It is used internally and externally, by German physicians, in rheumatic and arthritic iritis and amaurosis; also in simple rheumatic inflammation of the eye.
A very deaf old lady was almost cured of her deafness by an accidental over-dose of Aconite. In cases of severe earache and inflammation of the ear, I have been in the habit of putting in a small quantity of the root of Aconite.-J.C.P.
It is a very useful remedy in the epistaxis of young and plethoric persons
It has been used successfully in many cases of neuralgia of the face. Thus, it cured one case of tic-doloureux, of eight year’s standing, in eight days; one case, in both intra-maxillary nerves, of nine year’s standing, in six days; one application of the tincture of the root, externally, cured one case each of neuralgia, supra- and infra-orbitalis; one case of infra-orbital neuralgia of five years standing, was cured by the external use of Aconitine in fifteen days; one case of supra-orbital neuralgia of four years’ standing, by the internal use of the alkaloid in six days; a nine months `infra-orbital neuralgia, by external application of the tincture, in nine days; a seven month’s neuralgia, infra maxillary, by the tincture, internally and externally, in thirteen days; a two month’s neuralgia frontalis, by the external use of the tincture, in three days; a tie- doloureux of several years’ standing, affecting the whole left side of the face, was only temporarily relieved after each application of the tincture; a neuralgia occipito-cervicalis, of several month’s duration, was cured in four days; another, of several year’s duration, was only relieved for several hours after each application; a hemicrania, of three week’s duration, was cured in five days; another, of seven day’s standing, was cured by two applications; and one of three days, by three applications.-In all cases of neuralgia it is said to be better to commence the treatment by external applications; but if it be caused by inflammation, either in the painful parts or in the nerve farther up in its course, or should it be traceable to sympathetic irritation, the internal use of the remedy will probably have to be resorted to; if the neuralgia arises from some local irritation of the nerve, or is merely functional, the local applications will probably be sufficient.-J.C.P.
Dr. Fleming employed it in forty-cases, by rubbing the gum with a few drops of the tincture of the root, or by introducing a bit of cotton, with a drop or two of the tincture, into the carious tooth. In seven of these cases if failed; in six, it relieved only for a short time. seven of these cases is failed; in six, it relieved only for a short time, and in the remaining twenty-seven it afforded complete and permanent relief. I have used Aconite in this way for seven or eight years, with almost invariable success._J.C.P.
It is a valuable local application in painful affections of the tongue, especially in cancer; it should never, however, be applied to any open sore.
Noack advises it only in slight catarrhal inflammation of the tonsils, palate, and pharynx, but I have used the tincture of the root successfully in the severest attacks of quinsy, and found it more beneficial than Belladonna; it is especially indicated in rheumatism of the muscles of the throat, in which there is intense pain on swallowing, and but little redness or swelling of the mucous membrane. It has been used successfully in many cases of chronic pharyngitis. I often apply the tincture of the root externally to the neck with much benefit. Professor Dumas, depending upon the intimate sympathy between the throat and womb in women, and knowing the specific impression which Aconite makes upon the throat, was led to use it in uterine pains; when the throat became affected the uterus was relieved.- J.C.P.
It is homoeopathic to want of appetite, from excessive debility or a paralytic state of the digestive organs; also to well-marked bilious derangement.
Noack advises it in the vomitings of pregnant or hysteric females; when there is vomiting of blood or worms; also in cramps and inflammation of the stomach. I have found the external application of the tincture of the root very useful in many painful and inflammatory affections of the stomach.-J.C.P.
Noack recommends it in diaphragmitis; in peritonitis, even the puerperal variety; in colic, from taking cold; enteritis, inflammations of both the large and small bowels, when attended with piercing, cutting, burning, and rendering pains, with extreme sensitiveness of the abdomen to touch; it is said to have proven useful even when faecal vomiting, great anxiety, and coldness of the legs have set in, and in strangulated hernia. I have been in the habit of depending upon a lavish external use of the tincture of the root in ail the above affections. The relief in puerperal peritonitis is extraordinary; I have almost ceased to regard peritonitis and enteritis as formidable affections, provided Aconite can be applied externally, both early and abundantly enough. Aconite certainly seems to exert a very powerful action over the liver; it is homoeopathic to venous congestion of the liver, and general plethora-abdominalis; to ascites, from disease of the liver, even from granulated liver; also to fully-developed jaundice. The external use of the tincture should not be forgotten. Professor Fouquier has used it, with some success, as a diuretic in passive dropsies. De Candolle says it is a domestic remedy among the Alp people in dropsy.-J.C.P.
In Dysentery. Marbot, surgeon-major of the “Crocodile,” man- of- war, treated three hundred cases of inflammatory dysentery with Aconite: there was intense fever; hard, contracted, rapid pulse; violent headache; a dry and bitter mouth, although the tongue was flattened and not much loaded; tenderness of the abdomen, colic, distressing pulsation in the right hypochondrium, and tenesmus. The effects of the Aconite quite surpassed his expectations, for the inflammatory symptoms subsided in less than a day, and the blood disappeared from the stools in a few hours; he always found it to abate the haemorrhage and lessen the fever, the pain in the belly also becoming relieved, and the stools passing easier, even a few hours after the first dose. But the Aconite exerted no other effects upon the stools than removing the blood from them, their mucous and glairy characters continuing as before, and even their number not undergoing a diminution proportionate to the improvement of the other symptoms; it would seem to exert a very feeble action on the intestinal contractions, but promptly subdues the febrile action and the excitement produced in the various organs. Aconite does not cure the dysentery, but so modifies its nature as to render it amenable to treatment that proved useless before. After Aconite, Ipecac. came in play; Mercury was given when the liver and pancreas were disordered, the stools being green, opaque, or foamy and muco-purulent. He did not lose one case out of three hundred. It renders the evacuations in inflammatory dysentery and diarrhoea less irritating, and removes the fever.-J.C.P.
In simple inflammatory, catarrhal, and spasmodic croups, I have been in the habit of relying almost exclusively upon tincture of Aconite root and Tartar-emetic, in alternation; and I may say, always with success, and that right promptly. It is a great waste of time, however, to use these remedies in true membranous croup: Bromine, Ammon-caust, Iodium, Mercurius, or Bichrom- pot., are there required.-J.C.P.
Borda recommends it in pneumonia, after the first violence of the inflammation is broken, and spasmodic cough, suspicious expectoration, great irritability of the lungs, and an erethistic state remains Busch and Beaumes advise it in pulmonary consumption, during the erethistic inflammatory stage, with flying stitches of pain in the chest and feverishness; also when the tubercles are softening and the sputa are fetid and of bad character. Kindervater, of Hanover, has depended upon it for twenty years in the cure of all acute internal rheumatic inflammations i.e., all those that are caused by taking cold, such as rheumatic pleurisy, pneumonia, bronchitis peritonitis, acute arthritis, The above are all allopathic authorities; another, Dr. Routh (see London Lancet, Aug., 1855), says, the first indication in pneumonia is to diminish the general fever and the increased pulmonary respiration; these can be effected by the tincture of the root of Aconite, on the action of which, in small and repeated doses, he dwells at length, and especially in reference to its certainty of action and utility as compared with the ordinary tincture.-J.C.P.
In lumbago, Fleming used Aconite in ten cases, and in each a complete cure was effected; it was used internally and externally, and relief was felt speedily in every case. It seems homoeopathic to spinal irritation.
Vogt says, after great restlessness, Aconite causes relaxation, diminution of heart and pulse-beats, head becoming confused, often very painful, the face more puffed-up and livid, pains set in in the limbs, especially so-called bone-pains, and pains in the joints, until, under profusely out breaking sweat and increased flow of urine, the symptoms generally disappear. It seems not only to produce the pains, but also the crises, by sweat and urine, of rheumatism.-J.C.P.
