some part of body is deformed. Imagine they do all their thinking from the stomach. Predicts the hour of death (clairvoyance).
*Aconite is one of the great *pain remedies, vying with *Chamomilla and *Coffea in the intensity of the pain it causes. Pains are intolerable, driving to desperation. The pains of *Aconite are tearing, cutting, are attended with restlessness, accompanied by numbness, tingling, or formication. *Aconite cannot bear the pain, cannot bear to be touched, cannot bear to be covered. The toothache of *Aconite is one-sided, with red cheek on same side.
Guernsey gives the following excellent directions: “If a child is suffering from a watery diarrhoea, is crying and complaining very much, biting his fists and is sleepless, *Aconite will usually settle this trouble in a short time. The disturbed condition of the mind will cease and quiet sleep will follow. The mother will now remark: ‘Doctor, he is all right, except his bowels, and they are as bad as ever.’ Now, do not give another remedy, but wait and see if *Aconite will not complete the cure by itself.” Again: Scanty, red, and hot urine, arising from taking cold, especially in children. The child screams and appears to be in great pain because it cannot urinate. *Aconite will ease the pain, quiet the child, and the urine will flow some time after. In adults, incontinence of urine will sometimes be relieved by *Aconite
