Aconitum ferox Wall. ex Ser.
Family Ranunculaceae.
Habitat The alpine Himalayas from Sikkim to Garhwal and Assam.
English Indian Aconite, Wolfsbane, Monkshood.
Ayurvedic Vatsanaabha, Visha, Amrita, Vajraanga, Sthaavaravisha, Vatsanaagaka, Shrangikavisha, Garala.
Unani Bish, Bishnaag.
Siddha/Tamil Vasanaavi, Karunaabhi.
Folk Bacchanaag, Bish, Mithaa Zahar, Telia Visha.
Action Narcotic, sedative, antileprotic, anti-inflammatory. Extremely poisonous. (Roots possess depressant activity, but after mitigation in cow’s milk for 2—3 days, they exhibit stimulant activity.)
Key application In neuralgia.
(Aconitum napellus L. has been
listed by German Commission among unapproved herbs.)
The root contains diterpenoid alkaloids, which act as a powerful poison that affects the heart and central nervous system. Aconitine has a short- lived cardiotonic action followed by
cardiac depression. Topically, aconitine has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic activity.