Aconitum Napellus - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

Aconitine (C27 H40 NO10) is obtained from the roots and stems of Aconitum napellus, L.

Aconitum Napellus must not be confounded with "Morson's (English) Aconitine" (same as Nepalin of Flückiger, or Napellin of Wigger, or Pseudo-aconitine of Huebschmann), which is obtained from Aconitum Ferox ^{Aconitum ferox}.

(Morning), Confusion etc.

muddled and empty sensation in head heavy and dizzy, etc.

blowing of much bright red blood from nose.

fluent coryza. hiccup.

hurried call to stool.

acute stitches in cardiac region, etc.

weakness in lower legs.

sensation in ankles as if tightly tied, etc.

great exhaustion, etc.

shivering and frequent yawning.

excessive sweat. frequent yawning.

lies asleep on back, etc.

hard red swelling of right upper lid, etc..

(Evening), Confusion of head, etc.

headache. pain in forehead.

pressive headache in vertex.

pressing-out pain in temples, etc.

burning itching in both ears.

face hot. *flying stitches, here and there, etc.

stiff feeling in nape.

warmth of palms. transient stitches, etc.

chilliness. shivering, etc.

rigor down back. prostration, etc.

heat, etc. lachrymation..

(Motion), Confusion in head, etc.

headache, first in vertex, etc.

weariness in neck etc.

painful stiffness in small of back, etc.

tearing pain down arm, etc.

pains in bones of forearm.

acute pain in right forearm, etc.

drawing pain in thighs, etc.

general anxious sensation, etc., chilliness.

severe attack of rigor, etc..

(Walking), Vertigo.

dizzy confusion of head, etc.

the throat symptoms. nausea.

pressive pain in pit of stomach.

shooting in spleen. pain in bladder.

single momentary shock in urethra.

palpitation, etc. pain in loins, etc.

pressure in elbows, knees, hips.

painful pressure in hip-joint.

drawing pain in head of left femur, etc.

stiffness and heaviness of limbs.

great fatigue, etc. pain in patella.

acute, pressing pain in left patella, etc.

sleeping of toes of right foot..

Cough from irritation in larynx, with expectoration of gelatinous mucus, Oppression of chest, relieved by deep inspiration, Chest symptoms worse in evening, Tension and drawing in the lumbar region compelling to bend backward, Trembling of arms and hands (immediately), Burning warmth along dorsum of index finger, Thighs sore to touch, Lascivious dreams,

An intensely white and bright spot, about the size of a small plate, appeared before the eyes both when shut and opened.

it was impossible to determine before which eye it was, though it seemed more nearly in axis of right eye.

it had the refulgence of highly burnished Argentum Metallicum ^silver, this gradually changed to a straw or light golden color, then the whole field of vision became of a delicate lilac hue, which disappeared to give place to the same spot, which was now of a beautiful and bright azure.

the whole lasted one half hour,.

Shooting pain from right supraorbital ridge, branching out upwards across the forehead to the hairy scalp, sideways to temples, and downwards to the cheeks and into two or three teeth.

increased by pressure, and becoming so excessively violent toward evening, when it was accompanied by constant cough, that all other symptoms were thrown into the shade.

the next day the supraorbital ridge was swollen (15d.),.

Feeling of the most strange distortion of countenance at times, as if a single muscle had bulged out to the size of a pigeon's egg, then as if the whole jaw was thrust to one side, as in partial dislocation.

at other times as if the lower jaw were pushed up or raised into the cavity of the mouth, conveying the idea that the face must look like that of an old man who has lost all his teeth, and in consequence has his lower jaw thrown forwards and upwards (no visible change),.

Several times sensation as if all the muscles of the face were firmly but no spasmodically contracted, attended with a numb, heavy, paralytic feeling of whole face.

similar sensations simultaneously in both arms, from shoulders to the tips of fingers, conveying the idea that the arms were paralyzed, though they obeyed the will perfectly,.

Uvula swollen and elongated.

*the fauces and pharynx injected dark red.

feeling as if an angular many-pointed body were sticking in the throat.

prickling burning in the palate, throat, and along the Eustachian tube, increased by swallowing, with oppression of the chest, headache, and increased flow of saliva.

the throat symptoms were increased by walking in the open air, and relieved after eating,.

On rising in morning, acute lancinating stitches in cardiac region, as if in the pleura costalis, that prevent him assuming an upright posture or breathing deeply, with an inclination to cough.

after rubbing the skin, and making gradual efforts to breathe deeply, these symptoms went off, but that part of the thorax remained sensitive even to external pressure (20 doses 2d dil.),.

At 7 A.M., a gurgling in my bowels, with inclination to pass wind.

on attempting to suppress it, slight tenesmus. Urging to stool, getting more and more violent very quickly.

on trying to act against the pressure on my way to the water-closet, most intense tenesmus (so severe that I had to stand still and take hold of a chair to support the muscular system). All this was accompanied by constant gurgling of fluid in the bowels. Stool gushing out, with relief of tenesmus. Through the day had six more stools all of the same character, of yellow water mixed with white foam, preceded by gurgling, but without pain. One dose of Podophyllum Peltatum ^Podoph. 30th stopped the diarrhoea (second day). Inclination to stool, which I could control.

no stool (third day). Stool in the evening, of a natural consistency, but of a white-yellow color (fourth day),.

The first doses of from 1/2 grain to 5 grains caused only frequent eructations, diminished appetite, scanty stools, and, somewhat later, a dull headache, especially in the frontal region, lasting some hours. Doses of 5 1/2 to 10 grains caused pressure in abdominal region, distension of the abdomen, slight griping about the navel, nausea, white coating of the tongue, diminished appetite, dryness and scraping in the throat. In addition, a sensation of heaviness in the head, especially in the frontal region, weariness in the limbs, increased warmth in the whole body, ill-humor, with a certain mental restlessness and disturbed sleep, accelerated pulse and palpitation. Larger doses, 20 to 26 grains, aggravated the abdominal symptoms, and, in addition, caused pain in the abdomen, great nausea, great evolution of gas and rumbling in the bowels, increased and prolonged frontal pain, restless sleep troubled by dreams, and at times transient stitches in the praecordial region. In one person the extract caused no effect, except swelling of the tonsils and scanty stool. In another prover, in addition to the preceding, there were the following symptoms nine hours after 24 1/2 grains, violent drawing pain in the back, seated in the lumbar region, so that every movement of the trunk, standing up, stretching out, stooping or sitting down, were very difficult.

the place was also painful to external pressure.

this pain disappeared after five hours, reappeared in the same manner in the abdominal muscles, which became tense like a board. This disappeared after a few hours, leaving only some tension in the abdomen. From a dose of 26 1/2 grains taken two days later, there set in sticking pains in the left hypochondrium, back, and head, and after nine hours tension in the lumbar region. In the same person there was weakness of memory, apparently occurring in connection with the above-mentioned mental restlessness, which did not allow him to fix his attention for any length of time,.

A state of fear, anxiety; anguish of mind and body. Physical and mental restlessness, fright, is the most characteristic manifestation of Aconitum Napellus. Acute, sudden, and violent invasion, with fever, call for it. Does not want to be touched. Sudden and great sinking of strength. Complaints and tension caused by exposure to Dry, cold weather, draft of cold air, checked perspiration, also complaints from Very hot weather, especially gastro-intestinal disturbances, etc. First remedy in inflammation, inflammatory fevers. Serous membranes and muscular tissues affected markedly. Burning in internal parts; Tingling, coldness and numbness. Influenza. TENSION of arteries; emotional and physical mental tension explain many symptoms. When prescribing Aconite remember Aconite causes only functional disturbance, no evidence that it can produce tissue change - its action is brief and Shows no periodicity. Its sphere is in the beginning of an acute disease and not to be continued after pathological change comes. In Hyperaemia, congestion not after exudation has set in. Influenza (Influenzin).

Robust habit

Sudden, violently acute, painful effects, a big storm that soon blows over

Tension Congestion; often apoplectic

Excited nervous and vascular systems

Inflammation

Congestion to head and chest acute

Inflammation internal; rheumatic

Bright red haemorrhage (Belladonna ^Bell)

Acute senses

Sticking, tearing pains

Parts feel numb, big, burn, tingle, prickle or crawl; remain sore or numb after the pains Neuralgia

Crepitation

Painfully sore externally, with internal heaviness

Collapse

TERROR

ANXIETY

RESTLESS, excited, nervous, feverish, impatient and anxious

Beside himself; frantic from intensity of the pain; WITH FEAR; screams, moans, gnaw the fist, bites the nails (Arsenicum Album ^Ars---- ), wants to die

Delirium

Convulsions

Sensitive

Music saddens

Anxiety, congestion and pain

Head heavy

As of a hot band about head, or boiling heat in brain

Hair seems on end

Violent squeezing or bursting, in forehead or eyes; crackling in, throbs in l

forehead (r Antimonium Tartaricum ^Ant-t Belladonna ^Bell, Ignatia ^Ign ); aches, with more urine; burning in Shooting in eyeballs

Numb nose; with epistaxis (Belladonna ^Bell)

Nose runs hot water

Coryza

ANXIOUS LOOK (Spo)

Eyes glitter; stare; bleared; foreign bodies in

Hot, red cheeks

Face ghastly look; alternately red and pale; one cheek red and hot, other pale and cold

Face pales on rising

Faintness

Toothache

Throbbing in teeth and in head

Everything tastes bitter

Water has a bad taste

Chokes on swallowing

BURNING THIRST; craves acids, beer; worse after ices

Appetite milk agrees

Projectile vomiting (Ver-v)

Violent bilious or bloody vomitus

Stools of pure blood; slimy, grass green, or white; worse hot days and cold nights (Dul)

Dysentery

Itching, sticking at anus

Retained, scanty, red or bloody urine

Agonizing dysuria

Cystitis

Urethral chill

Orchitis

Suddenly suppressed menses

Respiration short; during sleep; anxious; hard; sits erect

Dry, hoarse, painful cough, or short, barking, ringing, or whistling cough, worse from every inspiration

Grasps larynx; worse night or drinking

Laryngitis

Croup with fever

Violent rushes of blood to chest

Pneumonia

Stitches in chest

Oppression of left chest

Pleurisy

Heart feels swelled

Carditis

Complaints of heart worse from sitting erect

Palpitation, anxious; with pain down l

Red finger-tips

Powerless legs

Red, shining swelling

DRY, HOT SKIN, or as if ice water on it

Miliary eruptions

Sleepless and nervous

Pulse fast, bounding, shaking, forcible and tumultuous or wiry

Pulse very irritable

Arterial tension (Ver-v)

CHILL; in waves; alternates with heat

HIGH FEVER

Dry, burning heat; in eyelids; nose, mouth, throat, lungs; on palms; must uncover

Sweat on uncovered parts; wants covers; drenching

Back and sacrum feel bruised

Remote effects of fright (OP)

Cries out and grasps genitals

Aconitine. Aconitia. C33 H45 NO12. An alkaloid obtained from the roots and stems of Aconitum napellus. It is contained in all species of Aconite except A. lycoctonum.

Our knowledge of this alkaloid is chiefly derived from cases of poisoning and over-dosing. The numbness, tingling, prickling and heat of the Aconite provings are produced by the alkaloid, but with increased intensity. On local application, first there is sensation of warmth, then of burning with sharp pains and itching.

feeling of sickness. constricting burning sensation, extending from mouth to stomach. Twitchings and spasms over whole body, especially in face. All symptoms are amel. by vomiting. In one poisoning case "vomiting recurred every two or three minutes, and was performed by a sudden jerking action of abdominal muscles, accompanied by a loud shout, probably dependent on a sudden contraction of the diaphragm. Every attempt to swallow was followed by the spasmodic contractions So characteristic of hydrophobia, but they were not renewed by the sight of water. The slightest touch renewed the spasms." Aconitine should be helpful in cases of hydrophobia, whether of the convulsive or the paralytic kind. The senses are disordered or lost-sight, hearing, smell. In one poisoning case the blindness was coincident with sudden dilatation of the pupils, and sight partially returned as the pupils contracted. A heavy feeling as of lead all over the body. All parts except head and stomach feel as if filled with lead. Neuralgia of 5th nerve. Creeping on face with feeling of swelling and tension. Pains in supraorbital nerve were especially prominent. Post-mortem examinations show the spleen very much enlarged.

posterior part of liver dark and almost black. Kidneys hyperaemic. The symptoms of Aconitine set in with great rapidity, and develop with extreme intensity. If recovery occurs it is rapid and complete. There is relaxation of the limbs and every exertion agg. the symptoms. agg. By mental exertion.

by agitation. agg. By touch. Erect position = nausea (M).

Monkshood. Hahnemann. Ranunculaceae.

Like a great storm, it comes and sweeps over and passes away. By a little meditation we will discover what kind of sickness all this is like, and what kind of a patient is most likely to have that short, sudden sickness.

If we think a moment from experience and homoeopathic observation, we will remember that vigorous, plethoric individuals, when they take cold, come down violently, whereas feeble people, sickly people, come down and recover slowly from acute diseases, and do not become so violently and so suddenly sick.

From this, and from examining the sudden effects of Aconite, it will be easy to see that persons who come down with Aconite sicknesses are plethoric individuals.

Strong, robust people, rugged children and infants become sick, not a very slight cold, or from slight exposure, but from more violent exposure. From being exposed with deficient clothing; from (sudden, violent changes; from prolonged exposure to the cold, north, dry wind.)

A vigorous person caught out with thin clothing, or remaining out in the cold, dry air of mid-winter, with its sudden, violent changes, comes down even before night with violent symptoms. This is the class of patients, the plethoric and vigorous, who have a strong heart, active brain, vigorous circulation, and come down suddenly from violent exposure, that need Aconite

Aconite has in its nature none of the results usually following inflammation. The storm is over so quickly that it seems mostly to conform to the earlier condition. In these vigorous patients sudden congestions are likely to be thrown off by good reaction.

s Attacks come on suddenly from exposure to a dry, cold wind. In plethoric children we have an illustration of that in, the sudden congestion of the brain with intense fever, or with convulsions.

We get illustrations of its suddenness and violence in any organ of the body, the brain, the lungs, the liver, the blood, the kidneys. It is suited to the complaints that come on suddenly from the very cold weather of winter, or from the intensely hot weather of summer.

It has the lung and brain complaints of winter, and the bowel inflammations and stomach disorders of summer. We know how these plethoric individuals become suddenly overheated and become violently sick.

Their sudden attacks are frightful to look upon. All these inflammatory conditions are attended with great excitement of the circulation, violent action of the heart, a tremendous turmoil of the brain, a violent shock. with intense fear.

There is a teaching that has long prevailed give Aconite for the first stage of an inflammation. It is not good teaching, although it is recommended in all of our books. It does not say for what kind, of a constitution, or how it comes about.

Do not practice that way. Get all the elements for an Aconite case, if possible, or give a better remedy. Another practice has prevailed, viz., giving Aconite for fever. Aconite was the fever remedy of many of our early routinists, but it is a bad practice.

Give Aconite only when the symptoms agree. An inflammation that is about to run a prolonged course, to take on suppuration, or if it is mucous membrane to take on discharge of pus, will never show you the symptoms of Aconite

Suddenly the blood vessels become engorged and ooze, the blood vessels rupture and the capillaries ooze.

Everywhere in the body will we find that same intense condition of the nerves. Wherever there are complaints they are intense, violent, and the patient is always in a state of anxiety and irritability.

Burning is a symptom that runs all through the remedy, you will find it descriptive of all the pains. Burning in the head, burning along the course of nerves, burning in the spine, burning in fever, sometimes burning as if covered with pepper.

"Anxious restlessness" covers nearly all of these things.

We will soon come to think that it does not make much difference where the disorder occurs, we must have the Aconite patient.

New-born children, with difficulty of breathing, after the use of forceps, or from a tedious labor; the child is breathless, there is difficulty with the heart, and in a few hours fever comes on. Aconite is a very simple remedy.

In the case of pneumonia where the lung is involved, it is likely to be the upper half of the left lung when Aconite is indicated.

Cannot lie upon either side, but upon the back. Lying on the side increases the pain. The dry cold winds. Sudden shocks, in persons of good, strong, vigorous circulation. The Haemoptysis that is spoken of is not such as occurs in phthisis, but is involuntary; the blood comes up with a slight cough.

Some one might be deceived to give it in such cases in broken down constitutions in sickly patients; but it is not to be administered in such cases, we have much better remedies.

All these come on from cold winds. Vigorous persons get into a draft and get a chill that will bring on Aconite symptoms.

Aconite has in all inflamed parts a sensation as if hot steam were rushing into the parts, as if warm blood were rushing into the parts, or "flushes of heat in the parts" Along nerves, a sensation of heat, or sensation of cold.

In sudden attacks that Aconite conforms to, that is the whole attack, there may be left in that constitution a tendency to return of a similar attack.

Aconite has no power over that tendency, but Sulphur ^Sulphur has. Of course, most of the symptoms must agree but it will seem to you frequently where Aconite has been suitable in the acute disease that Sulphur ^Sulphur symptoms will follow, and many times a very violent attack leaves a weakness in the constitution which Aconite has no power to contend with. It has no power to keep off recurrent attacks. It does all that it is capable of doing, and that is the end of it. But it is not so with Sulphur ^Sulphur

After Aconite follow well Arnica ^Arnica and Belladonna ^Belladonna. Sometimes it is true it will appear to you that Aconite is capable of coping with all there is in the disease.

But there seems to be a lingering something that holds on, and such medicines as Arnica ^Arn. and Belladonna ^Bell., and Ipecacuanha ^Ip. and Bryonia ^Bry., do have to come in to finish up the attack or sometimes Sulphur ^Sulphur Very commonly Silicea ^Silica So we have to study the relations of medicines.

If you have administered Aconite in too many doses, or given it too strong, and your patient is slow in recovering from the attack, or your patient has taken Aconite himself unwisely, then Coffea Tosta ^Coffea or Nux Vomica ^Nux will often put the patient into a better condition.

Complaints from exposure to cold, dry cold.

Congestions and inflammations, acute, first stage with great anxiety, heat and restlessness; tosses about in agony; throws off covering. Inflammatory fever.

Pains insuppressable worse at night, especially in the evening; neuralgic.

Face very red and flushed, but turns pale on rising up.

Favorite points of attack Larynx (crop), bronchi (bronchitis), lungs and pleura (pneumonia and pleurisy), joints (rheumatism), heart and circulation (erethism).

Modalities worse in the evening (chest symptoms and pains); lying on left side; in warm room or warm covering; better uncovering; kicks the clothes off.

We will now take up what I call the trio of restless remedies; viz Aconite, Arsenicum Album ^Arsenicum and Rhus Tox ^{Rhus toxicodendron}.

All are equally restless, yet all are so very different that there is no difficulty in choosing between them. The Aconite restlessness is oftenest found in a high grade of synochal or inflammatory fevers. There is no better picture in a few words of the Aconite fever than is given by Hering -"Heat, with thirst; hard, full and frequent pulse, anxious impatience, inappeasable, beside himself, tossing about with agony.".

The custom of alternating Aconite and Belladonna ^Belladonna in inflammatory affections, which so widely prevails is a senseless one. Both remedies cannot be indicated at a time, and if a good effect follows their administration you may be sure that the indicated one cured in spite of the action of the other, which only hindered; or that the patient recovered without help from either. There are many cases of this kind where the doctor is congratulating himself on a cure which was only a recovery, for which he deserves no credit at all. Let us look for a moment at some of the diagnostic differences of these two remedies.

Both have great heat of the skin, but Aconite has characteristically dry, hot skin and no sweat; Belladonna ^Belladonna has even greater surface heat, but sweats on covered parts.

Belladonna ^Belladonna often has semi-stupor and jerks and twitches in sleep. Aconite has great distress in heart and chest.

Belladonna ^Belladonna fears imaginary things, with delirium. Thus we might continue to give points of difference. No man who understands the homoeopathic art of healing will ever alternate these two remedies.

Aconite is also a great pain remedy. If we were to name the three leading remedies in this respect it would be Aconite, Chamomilla ^Chamomilla and Coffea Tosta ^Coffea. The Aconite pains are always attended by the extreme restlessness, anxiety and fearfulness of Aconitum Napellus. The patient tosses about in agony, "cannot bear the pain, nor bear to be touched, nor to be uncovered." Well, you say, all remedies have pain. Not all, and not many so intense pain. Opium and Stramonium ^Stramonium have painlessness oftener than pain. The Aconite pains are intolerable and generally worse in the evening or at night. Then we have often alternating with or sometimes even in conjunction with the pains numbness, tingling, or formication.

True words, and as one reads them who has proved their truthfulness and remembers they great author, he feels like exclaiming, "Being dead, yet speaketh." Aconite has two very important modalities, viz., fright and dry cold air. We have already noticed the value of the fear of Aconite as a symptom, connected with acute inflammatory ailments. It is no less a remedy for ailments brought on by fright, either immediate or remote. The patient has received a fright in the dark and is always afraid in the dark afterwards. From fright vertigo comes on, or fainting; trembling. threatened abortion, or suppressed menstruation, Jaundice may be induced by it, and become chronic. There are other remedies for fright, prominent among which are Opium, Ignatia ^Ignatia, Veratrum Album ^{Veratrum album}, etc. Now in regard to the dry cold air. No remedy has more prominently acute inflammations arising from dry, cold air. Nineteen out of twenty cases of croup arising from exposure to dry, cold air will be cured by Aconite. I live in a locality where croup abounds and have had abundant opportunity to verify this. Pleurisy, pneumonia and rheumatism also come under this head, and they are, as would be expected, almost invariably accompanied by the high fever, anguish, restlessness and fear so characteristic of Aconitum Napellus. Any local congestion or inflammation coming from such exposure also comes under the same rule, always providing the other symptoms corresponds The other leading dry air remedies are Bryonia ^Bryonia, Causticum ^Causticum, Hep Sulph Calc ^{Hepar sulph}., and Nux Vomica ^{Nux vomica}. Here are some wet weather remedies Dulcamara ^Dulcamara, Nux Moschata ^{Nux moschata}, Natrum Sulphuricum ^{Natrum sulphuricum} and Rhus Tox ^{Rhus toxicodendron}. Such things are well to remember, for one positive indication is worth two or three vague ones.

Clinical

Blindness. Chill. Convulsions. Deafness. Dyspnoea. Ears, noises in. Hemicrania. Hydrophobia. Landry's paralysis. Liver, enlargement of. Neuralgia. Oesophagus, spasms of. Spasms. Spleen, enlargement of. Tetanus. Tongue, affections of. Trismus. Vomiting.

Introduction

Aconite is a short-acting remedy. Aconitum Napellus's symptoms do not last long. It is a violent poison in large doses, either destroying life or passing away in its effects quite soon, so that if the patient recovers, the recovery is not delayed. There are no chronic diseases following it.

Region

MIND Brain

NERVES Medulla

Sympathetic

Vagus

Respiratory centre

HEART Arterial

Circulation

Viscera Larynx

Chest Abdomen

Joints