ON ACONITIA AND ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS. 
59 
la order to discover if the rectified spirit acted any considerable part in the smarting, 
I applied it on lint to my forehead several times during two hours, but found very little 
effect from it .—Dublin Medical Press. 
11, Clare Street. 
ON ACONITIA AND ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS. 
BY M. ERNEST HOTTOT. 
In a former paper the author, in connection with M. Liegeois, has published some re¬ 
sults. In the present paper, which is extracted from a thesis sustained before the Aca- 
demie de Me'decine by M. Hottot alone, the author has entered more fully into the sub¬ 
ject, both as regards its preparation and physiological effects. The following method 
of preparing aconitia was adopted :— 
_ Macerate the aconite root in powder in a sufficient quantity of alcohol of 85° during 
eight days. Displace the liquors, distil in a water-bath, add a sufficient quantity of quick¬ 
lime, agitate from time to time, filter, precipitate by a slight excess of diluted sulphuric 
acid, and evaporate to the consistence of syrup. Add to this liquid two or three times its 
weight of water, allow it to repose, and remove the green oil which floats and solidifies 
at 68° F., strain through a moistened filter to remove the last portions of oil; treat by 
ammonia in excess, and heat to ebullition; the aconitia is precipitated as a compact 
mass, which contains a great deal of resin, and separates easily from the liquor; wash the 
precipitate, treat it when dry by ether deprived of water and alcohol, and permit the 
ethereal liquor to evaporate spontaneously, which gives impure aconitine 
Dissolve the product thus obtained in diluted sulphuric acid, and precipitate it hot by 
ammonia ; the aconitia separates in the form of a coagulum like codeia. Collect it on a 
filter, wash and dry it, dissolve in ether, evaporate to dryness, again dissolve in a small 
quantity of diluted sulphuric acid, and finally precipitate the aconitia by the addition, 
drop by drop, of an excess of ammonia; wash it, and dry at a low temperature. 
Ten kilogrammes (22 lbs. av.) of the root of aconitum napellus in good order, gave a 
mean of four to six grammes (61 to 92 grains) of alkaloid. 
Aconitia thus obtained presents the form of a white powder, extremely light, of a bitter 
taste : it is in the state of hydrate, and contains 20 per cent, of water; at 187° F. it melts 
and becomes aphydrous, and is then a transparent amber-coloured substance. Although 
the aconitia of M. Hottot has only been obtained in an amorphous state, it is very much 
more active than the aconitias of commerce, which are generally very impure, although 
they are often crystallized. 
A singular thing, and well worthy of attention, is, that there exists in aconite root two 
distinct substances, which possess, in different degrees, the physiological properties of this 
substance. One is the amorphous aconitia of M. Hottot, the other is a substance which 
is presented in the form of well-defined crystals, and which after three successive crystal¬ 
lizations and evidently chemically pure, determined the same symptoms as amorphous 
aconitia, though in a much weaker degree. What is the nature of this substance which 
has been obtained by Mr. Morson, and for which he proposes the name of napellina ? Is it a 
transformation of aconitia, or a co-existent body ? Whatever it be, M. Hottot has studied 
aconitia, which presents the following properties :— 
Aconitia blues reddened litmus paper, saturates acids, and forms salts which do not 
crystallize.. It is a nitrogenous alkaloid, of which the composition, according to M. 
■ Stahlschmidt, is represented by C 60 H 17 O u N. Treated hot by SO ;? ,HO, it is coloured first 
yellow, and afterwards violet-red; tannin precipitates it abundantly, ioduretted iodide of 
potassium a kermes-coloured precipitate, and this reagent is its best antidote. Iodohyilrar- 
gyrate of potassium gives a curdy yellowish-white precipitate ; chloride of gold, yellow, 
and with chloride of platinum no precipitate. 
M. Hottot employs aconitia in the form of pills, each containing the fifth of a milli¬ 
gramme (^ 5 -th grain), or in the form of tincture T ^th of a grain to the drachm. The 
dose of the pills is from two to ten per day, and of the tincture ten to forty drops. 
The author has arrived at the following conclusions as to the physiological action of 
aconitia:— 
The root of aconite only should be used for making the preparations of aconite. 
Aconitia has the same physiological properties as the root. The irritant properties of 
aconite, usually attributed to an acrid principle, belongs to aconitia. Its action is exer¬ 
cised on the mucous membranes. 
