Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Nov ,  1882.  J 
Preparations  of  Aconite. 
571 
period  of  maximum  impression,  diminishes  rapidly,  and  from  small  doses 
is  very  soon  over.  That  from  pseudaconitia  increases  slowly,  is  felt  of 
nearly  equal  strength  all  over  the  surfaces  of  contact,  has  a  long  period 
of  maximum  degree,  and  diminishes  so  slowly  that  from  a  standard 
dose  no  more  than  two  trials  can  be  made  in  a  day.  The  impression 
from  the  fluid  extract  and  from  the  other  aconitias  is  pretty  jDlainly  a 
mixture  of  the  impressions  from  pseudaconitia  and  the  aconitia  of 
Duquesnel. 
The  relative  strength  of  these  four  aconitias,  as  deduced  from  these 
trials,  and  as  compared  with  one  grain  of  the  powder  of  good  aconite 
root  (German)  is  a  follows : 
Aconitia  of  unknown  make,    1  grain  =  65  milligrams— 1  grain  of  powder.. 
"       Merck,  ordinary,      \     "     =  8        "         =1       "  " 
"  "    pseudaconitia,        "     ='78       "         =^1       "  " 
"        Duquesnel,  "     =-59       "  =1       "  "  ^ 
The  relative  strengths,  therefore,  are,  1  :  8  :  83  :  111.  That  is,  the 
second  is  eight  times  stronger  than  the  first ;  the  third  is  ten  times 
stronger  than  the  second,  and  eighty-three  times  stronger  than  the 
first ;  the  fourth  is  one-third  stronger  than  the  third,  fourteen  times 
stronger  than  the  second,  and  one  hundred  and  eleven  times  stronger 
than  the  first. 
The  doses  of  aconitia  quoted  in  the  United  States  Dispensatory  are 
from  the        to  the        of  a  grain  three  or  four  times  a  day. 
The  National  Dispensatory  says  that  in  view  of  the  varying  strength 
of  aconitias  the  primary  dose  should  not  exceed  the  of  a  grain 
two  or  three  times  a  day. 
In  a  report  by  Dr.  E.  C.  Seguin  on  the  use  of  Duquesnel's  aconitia 
in  trigeminal  neuralgia  his  dosage  varied  between  gL-  and  y^^^  of  a 
grain  three,  four  and  six  times  a  day,  according  to  circumstances. 
As  other  authorities  vary  as  much  as  those  above  quoted,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  confusion  here  is  quite  as  great  as  in  the  preparations  of 
the  leaf  and  root. 
In  the  use  of  aconitia  for  medical  purj^oses  it  would  seem  to  be 
essential  that  it  should  first  be  tested,  and  as  this  physiological  test  is 
simple  and  easy  and  within  the  reach  of  all,  it  seems  better  adapted  to 
general  use  than  chemical  testing,  and  two  or  three  graduated  ])ipettes 
will  enable  any  one  to  apply  the  test.  No  aconitia  should  be  accepted 
which  will  not  give  a  distinct  impression  from  of  a  grain,  or 
•08  milligram  diluted  to  the  measure  of  one  fluidrachm  or  3.7  cc. 
