570 
Preparations  of  Aconite, 
f  Am.  Jonr.  Phaini. 
(      Nov.,  1882. 
colorless,  while  the  others  are  nearly  white,  excepting  that  from  the 
Himalaya  root,  which  is  decidedly  yellowish,  and  gives  a  solution  of  a 
yellow  tinge. 
The  aconitia  of  Duquesnel  was  soluble  in  w^ater,  and  the  solution 
for  testing  was  therefore  made  without  acid,  and  like  the  last  of  the 
strength  of  half  a  grain,  or  32'5  milligrams  to  50  cc.  of  water. 
Therefore  each  cubic  centimeter  of  the  solution  represented  one  hun- 
dredth of  a  grain,  or  '65  gram,  and  each  tenth  of  a  cubic  centimeter 
represented  one  thousandth  of  a  grain,  or  '065  milligram,  and  this 
latter  quantity  diluted  to  one  fiuidrachm  with  water  gave  a  distinct 
though  feeble  impression  in  the  mouth,  generally  at  the  tip  of  the 
tongue,  going  off  in  a  quarter  or  half  an  hour.  A  dose  of  *3  cc.  = 
•003  grain,  or  -195  milligram  gave  an  impression  just  about  equal 
to  that  from  one-third  of  a  minim  of  fluid  extract.  Therefore  '009 
grain  was  equal  to  one  minim  of  fluid  extract,  or  one  grain  of  pow^- 
dered  root.  But  the  one  grain  of  powdered  root  contains  only  '0007 
grain  of  aconitia,  and  yet  nearly  thirteen  times  as  much  of  this 
aconitia  of  Duquesnel  is  required  to  make  the  same  impression  on  the 
mouth. 
Aconite  root  should  yield  about  nine-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  of 
aconitia  in  order  to  be  in  physiological  equivalency  with  this  aconitia 
of  Duquesnel,  but  it  really  yields  only  about  seven  hundredths  of  one 
per  cent,  at  the  most,  or  about  one-thirteenth  as  much. 
This  want  of  accordance  in  strength  between  the  root  itself,  or  the 
aconitia  as  it  exists  in  the  root  in  its  natural  condition,  and  this  strong- 
est of  all  the  aconitias,  is  very  remarkable  and  is  inexplicable,  but  it 
certainly  shows  that  there  is  great  therapeutic  as  weli  as  pecuniary 
economy  in  the  use  of  the  powdered  root  or  its  fluid  equivalent,  while 
the  difference  in  strength  between  these  aconitias  shows  that  accuracy 
in  dosage  and  in  medication  is  altogether  in  favor  of  the  root. 
The  impression  made  on  the  mouth  by  this  aconitia  of  Duquesnel  • 
is  very  different  from  that  of  either  of  the  other  aconitias,  and  from 
that  of  the  root.  It  is  a  more  simple  or  less  complex  sensation,  and 
seems  to  be  the  tingling  element  which  exists  in  a  less  degree  in  all  the 
others,  and  least  of  all  perhaps  in  the  pseud<i,conitia,  which  is  farthest 
from  this  in  the  kind  of  sensation.  The  impression  from  the  Duquesnel 
aconitia  begins  promptly — almost  at  once — while  that  from  the  pseud- 
aconitia  is  delayed  to  five  or  ten  minutes.  The  impression  increases 
rapidly  and  is  strongest  about  the  tip  of  the  tougue,  has  but  a  short 
