Page 19 - Winter 23/24

Naturalist Olivier de Rawton writes: “The aconitum kills the body in parts, in details. Intelligence retains its lucidity until the last moment and calculates minute by minute the ravages of poison. The cold of death begins penetrating through the extremities (hands and feet), gradually invading the whole organism, while the victim watches with horror this frightful invasion. Life is concentrated in the heart, which, no longer having strength, sets the blood in motion for the last time. The breath runs out and the dying man understands that his spirit has a corpse as its dwelling. Finally, thought exhausts its efforts with a supreme protest, in a desperate effort to
regain health.”
The toxic picture of Aconitum is well known and is perfectly described in the classic texts of
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics. It is
produced quickly and powerfully.
The simplest test is to apply the green plant, a small amount of
root powder or aconitine hydrochloride directly to the tongue. The first symptoms of poisoning consist of: stinging of the limbs and painful itching of the tongue. Immediately a stinging and tingling sensation is experienced, followed by anaesthesia of the application site.
Like all poisons, aconitum produces gradual effects, depending on the amount absorbed. In doses of 1 to 3 mg it is lethal to man and mammals in general. At moderate doses, intolerance and upset initially occur in the stomach. After half an hour, sensation of stinging, tingling and swelling, first in the lips and tongue, then spreading to the neck, face and finally to the whole body, with real swelling of lips and tongue. Then anaesthesia occurs in the area of innervation of the trigeminal and upper laryngeal, completing the picture contractures and muscle weakness (more subjective than real) and great anguish with a feeling of near death due to difficult breathing. At the cardiovascular and respiratory level, small doses produce tachypnoea, tachycardia and slight hypotension, while higher doses cause bradypnea, bradycardia (50 beats per minute) and hypertension. At toxic doses, the phenomena just described appear with pallor, dizziness, sialorrhea, nausea, vomiting, extreme prostration, slow and threadlike pulse, difficult and uneven breathing, muffled voice. A posteriori, if the poison is not neutralized in time, the symptoms that occur are the following:
hypothermia, loss of sense, pupillary dilation, paralysis of the extremities, going to complete immobility, interrupted by slight convulsions, imperceptible pulse, decrease in the contractile action of the myocardium, blockage of the cardio- respiratory centres, shortness of breath. Death occurs by syncope or asphyxiation.
According to Dr. R. Sankaran, the Ranunculaceae family is located within the group of sensitives; there are many sensitive and delicate remedies within it. It’s a very vulnerable group. The key word for Ranunculaceae is disgust. The emotional pathology revolves around the need to be appreciated; therefore, they are very sensitive to disappointment and mort- ification, reacting to such conditions with grief, anger, anger by trifles, nostalgia, with slow speech or emotional numbness. He has described the most representative sensations of the family as a whole. “Sharp, nagging, stinging, stabbing pains; bare nerves, as if isolated from the mind, emotions and physical; sudden pains, such as shocks; rapid excitement.” In Aconitum there is a sudden and deep disgust of fright and in this state of suppression, the person is overwhelmed with thoughts of death.”
The key word that defines the drug is “stress”.
Over the page we describe the fundamental characteristics of Aconitum.
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Description of the remedy:
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continued on p20