218 SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



first precipitated, but may be obtained in three crystalline modifica- 

 tions by the use of various solvents. 1 



Allied Plants. Japanese aconite is obtained from Aconitum 

 Fischeri; the root is smaller, conical, nearly smooth and the starch 

 grains are much larger than those of the official drug. Indian 

 aconite, the product of Aconitum ferox, is a much larger root and 

 somewhat horny, owing to the gelatinization of the starch in its 

 preparation for market. 



A very large number of species of Aconitum are used medicinally. 

 These may be brought into five groups: (1) Those containing the 

 alkaloid aconitine, as Aconitum Napellus; (2) those containing pseud- 

 aconitine, which, while it resembles in some of its properties acon- 

 itine, is not chemically identical with it, and is found in the Indian 

 aconite obtained from A. ferox, A. luridum and A. palmatum; 

 (3) those containing the alkaloid, japaconitine, which closely resem- 

 bles pseudaconitine and is found in Japanese aconite, obtained from 

 A. Fischeri; (4) those which contain the narcotic bases, lycaconitine 

 and myoctonine, found in A. lycoctonum of Asia and Europe; (5) 

 those yielding lappaconitine, a powerful alkaloid occurring in A. 

 septentrionale, a nearly related species to A. lycoctonum. 



Adulterant. The roots of Aconitum chasmanthum are about 

 2 cm. in length and 0.75 cm. in thickness, nearly smooth and the 

 rootlet stubs are usually clustered at the basal end; the inner surface 

 is lighter in color and less resinous. (U. S. Dept. Agric.) 



ACONITI FOLIA. Aconite Leaves, Herba Aconita. The leaves 

 and flowering tops of Monkshood or Wolfsbane, Aconitum Napellus 

 (Fam. Ranunculacese). The drug is gathered from wild plants 

 at about the time of flowering during June or July and carefully 

 dried. It should be stored in tightly closed containers and not 

 exposed to light. 



Description. More or less crumpled or broken; entire leaves 

 long petiolate, and palmately divided into 3, 5 or 7 segments; the 

 latter are wedge-shaped, having 2 or 3 deeply incised lobes, which 

 are linear or linear-lanceolate and acute or pointed. The flowers 

 are dark blue, usually arranged on a spike-like raceme, the upper 

 sepal being hooded or helmet-shaped and covering the 2 long-clawed 

 smaller petals; fruit consisting of 2 or 3 separate, somewhat flattened 

 lanceolate follicles and enclosing several seeds. The latter are 

 somewhat triangular, grayish-brown, 4 mm. in length and more or 

 less wrinkled and scaly. Fragments of stems attaining a length of 



J A. E. Tutton, Zeitschr. f. Krystallog., 1891 (19), p. 178. 



