Aconitum Ferox acon-f.

Indian Aconite.--Rather more violent in its actions than A. napellus. It is more diuretic and less antipyretic. It has proved valuable in cardiac dyspnœa, neuralgia, and acute gout. Dyspnœa. Must sit up. Rapid respiration. Anxiety, with suffocation from feeling of paralysis in respiratory muscles. Cheynes-Stokes breathing. Quebracho (cardiac dyspnœa) (Achyranthes.--A Mexican drug--very similar to Aconite in fevers, but of larger range, being also adapted to typhoidal states and intermittents. Muscular rheumatism. A great diaphoretic. Use 6x). Eranthis hymnalis--(Winter Aconite--acts on solar plexus and works upwards causing dyspnœa. Pain in occiput and neck).

A. ferox, Wall. A. virosum, Don. Bisch, or Bikh, Ativisha. (The most poisonous species known, containing greatest proportion of Aconitine; from the Himalaya Mountains.) N. O. Ranunculaceæ. Tincture of root.

Burning pains. Cheyne-Stokes breathing. Chill. Dyspnœa. Gastralgia. Neuralgia. Numbness.

A. ferox was proved by Dworzack, who also proved Aconitine . The Ferox developed burning pains in greater intensity than the alkaloid; more intense mental activity followed by greater depression. The Aconite note of unendurability of suffering was marked. Anxiety and fear of suffocation from paralysis of respiratory muscles; obliged to breathe half-sitting up with head resting on palms of hands. Cold drinks > ; sitting up > ; warm food < ; coffee > .

Compare: Curare and Phosph. (respiratory paralysis; Cheyne-Stokes breathing).

Mind very active; sequence of ideas rapid; talked constantly, remembered easily the minutest circumstances of his former experiment, compared them with present one, and readily drew conclusions (6 h.). In intervals of relief from distressing symptoms laughed and joked about his very comical condition; but when the dyspnœa, anxiety, &c., returned, he could not seem to endure them, and abused heartily Aconite and toxicology in general (4 to 6 h.). — Incapable of any mental work, even the simplest addition; comprehension and understanding confused (2nd day).

Tongue almost insensible; feels like a piece of raw leather in mouth (6 h.). — Tongue covered with a thick yellowish-white fur. — Violent burning in mouth (in two minutes), renewed by eating (2nd day); > by drinking cold water.

Violent burning in pharynx.

Pressure in stomach with pain. — Warmth in stomach. — Violent drawing pain in region of stomach and sacral region, soon spreading over whole abdomen; < by pressure on epigastrium. — On pressing in stomach, an internal, dull pressing pain.

Rumbling in bowels (5 m.); constant gurgling (4 h.).

Two half-watery, dark, not copious stools (2nd d.).

Frequent and copious evacuations of urine.

Dyspnœa increased to such a degree that he was obliged to breathe half-sitting up, with head resting on palms of hands; constantly feared suffocation from respiratory paralysis.

Gait tottering; remarkable weakness in lower extremities, esp. r.

Formication spread over whole body, least noticeable on parts that had been cold; < , or excited by, change of temperature or motion. Having changed from one nerve to another, reached its greatest severity from 7 to 7.30 p.m. It caused a painful unrest so that he could not possibly lie quietly more than a few minutes. Getting up set up all the train of symptoms, which were > immediately on lying down. — Benumbed sensation, as if he had on gloves; on pinching cheeks no pain felt; seemed to walk on woollen carpets (2nd, 3rd, and 4th d.).

Sleeplessness. — On waking, violent burning in mouth and throat, warmth in stomach, dull sensation in head.

Icy coldness of body (4 h.), objective and subjective, no amount of wraps and external warmth relieved. Desire to get warm drove him to get out of bed and sit near stove. Tottered to stove and warmth was pleasant, but vertigo, trembling, oppression, and nausea ensued and compelled him to return to bed. This experience was repeated. — Fierce heat (calor mordax) on forehead, cheek, and hands, with sensation as if numerous glowing hot wires were stuck into him: > by perspiration (4 to 6 h.).

A plant allied to A. Napellus, L., but more deadly in its effects. In India it is called Bisch or Bikh. It contains both Aconitine and pseudoaconitine, but more of the latter (differing thus from A. Napellus, which contains more of the former) and a third alkaloid.

Its action is quite similar in a general way to that of A. Napellus, more violent; it seems not to cause neuralgia of the trigeminus.

Weakness; on waking; muscular. ▶ Sensibility diminished. ▶ Touch blunted, feeling as if he had on gloves, and as if he walked on woolen carpets, no pain on pinching cheek. ▶ Amelioration in afternoon; A. after coffee. ▶ Mental activity increased; then diminished so that he could do no mental work. ▶ Anxiety. ▶ Constant talking. ▶ Confusion of mind; of head. ▶ Dullness of head on waking. ▶ Vertigo; on attempting to sit by the stove, with flickering, trembling of limbs, oppression and nausea. ▶ Pupils dilated, sluggish. ▶ Lachrymation (from local application), amel. by cold applications, with burning, swelling and burning of upper lid, photophobia, next day lids and ball red. ▶ Cheeks felt fuzzy. ▶ Burning of lips; agg. by hot drinks. ▶ Boring in nose. ▶ Sneezing.

Tongue coated yellowish-white; formication on tongue involving whole mouth; tongue insensible, like leather. ▶ Salivation. ▶ Taste flat, pasty; tongue sharp, burning. ▶ Burning in mouth; and throat; agg. by food, amel. by cold water; in pharynx; in tongue. ▶ Constriction of throat. ▶ Little appetite. ▶ Eructations. ▶ Nausea; after breakfast. ▶ Vomiting. ▶ Pain in stomach; after eating; on pressure; drawing in region of saliva and sacrum, spreading over abdomen, agg. by pressure. ▶ Heat in stomach. ▶ Rumbling in abdomen. ▶ Gurgling. ▶ Stools dark, semi-liquid. ▶ Diarrhœa, with pain. ▶ Micturition frequent and copious. ▶ Urine light, then dark. ▶ Inclination to cough. ▶ Dyspnœa; must sit up with head leaning on hands. ▶ Respiration rapid. ▶ Anxiety, with suffocation from feeling of paralysis in respiratory muscles. ▶ Pulse slow; pulse small and weak. ▶ Limbs weak and trembling. ▶ Walking uncertain, difficult and fatiguing. ▶ Formication agg. over face; over whole body, changing from one nerve to another, causing painful uneasiness, constant change of position, weakness on attempting to rise, vertigo, blackness before eyes, trembling and nausea, all amel. by lying. ▶ Sleepiness. ▶ Sleeplessness. ▶ Desire for warmth. ▶ Icy coldness of body, especially of limbs. ▶ Skin cold; and dry, rustling; must be covered. ▶ Temperature increased. ▶ Sensation as if glowing hot wires were stuck into him, amel. by sweat. ▶ Sweat, with calor mordax.

It has proved palliative in cardiac dyspnœa (Curare, Phos.) (with "Cheyne-Stokes" respiration).