572 
Preparations  of  Aconite. 
Am.  Jour.  Pliarm, 
Nov..  1882. 
This  is  not  too  high  a  standard,  for  the  reason  that  tlie  aconitia  of 
Duquesnel  will  give  the  impression  from  yoVo"  ^  grain  or  '065 
milligram.  The  dose  of  such  aconitia  to  begin  with  need  not  l)e 
smaller  than  of  ^  grain,  or  '65  milligram,  three  times  a  day, 
given  in  solution  diluted  to  four  fluidrachms  or  15  cc,  and  always 
on  an  empty  stomach.  Should  no  effect  be  obtained  within  24  hours 
the  intervals  between  the  dose  should  be  shortened,  first  to  4  hours, 
then  to  3,  before  the  dose  is  increased.  If  the  commencing  dose  be 
of  a  grain  the  first  intervals  should  be  shorter,  say  every  3  hours. 
The  solution  should  be  swallowed  with  as  little  contact  with  the  mouth 
as  practicable  if  the  sensation  there  is  to  be  avoided.  But  if  used  for 
trigeminal  neuralgia  the  mouth  impression  should  certainly  not  be 
avoided,  but  should  rather  be  sought  for  and  be  made  as  strong  as 
possible. 
For  external  use  there  is  probably  no  form  better  or  more  conveni- 
ent than  an  oleate  of  aconitia,  made  by  dissolving  two  grains,  or  130 
milligrams  in  98  grains  of  oleic  acid.  A  fluidounce  of  oleic  acid 
weighing  412  grains  requires  8*25  grains  of  aconitia  to  make  a  2  per 
cent,  solution.  Each  minim  of  this  oleate  contains  '0172  of  a  grain, 
or  about  -^-^  of  a  grain,  and  this  quantity  applied  locally  and  repeated 
according  to  circumstances  should  be  an  efficient  dosage,  and  should 
in  a  short  time  produce  constitutional  efiects  by  its  absorption.  It 
should  be  aj^plied  to  the  surface  by  the  cork  of  the  vial,  or  by  some 
non-absorbent,  without  friction,  and  about  the  head  and  face  needs  no 
covering ;  and  great  care  must  be  taken  that  it  does  not  get  into  the 
eyCo  In  using  it  around  the  eyes  this  caution  must  never  be  forgotten. 
If  applied  under  the  clothing  it  should  be  covered  Avith  oiled  silk  or 
rubber  tissue.  Local  neuralgias  are  much  better  reached  by  the  dermic 
or  epidermic  method  of  treatment. 
One  hundred  drops  of  the  oleate  make  a  fluidrachm  when  dropped 
from  an  ordinary  half  ounce  vial,  thus  making  a  little  more  than  1*5 
drop  to  the  minim.  One  drop  spread  by  a  pin  or  by  the  cork  of  the 
vial  Avill  easily  cover  a  square  inch  of  surface  without  spreading  much 
further  afterward,  and  in  ordinary  conditions  of  the  healthy  skin  will 
be  absorbed  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  so  that  the  dose  may  be 
repeated  on  the  same  place. 
As  a  general  result  of  these  trials  the  conclusion  can  hardly  be 
avoided  that  a  well-made  fluid  extract  of  aconite  root,  made  by  reper- 
