Aconite

Aconitum napellus

COMMON NAMES

• Aconite
• Auld Wife's Huid
• Blue Rocket
• Cuckoo's Cap
• Friar's Cap
• Jacob's Chariot
• Monkshood
• Soldier's Cap

The aconite is a shrub which sports purplish blue aconite flowers that bloom during the summer as well as during the fall, and are generally shaped like a helmet. This shrub has dark green shiny leaves, which are a lighter green color on their under surface. A perennial, the aconite is capable of growing anywhere from two feet to six feet in height. The thick tuberous roots support its stem.

PARTS USED

Root, rhizome, stem, leaf, flower.

USES

Aconite or Aconitum is found growing on rocky areas, and perhaps this is why this herb has been named after the term, ‘akone’, which means ‘cliffy’ or ‘rocky’. The ancient Greeks had an interesting story about the aconite: it was their belief that when the so-called gatekeeper of Hell, Cerberus was being dragged up by Hercules from the nether regions where he lived, he started foaming at the mouth, and when a few of these drops happened to drop on the aconite that was growing in the region, the shrub became poisonous! Theseus, the step-son of Medea, who was the priestess of Hecate, was supposedly poisoned using the aconite. The young prince however, managed to survive, thus thwarting Medea’s plans for her own son to inherit her husband’s throne. The aconite also enjoys the dubious distinction of having been used by witches of yore, in potions that would create a real sensation of flight among its users. This was perhaps why this shrub was often one of the main ingredients in the reputed “flying ointments” of the past.
Aconite has been used for a great variety of purposes, primarily because of its ability to provide very quick relief for a number of ailments, chief among them being pain, arthritis, fever, neuralgias, various kinds of inflammation, and skin problems. Aconite works within a few minutes, especially if this herb is taken orally. The versatile shrub’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties caused by the strong presence of alkaloids are legendary; aconite is used safely and popularly as an important ingredient in certain homeopathic remedies, like for example in cases of physical and psychological stress. The aconite is also used in cases of extreme stress or fear and the restlessness associated with it, like for example, a panic attack or palpitations or numbness of one’s limbs. These are usually displayed through anxiety and widely dilated pupils, where the person associates his fear and nervousness with a previous unrelated event. There have been cases reported where a woman who fears dying during childbirth has been suitably calmed by the aconite.
However, the root of aconite can be extremely dangerous; even a few drops of the root can lead to either paralysis of the cardiac muscles, or of the entire respiratory system. Germany’s Commission E, the German group of herbal remedy experts who assess and appraise plant and herbal remedies for their efficacy and safety, have deferred giving their approval on the aconite. The reason may be the plant’s poisonous nature, despite proof that the aconite has been widely used right from ancient times.

Other medical uses
Homeopathy, Tension headache.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia have a widespread growth of aconite.

CONSTITUENTS

Aconite contains 0.3 - 2% terpenoid alkaloids, princypally aconitine.

USUAL DOSAGE

Aconite can be taken in certain prescribed and tested dosages: 1 - 2 minims for a child 5 to 10 years old; 2 - 5 minims for adults, thrice daily.

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