Radix Aconiti Praeparata
Source
The root of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx., family Ranuncutaceae.
Preparations:
1. Salty Aconiti. Fresh root soaked repeatedly in bittern solution and
salty water and dried.
2. Black Aconiti. Fresh root soaked and steamed with bittern solution,
cutting in longitudinal pieces, dyed in tea colour, steamed and dried.
3.
White Aconiti. Prepared with the above method, but should be peeled, and
whitened by fumigating with sulphur.
4. Bland Aconiti. Cooked with black soya bean and licorice until there
is no numbness and hot sensation when you taste it, and then dried.
Characteristics
1. Salty Aconiti. Conical, 3-5 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter. Surface grey-dark
covered with salt powder, broad at the apex, with depressed bud scars
in the middle and tubercular branched roots and scars around. Heavy in
weight.
2. Black Aconiti. Conical pieces, broad at the upper, narrow at lower,
as long and broad as salty Aconiti, 0.2-0.5 cm thick. Surface dark-brown,
section dull yellow, semi-opaque, lustrous, showing longitudinal vascular
bundles.
3. White Aconiti. Similar with Black Aconiti in size, with no peel, yellowwhite.
Acrid in taste, strongly heat in nature, toxicity.
4. Bland Aconiti. Longitudinally cut pieces, yellow-white, semi-opaque
with peel. Acrid in taste, heat in nature, toxicity reduced, and attributive
to heart, kidney and spleen channels.
Indication
1. Recuperate the depleted yang for resuscitation: For yang-exhaustion
syndrome with cold clammy limbs, fatigue and sleepiness, clammy perspiration,
indistinct and faint pulse, usually used together with Radix Ginseng (Decoction
of Ginseng and Aconiti ), or with Rhizoma Zingiberis, Radix Glycyrrhizae
(Decoction for Treating Yang-Exhaustion); for sudden exhaustion of yang-energy
with coldness of limbs, profuse perspiration and shortness df breath,
also used with Radix ~ together.
2.
Warm and strengthen spleen-yang and kidney-yang and kidney-yang: For insufficiency
of kidney-yang with impotence, emission, frequency - of micturition and
edema, and for deficiency of spleen-yang and kidney- yang with loose stool
or constipation of cold ~pe.
3. Expel cold and alleviate pain: For arthralgia of wind-cold~ampness
type, especially for that of cold type, also for periarthritis of shou~der
joint,.
Pharmacological
Action
1. Aconitine is a physiologically active component, and becomes aconine
aftei hydrolized. The toxicity of aconine is lower than aconitine.
2. The prepared products may dilate' the blood vessels of lower limbs
and coronary artery, and increase coronary flow.
3. Aconine and hypaconitine are analgesics and sedatives.
4. Acclerating the metabolism of lipids and cholesterol.
5. LD50 of aconitine is 0.295 mg/kg in mice hypodermally and that of the
decoction of prepared aconite is 17'.42g/kg in mice orally.
6. Its components, higenamine and coryneine chloride exert a significant
cardiotonic effect.
Administration
Decoction
3-15g.
Caution
Crude herb is poisonous but its toxicity is reduced by preparation. Most
of the poisonous components are destroyed after the herb is boiled for
more than 1 hour.
Contraindicated for pregnant women.