ACTIONS AND USES 547 



is six times as active as the other parts, and should be 

 taken up after the plant has flowered in autumn, when 

 it is in perfection, or before the new stem rises in spring, 

 cut into small pieces, and dried at a low temperature. The 

 leaves are less active than the root, but more so than the 

 flowers, fruit, or stem. Any part of an active aconite, 

 when slowly chewed, produces a peculiar sensation of 

 tingling, and numbness of the lips and tongue. 



The chief active principle aconitine (C 33 H 45 N0 12 ) is 

 obtained by a tedious process from the powdered root. It 

 occurs in colourless, hexagonal rhombic prisms, nearly 

 insoluble in water, but readily soluble in alcohol, chloro- 

 form, and ether. Its salts are crystalline. Aqueous 

 solutions of aconitine when heated are hydrolised with the 

 formation of acetic acid and benzaconine. This latter 

 substance may be further split into benzoic acid and aconine. 

 Both the plant and the ordinary pharmaceutical prepara- 

 tions of aconite may contain these decomposition products, 

 and even samples of ' aconitine ' as sold may vary consider- 

 ably in pharmacological action because of a varying content 

 of benzaconine and aconine-. Benzaconine is very much 

 less toxic than aconitine ; it slows the heart, but has no 

 paralysing action on sensory nerve-endings. Aconine is 

 still less active and is practically non-toxic. In the plants 

 the alkaloids are united with aconitic acid (C 6 H 6 6 ). 



ACTIONS AND USES. A local anodyne, acting specially 

 on the peripheral endings of sensory nerves, on the heart, 

 and on respiration ; aconite kills by respiratory arrest. 

 Its physiological actions as a cardiac and respiratory 

 depressant, together with a certain central action, render it 

 a febrifuge ; it is also diaphoretic. It is prescribed in 

 acute febrile conditions and in the earlier stages of acute 

 local inflammation. It is used topically to relieve pain. 



GENERAL ACTIONS. Locally applied, in virtue of its action 

 on sensory nerve-endings, aconite produces first irritation, 

 tingling and twitching, and subsequently numbness and 

 anaesthesia. It is not absorbed through unbroken skin, 

 unless made up with some substance, like alcohol or oil, 

 which is volatile and penetrating. Aconite tincture is 

 rapidly absorbed and quickly passes into the tissues, as is 



