History.—The Ἀκόνιτον of the Greeks and Aconitum of the Romans are believed to refer to the genus Aconitum, if not actually to A. napellus. The ancients were well acquainted with the poisonous properties of aconite, which has been widely used as an arrow-poison. It was employed by the ancient Chinese, and is still in requisition among the less civilised hill tribes of India.[222] Something similar was in use among the aborigines of ancient Gaul. In a Welsh MS. of the 13th century, aconite was pointed out as one of the plants which every physician was to grow. The root and the herb are met with in the German pharmaceutical tariff of the 17th century. Störck, of Vienna, introduced aconite into regular practice about the year 1762 (Flückiger and Hanbury; “Pharmacographia,” 1879).
Preparations and Medicinal Doses,—Aconite leaves (Aconiti Folia) and root (Aconiti Radix) are officinal in the British Pharmacopœia, and the plants from which they are obtained (A. napellus) are cultivated in Britain (Squire’s Companion to the B. P., 1868). The chief preparations are as follows:—
1. Aconitia, B. P.—Aconitine. Not for internal use, according to the Pharmacopœia. It is, however, occasionally prescribed in very minute doses (1/400 to 1/50 of a grain by the mouth: not more than 1/200 of a grain, subcutaneously injected; Royle’s Materia Medica). Dr. J. Harley has given 1/200 of a grain, once a day, in fevers.
2. Unguentum Aconitiæ, B. P.—Ointment of aconitia. Prepared with lard. Strength, 8 grains of aconitia to the ounce (= 1·66 per cent.). For external application in painful nervous affections, neuralgia, &c.
3. Linimentum Aconiti, B. P.—Useful for external application in neuralgia or lumbago. May contain about 2 per cent. of aconitia (Blyth).
4. Extractum Aconiti, B. P.—Prepared from the leaves and flowering tops. Dose, 1 to 2 grains.
5. Tinctura Aconiti, B. P.—Dose, 5 to 10 minims, twice or thrice a day (Squire); 5 to 15 minims, and only to be gradually if at all increased (Royle); never to exceed 5 minims (Farquharson’s Therapeutics).[223]
6. Fleming’s Tincture of Aconite is not officinal; it is nearly four times stronger than the B. P. tincture, and must on no account be given in the above doses (Royle).
7. Liston’s Strong Tincture.—Not officinal.
8. Aconiti Succus.—The expressed juice. Not officinal. Dose, 15 to 20 minims (Squire’s Comp. to the B. P.).