53 
PROCESS FOR PREPARING LINIMENTUM ACONITI. 
A piece of lint soaked in this tincture or liniment was laid on my forehead, and left 
closely adhering for an hour and a half, being during that period saturated with the 
liniment four times. My first impression was that of cold, which soon after so far 
changed that it was difficult to determine whether it was cold or heat; but it soon be¬ 
came very decidedly heat, and after a while it increased to smarting, and very painful 
smarting it was. Meanwhile, I felt tightness of the skin, and pressure resembling a 
band drawn tight over the forehead. Then came on a kind of vibration and creeping 
of the part, and although the smarting continued, the part when touched had but little 
feeling. After an hour and a half, the smarting began to abate, but the tightness and 
vibration continued for three hours, and even next morning were perceptible. The fore¬ 
head was much reddened. 
A lady, a member of my family, aware of what I was doing, submitted to the same 
experiment. She describes the sensation of great heat or cold—doubtful which—the 
very painful smarting, which continued an hour and a half after the application had 
been removed, and the want of feeling, notwithstanding, when the part was touched. 
She also felt the tension and pressure. The forehead was very much reddened, and 
somewhat the next day. 
The effects of the recent aconite root were thus decisive and striking. The next ob¬ 
ject was to ascertain the effects of the phannacopoeial preparation. With this view I 
applied lint soaked in the liniment (without the camphor) to my forehead, and con¬ 
ducted the experiment as before. After some time a slight sense of coldness and tight¬ 
ness was perceptible, which soon passed off; a partial and transitory tickling (not ting¬ 
ling) ensued. There was no smarting whatever, nor heat; but the forehead was slightly 
reddened. 
The lady already mentioned applied the phannacopoeial preparation in the same 
manner as before. She describes the sensation as doubtful whether hot or cold; but 
whatever it was, as much less in degree than in her former trial. There was neither 
tightness nor pressure, and during an hour and a half, although the wetting of the lint 
was renewed three times, the smarting was “ not worth speaking of.” It is to be 
observed that the application was continued three times longer than in the former case, 
although the effect was so much weaker. A slight sensation of coldness remained for 
several hours, and was at length accompanied by slight tightness of the skin. On the 
whole, the effects were much less decided than in the former case, yet this lady was 
particularly sensitive to the influence of aconite. She had formerly been troubled with 
brow-ache. It was her habit to go into the garden, and having pulled a handful 
of aconite leaves, to wet them slightly, and after rubbing between her hands, to apply 
them to her forehead. The effects were coldness, some smarting, and an indescribable 
vibratory creeping in the part; altogether the sensations were so disagreeable, and the 
relief so small, that she discontinued the practice. 
It is to be observed that the recent roots were macerated for twenty-four hours only ; 
but the powder of the dry roots had been macerated for seven days, as directed in the 
Pharmacopoeia. In none of the trials had the camphor been as yet added to the lini¬ 
ment. 
These facts left no doubt in my mind that the Linimentum Aconiti of the British 
Pharmacopoeia is by no means what it might have been, had the recent root been em¬ 
ployed. Beside the superior power of the liniment thus prepared, there would have 
been other advantages. The trouble and loss caused by drying and powdering, which 
are considerable, would have been avoided by the more simple process of slicing the 
root. The ratio of the root to the rectified spirit might have been much less, and the 
loss of liniment, by permanent absorption, saved; for the root would give out as much 
juice as it absorbed spirit. Much time would also have been saved, for twenty-four 
hours’ maceration produced a more powerful liniment than seven days with the dried 
powder, and the cost would be considerably less. 
Seeing that nearly two hours’ continued application of the liniment was necessary 
to produce the full effect, it may be doubted that merely rubbing it for a few minutes 
in the usual way to any part of the body can produce much benefit. 
The specific gravity of the liniment before the camphor was added was *878. 
I also made a liniment of the leaves of aconite, and applied a portion to my forehead 
in the manner already described. It produced smarting and coldness, but both in a much 
less degree than the liniment made from the roots. 
