Post by Alice on Jul 5, 2012 13:37:15 GMT -5
The following is part of the entry on Aconitum napellus from The Living Pharmakapoiia.
Taxonomy: There is no relation between the Arnica genus and the Aconitum genus. There is some confusion over the fact that both share the folk name of Wolfsbane. All members of the Aconitum genus are extremely toxic. There is toxicity in Arnica as well, but not as much.
The Anglo-Saxon name, Thung, seems to have been simply a word for any extremely poisonous plant.
The name Wolfsbane (or Wolf's Bane) originates from the fact that arrows dipped in the plant's juice or baits laced with it were used to kill wolves and other dangerous animals.
The name Monkshood comes from the distinctive hooded shape of the flowers. This was the common name during Shakespeare's time.
The name Aconite is said to derive from akontion, “dart” for its used to poison darts and arrows, or from akone, meaning cliff or “rocky” referring to its tendency to grow in rocky areas.
Species name Napellus refers to the Turnip-like root shape.
Take care to make sure when purchasing Aconite that you have the right species, as they are difficult to distinguish and some may be more dangerous than others.
Aconitum napellus is the most popular cultivated Aconitum (both white and blue), followed by Aconitum paniculatum, Aconitum japonicum, and Aconitum autumnale.
Family: Ranunculaciae
Habitat: Lower mountain slopes of the northern part of the Eastern Hemisphere; from the Himalayas to England. In England it tends to occur mostly in Western areas and South Wales, but is not truly common.
Warnings: Extremely Poisonous
Part Most Used: The entire Aconite plant is used. The leaves and flowering tops should be used fresh, the root dried. The leaves and flowers are less potent.
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Saturn
Element: Water
Deities: Hecate
Other Names: Blue Rocket, Friar's Cap, Auld Wife's Huid, Cupid’s Car, Dumbledore’s Delight, Leopard’s Bane, Monkshood, Storm Hat, Thor’s Hat, Thung (Anglo-Saxon), Wolf’s Bane, Wolfsbane, Wolf’s Hat,
Use: Aconite is used to invoke Hecate.
This herb is included in some flying ointment recipes, and can cause visionary experiences.
Aconite is used to consecrate magical blades, either as a wash or a cleansing incense, bringing the power of protection and magical watchfulness necessary to ward a ritual against the intrusion of negative energies.
Aconite is used in protection charms, and is attributed the power to protect against vampires and werewolves, as it's folk name Wolfsbane would suggest.
It is used for the conflicting purposes of both “curing” werewolves and inducing Shapeshifting.
According to myth, the seed may be wrapped in the skin of a lizard and carried to allow the bearer to become invisible at will.
I must recommend against the use of this herb without proper training. Not only should it not be used internally, but it should not be allowed to make contact with bare skin. Aconite is an extremely powerful analgesic which causes numbness on contact, but can also severely damage the heart, muscles and nerves. I believe the primary action with this substance is the paralysis of the nervous system on contact, thus relieving pain; but it also paralyzes the nerves which control the heart and digestive system, especially when taken internally.
The cause of death in cases of Aconite poisoning is either heart failure or gastrointestinal failure. Secondary symptoms of Aconite poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Aconite and Digitalis have opposite effects on the heart and if properly dosed, neutralize one another, so if all else fails Digitalis (Foxglove) may be used to treat Aconite poisoning and vice versa.
The root contains the highest concentrations of the active alkaloid, but the entire plant is effective and commonly used. One fiftieth of a grain can kill a small bird in seconds, and as little as half that will cause a tingling sensation on the skin which may last all day. With such tiny amounts creating such an intense reaction, the raw plant is quite dangerous. With any plant; weather, soil conditions and myriad other factors cause fluctuations in the constituents. Unless the grower was very skilled and grew this herb where it would be well protected, it would not be possible to determine how much material is necessary to produce a safe dose.
Taken internally, Aconite lowers the rate and strength of the heart beat. It is used to treat severe cases of pneumonia, feverish cold, and croup. It has been used as an anodyne for heart conditions, and stronger amounts have been used to restore normal function of the heart during cardiac arrest. Externally, it is used primarily also as a pain killer in such problems as rheumatism and deep pains.
Anodyne, diuretic and diaphoretic. The medicinal value of Aconite has only increased as our understanding of medicine and the human body has increased in the modern age. In the mid 20th century it was considered on the most useful drugs available, much used in homeopathy.
Aconite tinctures, liniments, ointments and hypodermic injections have been used by the medical community.
Such are used externally to treat the pain from neuralgia, lumbago and rheumatism. The liniment mixed with chloroform or Belladonna is even more effective for this.
The tincture taken internally (carefully and under professional direction) diminishes the rate and force of the pulse, treating the early stages of fever and slight local inflammation; such as a feverish cold, laryngitis, and the early stages of pneumonia and erysipelas. Taken internally it also relieves the pain of neuralgia, pleurisy and aneurism.
It has been used internally to prevent or reverse cardiac failure.
Also used to treat acute tonsilitis in children, in a dose of 1 to 3 minims for a child 5 to 10 years of age; the adult dose being 2 to 5 minims 3 times daily.
Poisoning: The symptoms of Aconite poisoning are tingling and numbness in the tongue and mouth, and a sensation like insects crawling over the skin, followed by nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, laboured breathing, irregularity and weakness of pulse, skin being cold and clammy, bloodlessness of face, giddiness, and staggering. The mind remains clear.
To treat poisoning, a stomach tube or emetic should be used immediately upon ingestion. 20 minims (1/5 teaspoon) of Digitalis tincture should be administered if available. Any stimulant is also helpful.
An enema of diluted brandy may be administered, as well as artificial respiration and friction applied. The victim should be kept laying down.
Aconitine, the active constituent in all Aconites, is one of the most toxic poisons known, and is present in all parts of the plant.
Constituents: Aconite root contains between .3% and 1% of the following alkaloidal chemicals:
Aconitine- Crystalline, acrid, and extremely toxic. This is the only crystallizable alkaloid. It's presence in the root will not exceed .2%, but it is the primary active constituent responsible for Aconite's effects.
Benzaconine (also known as Picraconitine).
Aconine.
Aconite acid and starch are also present. When burned, the root renders about 3% ash.
Aconitines are a group of highly toxic alkaloids found in various Aconitum species. While they all have numerous properties in common, they are distinguishable from one another.
Aconitines are divided into two groups: The Aconitines proper, including Aconitine itself, Japaconitine, and Indaconitine; and the pseudoaconitines, Pseudaconitine and Bikhaconitine.
The distinction between species of Aconitum and these varying alkaloids can be very important. While all have similar physiological effects and may be used interchangeably to achieve the same results, the safe and effective doses of each vary extremely.
The only truly effective means of determining a safe dose between one Aconite preparation and another is physiological testing of each sample. Testing for the lethal dose in a small animal such as a guinea pig is effective, but impractical for most people and ethically questionable for most. Unfortunately there is no truly effective alternative.
The strength of tinctures in particular varies wildly, some proving to be up to seven times stronger than others.
The Aconite which contains the best and most useful alkaloid content is common 'garden variety' Aconitum napellus. All Aconites are useful, but this one is preferred.
Aconitum napellus from Germany appears to have properties slightly different from that cultivated in England. German roots are recognizable by the remains of the stem which crown the root, and they tend to be less starchy, darker externally and more wrinkled. They tend to be less potent, likely because they are usually the exhausted parent root rather than the 'daughters'.
Collection and Storage: An extract of Aconite is made from leaves and flowers, gathered when the flowers are just beginning to blossom and leaves are in their best condition, which is usually June.
The root is best collected in the fall, after the above ground part of the plant had died back, but before next year's bud begins to develop.
Because Aconite is so poisonous, it is suggested that Aconite be gathered under the same conditions each season. This helps to assure that the toxic constituents are present in similar concentrations from one harvest to the next and decreases the likelihood of overdose.
The British Pharmacopoeia calls for the fully mature 'daughter' roots to be harvested and dried in autumn.
Once dug up, the smallest roots are set aside for replanting, and the largest for drying.
The roots to be dried are thoroughly washed in cold water and all rootlets cut off.
They may be dried whole, or cut longitudinally to speed the process.
Drying is first done in open air or on a clean floor or shelf in a warm place, the roots laid out so that they do not touch. Turn them frequently for even drying.
Once they are somewhat shrunken the process must be finished more quickly by artificial heat or in a drying room/shed. Place them near a stove or other heat source, taking care that the heated (and moistened) air can escape at the top of the room.
Dry at an even temperature for about two weeks. The process is done when the roots are dry all the way through, breaking when bent.
Aconite root is attractive to insects, and after drying should be stored securely.
Identification: Aconite is a hardy perennial possessing a fleshy, spindle shaped root, pale when young, but acquiring a dark brown skin as it ages.
The stem is about 3 feet tall.
The leaves are dark green and glossy, deeply palmate.
The flowers grow in erect dark blue clusters, shaped specifically to attract bees. The sepals are purple (a color especially attractive to bees) and unusually shaped, one of them resembling a hood, leading to several of its common names.
The petals are only represented by two unusual nectaries within the hood resembling a hammer. The numerous stamens are depressed into a bunch at the mouth of the flower. They are pendulous at first, but rise in succession and position their anthers forward so that each visiting insect is dusted with pollen easily.
The undeveloped fruit rests in a tuft at the center of the stamens, each carpel containing a single seed.
Note that it is quite difficult to differentiate Napellus from some of its relatives. It is recognizable by its very much cut-up leaves, which are wide in the shoulder of the leaf (nearest the stem) and by its purplish-blue flowers with the 'helmet' sepal fitted closely over the rest of the flower rather than standing up tall as a hood.
Dried Aconite root at its upper extremity, crowned with undeveloped bud and enclosed in scaly leaves is about ¾ of an inch in diameter and taper rapidly downward. It will be dark brown and marked where rootlets were cut off. The surface of the root is usually longitudinally wrinkled, especially when dried whole.
The root breaks with a short fracture and should be whitish and starchy inside.
A transverse cross section will demonstrate a thick bark, separated from the white interior by a prominent darker line, which often has a stellate appearance.
What is found commercially is often more yellowish or brownish on the inside, with the stellate patterning not clearly visible, most likely from being harvested too early. It should be lifted in the autumn of the second year.
Cultivation: Aconite favors soil that retains some moisture, such as a moist loam. It does best in shade. It grows well in a moist, open forest, requiring no more maintenance than occasional weeding. All varieties grow well under trees.
In preparing to plant Aconite the soil should be well dug and pulverized by early winter frosts. Mix in rotten leaves and stable manure for best results.
To grow from seed, sow ½ inch deep in a cold frame around March, or in a warm place outside during April.
Aconite takes two to three years to reach flowering maturity from seed.
Aconite is most commonly propogated by division of the root, to be undertaken in the fall after the stem and leaves have died back. The root is unearthed and the smaller “daughter roots” should be cut and replanted in December or January, with about a foot of spacing between each individual.
The shoots will sprout around February.
Though the plant itself is perennial, each root stock lasts only one year. The daughter roots will continue, but the original dies off.
As the next year's bud develops a flowering stem in the spring, some of the lateral buds develop into short shoots, each producing a long slender descending root and topped with a bud. These roots thicken quickly, nourished by the parent root, which dies as the 'daughters' increase in size.
If allowed to grow naturally, beginning in late winter, the growth will exhaust the nutrients of the plant and lessen the starch and alkaloid contents.
May you find what you seek,
Alice
Aconitum napellus
Taxonomy: There is no relation between the Arnica genus and the Aconitum genus. There is some confusion over the fact that both share the folk name of Wolfsbane. All members of the Aconitum genus are extremely toxic. There is toxicity in Arnica as well, but not as much.
The Anglo-Saxon name, Thung, seems to have been simply a word for any extremely poisonous plant.
The name Wolfsbane (or Wolf's Bane) originates from the fact that arrows dipped in the plant's juice or baits laced with it were used to kill wolves and other dangerous animals.
The name Monkshood comes from the distinctive hooded shape of the flowers. This was the common name during Shakespeare's time.
The name Aconite is said to derive from akontion, “dart” for its used to poison darts and arrows, or from akone, meaning cliff or “rocky” referring to its tendency to grow in rocky areas.
Species name Napellus refers to the Turnip-like root shape.
Take care to make sure when purchasing Aconite that you have the right species, as they are difficult to distinguish and some may be more dangerous than others.
Aconitum napellus is the most popular cultivated Aconitum (both white and blue), followed by Aconitum paniculatum, Aconitum japonicum, and Aconitum autumnale.
Family: Ranunculaciae
Habitat: Lower mountain slopes of the northern part of the Eastern Hemisphere; from the Himalayas to England. In England it tends to occur mostly in Western areas and South Wales, but is not truly common.
Warnings: Extremely Poisonous
Part Most Used: The entire Aconite plant is used. The leaves and flowering tops should be used fresh, the root dried. The leaves and flowers are less potent.
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Saturn
Element: Water
Deities: Hecate
Other Names: Blue Rocket, Friar's Cap, Auld Wife's Huid, Cupid’s Car, Dumbledore’s Delight, Leopard’s Bane, Monkshood, Storm Hat, Thor’s Hat, Thung (Anglo-Saxon), Wolf’s Bane, Wolfsbane, Wolf’s Hat,
Use: Aconite is used to invoke Hecate.
This herb is included in some flying ointment recipes, and can cause visionary experiences.
Aconite is used to consecrate magical blades, either as a wash or a cleansing incense, bringing the power of protection and magical watchfulness necessary to ward a ritual against the intrusion of negative energies.
Aconite is used in protection charms, and is attributed the power to protect against vampires and werewolves, as it's folk name Wolfsbane would suggest.
It is used for the conflicting purposes of both “curing” werewolves and inducing Shapeshifting.
According to myth, the seed may be wrapped in the skin of a lizard and carried to allow the bearer to become invisible at will.
I must recommend against the use of this herb without proper training. Not only should it not be used internally, but it should not be allowed to make contact with bare skin. Aconite is an extremely powerful analgesic which causes numbness on contact, but can also severely damage the heart, muscles and nerves. I believe the primary action with this substance is the paralysis of the nervous system on contact, thus relieving pain; but it also paralyzes the nerves which control the heart and digestive system, especially when taken internally.
The cause of death in cases of Aconite poisoning is either heart failure or gastrointestinal failure. Secondary symptoms of Aconite poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Aconite and Digitalis have opposite effects on the heart and if properly dosed, neutralize one another, so if all else fails Digitalis (Foxglove) may be used to treat Aconite poisoning and vice versa.
The root contains the highest concentrations of the active alkaloid, but the entire plant is effective and commonly used. One fiftieth of a grain can kill a small bird in seconds, and as little as half that will cause a tingling sensation on the skin which may last all day. With such tiny amounts creating such an intense reaction, the raw plant is quite dangerous. With any plant; weather, soil conditions and myriad other factors cause fluctuations in the constituents. Unless the grower was very skilled and grew this herb where it would be well protected, it would not be possible to determine how much material is necessary to produce a safe dose.
Taken internally, Aconite lowers the rate and strength of the heart beat. It is used to treat severe cases of pneumonia, feverish cold, and croup. It has been used as an anodyne for heart conditions, and stronger amounts have been used to restore normal function of the heart during cardiac arrest. Externally, it is used primarily also as a pain killer in such problems as rheumatism and deep pains.
Anodyne, diuretic and diaphoretic. The medicinal value of Aconite has only increased as our understanding of medicine and the human body has increased in the modern age. In the mid 20th century it was considered on the most useful drugs available, much used in homeopathy.
Aconite tinctures, liniments, ointments and hypodermic injections have been used by the medical community.
Such are used externally to treat the pain from neuralgia, lumbago and rheumatism. The liniment mixed with chloroform or Belladonna is even more effective for this.
The tincture taken internally (carefully and under professional direction) diminishes the rate and force of the pulse, treating the early stages of fever and slight local inflammation; such as a feverish cold, laryngitis, and the early stages of pneumonia and erysipelas. Taken internally it also relieves the pain of neuralgia, pleurisy and aneurism.
It has been used internally to prevent or reverse cardiac failure.
Also used to treat acute tonsilitis in children, in a dose of 1 to 3 minims for a child 5 to 10 years of age; the adult dose being 2 to 5 minims 3 times daily.
Poisoning: The symptoms of Aconite poisoning are tingling and numbness in the tongue and mouth, and a sensation like insects crawling over the skin, followed by nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, laboured breathing, irregularity and weakness of pulse, skin being cold and clammy, bloodlessness of face, giddiness, and staggering. The mind remains clear.
To treat poisoning, a stomach tube or emetic should be used immediately upon ingestion. 20 minims (1/5 teaspoon) of Digitalis tincture should be administered if available. Any stimulant is also helpful.
An enema of diluted brandy may be administered, as well as artificial respiration and friction applied. The victim should be kept laying down.
Aconitine, the active constituent in all Aconites, is one of the most toxic poisons known, and is present in all parts of the plant.
Constituents: Aconite root contains between .3% and 1% of the following alkaloidal chemicals:
Aconitine- Crystalline, acrid, and extremely toxic. This is the only crystallizable alkaloid. It's presence in the root will not exceed .2%, but it is the primary active constituent responsible for Aconite's effects.
Benzaconine (also known as Picraconitine).
Aconine.
Aconite acid and starch are also present. When burned, the root renders about 3% ash.
Aconitines are a group of highly toxic alkaloids found in various Aconitum species. While they all have numerous properties in common, they are distinguishable from one another.
Aconitines are divided into two groups: The Aconitines proper, including Aconitine itself, Japaconitine, and Indaconitine; and the pseudoaconitines, Pseudaconitine and Bikhaconitine.
The distinction between species of Aconitum and these varying alkaloids can be very important. While all have similar physiological effects and may be used interchangeably to achieve the same results, the safe and effective doses of each vary extremely.
The only truly effective means of determining a safe dose between one Aconite preparation and another is physiological testing of each sample. Testing for the lethal dose in a small animal such as a guinea pig is effective, but impractical for most people and ethically questionable for most. Unfortunately there is no truly effective alternative.
The strength of tinctures in particular varies wildly, some proving to be up to seven times stronger than others.
The Aconite which contains the best and most useful alkaloid content is common 'garden variety' Aconitum napellus. All Aconites are useful, but this one is preferred.
Aconitum napellus from Germany appears to have properties slightly different from that cultivated in England. German roots are recognizable by the remains of the stem which crown the root, and they tend to be less starchy, darker externally and more wrinkled. They tend to be less potent, likely because they are usually the exhausted parent root rather than the 'daughters'.
Collection and Storage: An extract of Aconite is made from leaves and flowers, gathered when the flowers are just beginning to blossom and leaves are in their best condition, which is usually June.
The root is best collected in the fall, after the above ground part of the plant had died back, but before next year's bud begins to develop.
Because Aconite is so poisonous, it is suggested that Aconite be gathered under the same conditions each season. This helps to assure that the toxic constituents are present in similar concentrations from one harvest to the next and decreases the likelihood of overdose.
The British Pharmacopoeia calls for the fully mature 'daughter' roots to be harvested and dried in autumn.
Once dug up, the smallest roots are set aside for replanting, and the largest for drying.
The roots to be dried are thoroughly washed in cold water and all rootlets cut off.
They may be dried whole, or cut longitudinally to speed the process.
Drying is first done in open air or on a clean floor or shelf in a warm place, the roots laid out so that they do not touch. Turn them frequently for even drying.
Once they are somewhat shrunken the process must be finished more quickly by artificial heat or in a drying room/shed. Place them near a stove or other heat source, taking care that the heated (and moistened) air can escape at the top of the room.
Dry at an even temperature for about two weeks. The process is done when the roots are dry all the way through, breaking when bent.
Aconite root is attractive to insects, and after drying should be stored securely.
Identification: Aconite is a hardy perennial possessing a fleshy, spindle shaped root, pale when young, but acquiring a dark brown skin as it ages.
The stem is about 3 feet tall.
The leaves are dark green and glossy, deeply palmate.
The flowers grow in erect dark blue clusters, shaped specifically to attract bees. The sepals are purple (a color especially attractive to bees) and unusually shaped, one of them resembling a hood, leading to several of its common names.
The petals are only represented by two unusual nectaries within the hood resembling a hammer. The numerous stamens are depressed into a bunch at the mouth of the flower. They are pendulous at first, but rise in succession and position their anthers forward so that each visiting insect is dusted with pollen easily.
The undeveloped fruit rests in a tuft at the center of the stamens, each carpel containing a single seed.
Note that it is quite difficult to differentiate Napellus from some of its relatives. It is recognizable by its very much cut-up leaves, which are wide in the shoulder of the leaf (nearest the stem) and by its purplish-blue flowers with the 'helmet' sepal fitted closely over the rest of the flower rather than standing up tall as a hood.
Dried Aconite root at its upper extremity, crowned with undeveloped bud and enclosed in scaly leaves is about ¾ of an inch in diameter and taper rapidly downward. It will be dark brown and marked where rootlets were cut off. The surface of the root is usually longitudinally wrinkled, especially when dried whole.
The root breaks with a short fracture and should be whitish and starchy inside.
A transverse cross section will demonstrate a thick bark, separated from the white interior by a prominent darker line, which often has a stellate appearance.
What is found commercially is often more yellowish or brownish on the inside, with the stellate patterning not clearly visible, most likely from being harvested too early. It should be lifted in the autumn of the second year.
Cultivation: Aconite favors soil that retains some moisture, such as a moist loam. It does best in shade. It grows well in a moist, open forest, requiring no more maintenance than occasional weeding. All varieties grow well under trees.
In preparing to plant Aconite the soil should be well dug and pulverized by early winter frosts. Mix in rotten leaves and stable manure for best results.
To grow from seed, sow ½ inch deep in a cold frame around March, or in a warm place outside during April.
Aconite takes two to three years to reach flowering maturity from seed.
Aconite is most commonly propogated by division of the root, to be undertaken in the fall after the stem and leaves have died back. The root is unearthed and the smaller “daughter roots” should be cut and replanted in December or January, with about a foot of spacing between each individual.
The shoots will sprout around February.
Though the plant itself is perennial, each root stock lasts only one year. The daughter roots will continue, but the original dies off.
As the next year's bud develops a flowering stem in the spring, some of the lateral buds develop into short shoots, each producing a long slender descending root and topped with a bud. These roots thicken quickly, nourished by the parent root, which dies as the 'daughters' increase in size.
If allowed to grow naturally, beginning in late winter, the growth will exhaust the nutrients of the plant and lessen the starch and alkaloid contents.
May you find what you seek,
Alice
