Monkshood. — The juice of the fresh plant, expressed on the first ap- pearance of flowering, and mixed with an equal quantity of alcohol. Although the following symptoms do not by any means express all the medicinal power of this precious plant, they will, nevertheless, furnish the sagacious practitioner the means of judging how far it may be useful in certain states of disease, against which the vulgar practice has, up to the present time, employed, often in vain, and almost always with injurious con- sequences, its dangerous resources ; such as, copious emissions of blood, and others peculiar to what is called the antiphlogistic treatment. I would speak of fevers, called purely inflammatory ; in which the smallest dose of Aconite, without recourse to any of the remedies acting in an antipathic manner, causes a prompt removal of the inflammatory action, and leaves no consecutive effects behind. In measles, in purpura miliaris, in inflamma- tory fevers with pleurisy, &c, the efficacy of this plant amounts almost to a miracle ; provided the patient observes a regimen somewhat cooling, and abstains from all other medicinal sub- stances, as well as vegetable acids, takes it alone and in the dose of the thousandth part of a drop of the thirtieth dilution. It seldom happens that a second dose appears necessary at the end of thirty-six or forty-eight hours. But to guard our con- scientious method from all possibility of influence from the pre- cepts of the common practice, which is but too prone to be governed bv names of diseases, often imaginary, it is necessary 2 ACONITUM NAPELLUS. that the primary morbid affection, to which we would oppose Aconite, should exhibit, in the aggregate of its principal symp- toms, a striking analogy with those of the remedy. Then we obtain results truly surprising. It is precisely in the cases in which the partisans of alloeo- pathy pride themselves most on their method ; it is in the violent acute inflammatory fevers, where they expect to save their patients alone by excessive and frequent bloodlettings, and thereby exceed so far the powers of homoeopathy, that they most grossly deceive themselves. Here, more than ever, in fact, homoeopathy exhibits her universal superiority ; for she has no necessity for shedding a drop of that precious fluid, of which allceopathy is so dangerously profuse, in order to triumph over those fatal fevers, and restore health, sometimes in as few hours as the ordinary practice requires months, completely to re-establish those whom their violent remedies have not, it is true, conducted to the tomb, but have left a prey to those chronic sufferings which are their natural consequence. It is sometimes necessary, in these acute diseases, to have recourse to another homoeopathic remedy to cover the symp- toms which remain after aconite has acted twelve or sixteen hours, but it is rarely necessary to administer a fresh dose of the latter. In giving Aconite with these precautions, in the affections of which 1 have just spoken, all danger will have passed at the end of four hours, and then the circulation returns from hour to hour to the calm and undisturbed balance which may habitually characterize it. Although, from the short duration of its action, (which in so feeble a dose does not go beyond forty-eight hours,) Aconite may appear to be useful only in acute cases, still it is not a less indispensable remedy in the most obstinate chronic affections : in those in which the state of the body requires a diminution of what is called rigidity of fibre— a subject on which I cannot here enlarge. Its efficacy in similar cases will be seen in the account of symptoms excited by it in the healthy individual in part about to be described. Aconite is equally the first and most powerful of the cura- tive means in croup, in several kinds of angina, as well as in the acute local inflammations of other parts of the body • especially when with thirst and a frequent pulse, we meet with great impatience, an agitation which nothing can calm, and a tossing from side to side in great agony. It produces all the morbid states which are manifested in persons whose minds have been excited by fear, joined with ACONITUM NAPELLUS. 3 indignation ; and it is also the surest means of curing them rapidly. Every time that Aconite is chosen as a homoeopathic reme- dy, it is especially necessary to regard the moral symptoms, and be careful that they resemble those which belong to it. Aconite is indispensable for females who suffer from fear or contrarieties during the catamenia ; for without this precious calmer, it happens indeed too often, that they suffer even a sud- den arrest from such moral shocks. In such cases it will be sufficient to direct a single inspiration, and for an instant, from a bottle containing a globule of the size of a mustard seed, which has been impregnated with the thirtieth dilution ; and this will preserve its virtue for some years without any loss, provided the bottle is always well closed. The principal part of those symptoms which appear to be contradictory, and which will be noticed hereafter, are but alternate states, and Aconite may be salutary in the one as well as in the other, though principally so in those of a tonic character. Vegetable acids and wine destroy the effects of Aconite, and so do other remedies, which correspond palliatively or homceo- pathically to the untoward symptoms which sometimes follow its use when too large a dose has been taken, or it has not been homaeopathically chosen. According to Noack and Trinks, Aconite may be used in the following affections : Predominant action of the arterial system, with consequent retarded action of the venous system, characterized by inflammation. — Aconite is especially suitable to individuals of a plethoric habit, lively character, bilioso- nervous or sanguineous constitution, dark hair, bright com- plexion, and to old people. — Active congestions of 'blood to the brain, eyes, face, heart and lungs. — Virulent hemorrhages from various organs. — Acute inflammations of external and internal organs, with lancinating pains and synochal fever. — Attacks of violent pains generally. — Various kinds of symp- toms consequent upon fright, anger and chagrin, indicating disturbances in the circulation of the blood and the functions of the liver. — Bilious affections, coloring of the skin as in jaundice.— Burns, with synochal {ever.— Catarrhal affections during a cold, dry, northwest wind, or owing to a draft of air.— Great liability to catching cold.— Eruptions of rash followed by dropsy, with feverish symptoms; miliaria herpetica ; lichen simplex. — Rubeola, measles with synochal fever, photophobia, catarrhal inflammation of the eyes, cold, frequent sneezing, catarrhal inflammation of the mucous mem- 4 ACONITUM NAPELLUS. brane of the larynx and trachea, and symptoms of pneumo- nia.— Scarlatina laevigata and miliaris, with simple syno- chal fever.— Variola, varioloid, and varicella, with considerable synochal fever, especially during the eruptive stage.— Erysip- elas laeve and fugax, also bullosum.— Nettle-rash.— Eczema mercuriale. — Crusta lactea? — Synocha exquisita : violent shaking fits of shorter or longer continuance, afterwards general, dry, burning heat, with a hard, full, rebounding, accelerated pulse, and great thirst, followed by a general and copious sweat. — Synochal fevers, with catarrhal, rheumatic, arthritic, erysipelatous conditions, also with a tendency to bilious nervousness. — First stage of cerebral and abdominal typhus, with synochal symptoms. — Third stage of cholera, when the vascular system seems to be engaged in a state of violent, unequal, congestive reaction. — Pest, on the day of its appearance, with a violent, burning heat, somnolence, etc. — Acute rheumatism with synochal fever, stiffness of the whole body, swelling of the joints, and excessively violent pains, especially rheumatism of the joints. — Acute arthritis, with synochal fever. — Neuralgia.— Convulsions of children, with violent congestion of blood to the head. — Hysteric convul- sions consequent upon fright. — Chronic spasms, especially in young people who lead a sedentary life, particularly girls of a sanguine temperament. — Tetanus ? — Trismus ? — Catalepsy. — Nightmare in young people of a plethoric habit. — Fainting fits, with orgasm of the circulatory system, and considerable congestion of blood to the head. — Coma somnolentum. — Somnambulism? — Dementia, with apprehensions of death and great anxiety. — Dread of ghosts. — Melancholia, especially moria, erotica and athymia melancholica. — Congestion of blood to the head, especially when combined with vertigo, in children during the period of dentition ; in full-grown people it is a valuable preventive against apoplexia sanguinea. — Headache, consequent upon congestion of blood to the head, owing to catarrhal and nervous causes. — Megrims. — Encepha- litis, also when owing to a metastasis ; acute meningitis of children, first stage.— Op hthalmice, of a catarrhal, rheumatic, arthritic, scrofulous, syphilitic nature, especially when che- mosis has set in ; inflammation of the eyes from bodies having penetrated into the eyes ; ophthalmia neonatorum. — Ble- pharophthalmitis gonorrhoea.— Otitis.— Bleeding at the nose, of a virulent kind, especially in children and in young people of the age of puberty, but also in declining years. — Lancin- ating, drawing and tearing prosopalgia, with violent conges- tion of the blood to the head and face, and great anxiety. ACONITUM NAPELLUS. 5 Toothache of sound and hollow teeth, drawing, throbbing, with a violent congestion of blood to head and face, great anxiety and nervous irritation. — Difficult dentition of children, with violent congestion of blood to the head, and consider- able feverish excitement. — Glossitis. — Slight catarrhal inflam- mation of the tonsils, soft palate, and pharynx, consequent upon a spring or autumn cold.— Vomiting of pregnant or hys- teric females ; vomiting of lumbrici ; hmmatemesis. — Spasm of the stomach ; inflammation of the stomach ? — Inflamma- tion of the diaphragm. — Inflammation of the liver, with a lancinating, burning pain, particularly inflammation of the convex surface of the liver, with synochal fever. — Jaundice. — Peritonitis, also puerperal peritonitis — Colic after a cold. — Enteritis, inflammation of the large and small intestines, with lancinating, cutting, burning and tearing pains, with ex- cessive sensitiveness of the body to the touch ; in this affection Aconite is often yet useful after vomiting of fascal matter, great anguish, and coldness of the inferior extremities have set in. — Psoitis. — Strangulated herniae. — Nephritis. — Cystitis. — Suppu- ration of the bladder. — Melaena ? — Flowing hemorrhoids of a violent kind ; painful varices of the rectum. — Oophoritis. — Uteritis, in young females of a plethoric habit. — Active metrorrhagice. — Too frequent, long, and copious menses, owing to plethora ; restoration of the menses in plethoric females, when they had been suppressedby fright, chagrin, or cold by the feet. — Fluent and dry coryza with synochal fever. — Inflammation of the larynx and the mucous membrane of the trachea, with a sense of dryness and rawness, with roughness and hoarseness of the voice, tormenting dry cough, owing to tickling in the larynx, and accompanied by synochal fever. — Grippe : Coryza, violent, dry cough, owing to constant titilla- tion in the larynx and trachea, with lancinating, pressive pains in head and chest, pain in the epigastrium and hypo- chondres, as if they were bruised, a similar pain as from bruises, and a drawing pain in all the limbs, great physical depression and lassitude, synochal fever and copious sweats, which afford no relief. — First stage of croup. — Whooping- cough in the first stage, with feverish sensations. — Asthma, owing to congestion of blood to the thoracic viscera ; asth- ma in chlorotic individuals or such as are affected with arae- norrhcea. — Asthma Millari? — Haemoptysis with considerable congestion of the blood to lungs and heart, sense as of a warm fluid rising in the chest, oppression and anguish at the chest, violent palpitation of the heart, vertigo, obscuration of sight, hard, full pulse, etc. — Haemoptysis owing to tuberculous 6 ACONITUM NAPELLUS. phthisis. — Pleuritis muscular is and serosa, first period, with violent stitches and synochal {ever.*—Pneumo?iia. Pleu- ropneumonia simplex and biliosa. first stage, with dull aching, great dyspnoea, unceasing short cough, with expec- torations of foamy blood and violent synochal fever ; also in the stage of splenetization. — Inflammation of the walls and coats of the vomica?, with lancinating pains and synochal fever. — Pneumonia infantum, with a short, rattling breath, continual irritation, exciting cough, constant cries and great anxious uneasiness. — Affections of the chest during the cholera. — Pe- ricarditis, carditis, also when mercurial; endocarditis, with or without rheumatism of the joints. — Palpitation of the heart, with violent orgasm of the blood and great anguish. — Invalu- able sedative in organic affections of the left heart, and of the large vessels, in angina pectoris, hypertrophy of the left heart, with either thickening or contraction of its walls, aneurisms of the aorta, etc. — Aconite and Digitalis are especially suitable for diseases of the left heart. — Paralysis ? — Rheumatic paralysis ? — Sciatica ? — Incipient coxalgia infantilis ? Analogous Re- medies : — 1. Bell. Bry. Con. Dig. Puis. Rhus. Sep. Spig. Sulp. ac. 2. Arn. Ars. Cham. Cic. Croc. Dulc. Merc. Nux. v. Opium. Phosp. Ruta. Sulp. Verat.— 3. Agar. Anac. Ant. cr. Asa f. Asar. Cann. Carb. an. Caust. Coff. Colch. Dros. Helleb. Hep. Hyosc. Ipec. Magn. mur. Nitr. ac. Plat. Sab. Spong. Stram. Thuya.