ACONITE. / 



the enemy before their retreat. It was fortunately discovered 

 in time to save the soldiers. 



Treatment of Poisoning by Aconite. — The principal thing 

 to be done in this and other vegetable poisons is, to procure 

 vomiting by any means : the most speedy and effectual method 

 is to force the finger or a feather down the throat, and keep up 

 a titillation of the fauces. This will generally succeed, when the 

 strongest emetics fail, and ought not to be delayed a moment 

 after it is once ascertained that Aconite has been swallowed, as 

 the danger is always in proportion to the quantity swallowed, 

 and the length of time it remains in the stomach. After the 

 poison has been evacuated, some cordial draught, or a little 

 wine, may be given with advantage. 



Bleeding should not be resorted to unless the pulse is full and 

 apoplectic symptoms appear, neither should vinegar nor acidu- 

 lous drinks be administered until the poison is evacuated, since 

 all acids, wine, and alcohol increase its activity. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — This poison, formidable as 

 it is, has been subdued to the service of medicine, which has 

 thus " out of seeming evil brought forth good." Baron Storck*, 

 a German physician, was the first who attempted to apply the 

 Aconite to the treatment of disease. He strenuously recom- 

 mends it in gout, chronic rheumatism, intermittent fevers, scro- 

 fulous swellings, venereal nodes, and amaurosis. 



An alkaloid has been lately discovered by Peschier, a Ge- 

 noese chemist, in the Aconite, which has been denominated 

 aconitine. It possesses the violence of the plant in a tenfold 

 degree. The tenth of a grain killed a small bird with the ra- 

 pidity of lightning, and a solution of one grain in a drachm of 

 alcohol, of which twenty drops were given to a guinea-pig, oc- 

 casioned death in a few minutes. This potent drug has, how- 

 ever, been employed with apparent success by Dr. TurnbuU-j- 

 in tic-douleureux, and other painful affections of the nerves. 



Preparations of Aconite. — Sometimes the powder of the 

 dried leaves is given, but this quickly loses its virtue, and can- 

 not be depended upon. The most common preparation of the 

 plant is its extract, or inspissated juice. This also is found to 

 vary much in strength, according to the care used in its pre- 



* Libellus de Aconito, &c. — Vindoh. 1763. 



■y Treatise on Aconitine, by A. Turnbull, 31. D., London, 1834. 



