Dr Apoorva Sishtla VN
ABSTRACT:
Aconite has the reputation of being one of the deadliest poisons, and only through Hahnemann intellect – which turned this plant into a potentised remedy helped countless. Before the proving, Aconite was only known as a Sudorific- substance which induces sweating, but after Master Hahnemann’s provings, we understood the true potential of this drug. In today’s prescriptions, Aconite is often overlooked not just in Acute cases but especially in chronic diseases. The prejudice that Aconite is only “an acute remedy”, does not do justice to the true potential that can be unlocked with true similimum. This Article will help us understand the true symptomatology of Aconite Napellus.
KEYWORDS: Aconite, Aconite Napellus, Acute remedy, Chronic Disease, Monkshood, Wolf’s Bane, Ranunculaceae
INTRODUCTION: Aconite grown on the damp and covered parts of North and Middle Europe. It is known to be more poisonous to carnivorous animals than herbivores.
J.H. Clarke says – “Aconite was the remedy which was able to treat many conditions that were treated by blood-letting, which helped in the disappearance of blood-letting procedure. Aconite is helpful in conditions which come out in great intensity and rapidity. It is known for sudden inflammation in plethoric individuals with flushed skin and mucus membranes. It is marked for haemorrhages, cerebral apoplexy, restless high fevers with great anxiety and fear of death. Aconite is beyond just the mental and physical exhalations, which we will explore in this article.
ACONITE NAPELLUS
Name: Wolf’s bane, Monkshood.
Family: Ranunculaceae
Part: Whole plant with root when beginning to flower
Constitution: Robust, strong, PLETHORIC Personality. Children who are rugged children, PLETHORIC, who will not get sick easily, not from a slight exposure but sudden, violent exposure.
MOST STRIKING SYMPTOMS
- Sudden short sickness, come down violently, which come on very suddenly.
- Complaints from FEAR, fright, prolonged exposure to Cold, dry, north-west winds, taking cold.
- Great excitability, with fear, FEAR of DEATH- PREDICTS TIME, with ANXIETY
- RESTLESSNESS- due to pain, red face, glassy eyes, GREAT THIRST
- Complaints are accompanied with sudden, violent reaction with CONGESTION and INFLAMATION with bright red plethora and anxious restlessness.
- PAINS- Screams with pain, like knives cutting, pains are intense, predicts death, throbbing, cutting, shooting pains,
- BURNING pains: intense heat, fever
- Night delirium, restless at night
- BRIGHT RED HAEMORRHAGE
- THIRST for large cold quantities
SHORT, SUDDEN SICKNESS who come down violently and suddenly, and have the constitution of strong robust plethoric nature.
Attacks come on from exposure of dry cold winds
TIME– Suited to complaints that come on suddenly in hot weather of summer or cold of winter.
Lung and brain complaint in WINTER and bowel and stomach disorders in SUMMER.
MIND– FEAR OF DEATH, predicts time of death, predicts the hour, intense fear with anxiety, RESTLESSNESS, lost all affection for close ones.
Delirium with fear anxiety. Anguish with dyspnea with great suffocation. Anxiety, drenched in sweat-profuse sweat.
SCREAMS WITH PAIN, like knives. Throbbing, cutting, shooting pain, cannot bear it.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me: and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed
Aconite has a moment of solid, unreasoning FEAR which comes upon him in waves.
- KENT says, “Aconite is like a great storm; it comes, and sweeps over, and passes away.”
This remedy should never be given in cases where the sickness is borne with calmness and patience.
Great and uncontrollable anguish, anxiety, and great fear, are characteristic of the Aconite disease.
It is the presence – RESTLESSNESS, ANXIETY, FEAR, EXALTED SENSIBILITY, SUDDEN VIOLENT NATURE are the leading indications of the remedy.
DIZZINESS- Turning, whirling, sudden violent.
VERTIGO that comes on from fright, fear, fear of fright remains. Even congestion of brain is resultant from fear. CONGESTION OF BRAIN is marked.
HEADACHE With such violence, Tearing burning pain in scalp, with anguish. Headache from taking cold, riding in cold air. Congestive headaches. With hot face
Aconite helps in various Eye issues showing – CONGESTION OF EYE: blood red appearance, at FIRST STAGE of inflammation
- Without any discharge, maybe just watery Pupil contracted. Violent aching.
Coryza- COMING ON IN THE NIGHT AFTER EXPOSURE IN THE DAY. The attack come on quickly, does not wait for days, happens suddenly or within the night.
PNUEMONIA- Aconite will show you on the face. Look of anguish, great anxiety, flushed congested face.
One cheek red, other pale— many but, with anxiety, fear, heat, restless and plethoric individual.
Pneumonia with suddenness, in first stage.
Inflammation runs so high, mucus oozes BLOODY CHERRY RED MUCUS, HEAVILY streaked with red blood. SIDE: UPPER HALF OF LEFT LUNG
Dry cough, vomiting, INTENSE FEVER, SPITTING BLOOD. Want of Cold water.
Aconite cannot lie on either side, increases the pain. Usually, expectoration looks like iron rust, but aconite is bright cherry red
CROUP- Coming on in plethoric person suddenly from exposure to dry, cold wind.
Rises from sleep at night 10-11 pm, grasps throat, violent choky cough. Croup coming on by night, on the same night, not tomorrow.
Hepar is slower in its pace, subject to frequent attack of croups.
Spongia is very similar to croup, but very less inflammation, febrile nature of aconite is not there. Although, spongia is very DRY.
STOMACH- Vomiting of BLOOD, BRIGHT RED BLOOD– descriptive of general stomach trouble.
Gastric catarrh. Sharp, acute inflammation of the stomach. With anxiety.
Everything tastes bitter.
BURNING– Very prominent in all symptoms
- NEURALGIC PAINS: Like hot wires, cries out in pain, shrieks, knife like cutting. After going in to the cold air
INFLAMATION OF THROAT- burning, smarting, DRYNESS, SOFT PALATE greatly swollen.
- Violent burning tearing sore throat, can’t swallow.
FEVER- pulse in the highest form of the fever. Full bounding, strong.
In cases of Aconite symptomatology with tendency of recurring, Aconite cannot come over the tendency, but Sulphur can.
- CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND EMERGENCIES
Summer trouble- bright rosy little ones, infants with summer troubles. Troubles of intense heat. Pure blood is passed.
SCANTY URINE– retention from SHOCK, FRIGHT AND FEAR.
- Retention from shock in NEW BORNS- infant just born into the world has undergone a shock.
After difficult LABOR, violent after-pains- UTERINE BLEEDING. Cannot control the bleeding
- SHOOTING TEARING FEBRILE CONDITIONS- UTERINE Haemorrhage- BRIGHT RED BLOOD, with fear of death.
New born CHILDREN– difficulty in breathing-after use of forceps, from tedious labour, child is breathless.
Guernsey says “Children suffering from a watery diarrhoea, crying, sleepless, biting fists, usually aconite helps really well”- case settles down, mother may say, condition is better except the bowels, don’t change the remedy, Aconite will do it’s job.
Acute renal colic– Person CANNOT bear the pains, drives him crazy, severe knife stabbing, tearing pains. Tossing and screaming around- ACONITE really works well.
NEVER give aconite in blood poisoning or scarlet fevers, typhoid fever. They are very slow in developing and anything which is slow in developing will not indicate Aconite.
Some remedies have periodicity or waves, aconite has no such thing.
- It works really well in the first attack, repeatedly it might not work so well.
It is well to remember that, where Aconite is too superficial for what has already become chronic, Sulphur, its “chronic” is generally the remedy,
ACTIVE BLEEDING– from any part with fear of death, nervous excitability.
Nash says, Aconite has great distress in the heart and chest, while belladonna- everything seems to center in the head.
Trios of PAIN: ACONITE, COFFEA, NUX VOMICA.
The pains of Chamomilla are accompanied by high irritability,
The pains of Coffea by excitement, by “a sensitiveness of the skin beyond comprehension”, aggravated by noise,
The pains of Aconite, as said, are intolerable and accompanied by anguish and FEAR.
- CHRONIC AILMENTS with ACONITE
Causations include: fear, fright, surgical operation, shock, dry cold wind, heat.
Despite the acute or chronic diagnosis, we see, state of Tension in the part. Emotional and mental tension due to consequences of fear and fright, tension in systemic vessels, muscular tension in muscles, semi-involuntary muscular tension of the respiratory muscles is appreciated.
Hence, it shows that aconite proves its therapeutic action to the effects of a number of conditions which EXCITE A STATE OF TENSION.
BUT IT IS NOT TO BE SUPPOSED THAT THE SPHERE OF ACTION IS LIMITED TO ACUTE CASES. WHEN THE SYMPTOMS CORRESPOND, IT WILL CURE CASES WITH GREAT CHRONICITY.
The old homoeopaths knew how to use it. But it has been passed on that, “By the time you see the case, it is already too late for Aconite.” That does not hold true. The Aconite condition may come on at any moment, in any illness, after surgical interference, when Aconite will restore speedy peace, and leave no after-effects.
“An indispensable accessory remedy even in the most obstinate chronic affections, when the system requires a diminution of the so-called tension of the blood vessels.”
MODALITIES –
- The time of aggravation is usually MIDNIGHT.
- HEAT as well as COLD is injurious to Aconite. Heat stroke patient which call for it, will cure many headaches coming upon after going in the sun.
- Extreme sensitive to noise. Music unbearable.
References
- Allen T F. A Handbook of Materia Medica and Homoeopathic Therapeutics. 1889.
- Kent, J. T. “Lecture on Materia Medica.” B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd.
- Tyler ML. Homoeopathic drug pictures. B. Jain Publishers; 1990.
- Boericke W. New manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory. B. Jain Publishers; 2002.
- J H Clarke; A Dictionary of practical Materia medica, B Jain Publishers, 1902
- A repertory of Hering's guiding symptoms of our materia medica. Knerr, C. B., Philadelphia, F.A. Davis co.
Dr. Apoorva Sishtla V.N ,(BHMS, DNHE)
MD Scholar, Department of Repertory
Guru Mishri Homeopathic Medical College and hospital
Dr. Sujit Pal, PG Guide, Department of Repertory
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