Medicinal plant No 13

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle Ranunculaceae (वत्सनाभ-कुलम्)

Eng : Atis root Hin

: Atis (37) Kan : Ativişa (30) Mal : Ativitayam (cocoloso.) San Ativisā (farast) Tam : Ativadayam (LWL) Tel : Ativasa (v033)

Distributrion: Sub-Alpine and Alpine zones of the Himalayas The plant: A herb, stem erect, simple, at times branched; leaves more or

less heteromorphous, lowest leaves with long petioles, usually 5-lobed to the middle, uppermost leaves amplexicaul; flowers in leafy panicle, blue or violet; fruits follicles, 16–18 mm long; seeds obpyramidal, blackish brown, angles more or less winged.

Roots tuberous, whitish or grey, smooth, cross-section pure white in which 2 - 6 blackish vascular supplies are seen arranged in a discontinuous ring, cylindric-oblong or conic, upto 2.5 cm long and

0.5 – 1.5 cm thick; breaks very easily and tastes very bitter. Parts used: roots Properties and uses: The roots are acrid, bitter, thermogenic, expectorant,

alexeteric, stomachic, digestive, antiperiodic and tonic. They are useful in dysentery, diarrhoea, stomach disorders, fever, malarial fever, vomiting, helminthiasis, haemorrhoids, haemorrhages, internal inflammatory conditions and general debility. They are highly recommended for diseases in children.

घुणवल्लभा घुणेष्टा घुणप्रिया शृङ्गिका च शुककन्दा । विषमोपविषा तिविषा विषा च विश्वेति माद्री स्यात् ॥ (अ.म.) ("Ghuņavallabhā ghuņēstā ghuņapriyā śrngikā ca sukakanda Vişamõpavişāſtivişā viņā ca visvēti mādrí syāt" (A.ma.)) अतिविषा श्वेतकन्दा विश्वा शृडंगी च भगुरा । विरूपा श्यामकन्दा च विश्वरूपा महौषधी। वीरा प्रतिविषा चार्दा विषा श्वेतवचा स्मृता । अरुणोपविषा चैव ज्ञेया षोडशसम्मिता ॥["Ativişā svētakandā viśvā śrngi ca bhangura Virūpā syāmakandā ca višvarūpā mahausadhi Vira prativisā cardrā viņā svētavacā smrtā Arunopavisa caiva jneya sodasasarmmita" (Ra.ni.)]

विषा सोष्णा कटुस्तिक्ता दीपनी पाचनी हरेत् । कफपित्तातिसारामविषकासवमिकृमीन् । ["Viņā sõşņā kațustiktā pācani dipani harēt Kaphapittatisaramavisakasavamikrmin" (Bha.pra.)] 'कटूष्णा तिविषा तिक्ता कफपित्तज्वरापहा । आमातिसारकासघ्नी विषच्छर्दिविनाशिनी ॥ (ध.नि. रा.नि.) ["Kațūşnăſtivişā tiktā kaphapittajvarāpaha Āmātisārakāsaghni vişacchardivināsini" (Dha.ni. & Rā.ni.)]

"त्रिप्रकारं चातिविषं किञ्चिदुष्णं च तिक्तकम् । अग्निदीप्तिकरं ग्राहि त्रिदोषाणां च पाचकम् ।। रक्तपित्तज्वरामातिसारकासविषापहम् । यकृतान्तितृषां चैव कृमीनाश्च पीनसम् ॥ पित्तोदरं चातिसारं हर्षव्याधिहरं मतम् । (नि.र.) ("Tripsakāram cativişam kinclduşņām ca tiktakam Agnidiptikaram grāhi tridoşāņām ca păcakam Raktapittajvarāmātisarakasavişāpaham Yakrdvāntitrşām caiva kşmirarśamsca pinasam Pittodaram catisaram harsavyādhiharam matem" (Ni.ra.)]

विषा सोष्णा लघुस्तिक्ता दीपनी पाचनी जयेत् । कफपित्तातिसारामविषकासवमिकृमीन् ॥ (कै.नि.) ("Vižā sāșņā laghustikatā dipaní pācani jayēt Kaphapittatisaramavisakasavamikrmin (Kai.ni.)]

“അതിവിടയമെരിച്ചിട്ടും കച്ചിട്ടും രസമായ് വരും സരണഹരം ജ്വരകഫപിത്താപഹരം Domopimo Slamma URYODA000.” (03.10.) ("Ativițayamericcițțum kaccițțum rasamāyvarum Saranaharam jvarakaphapittāpaharam Kasaghnam dipanacadrutaharam" (Gu.pa.)]

Remarks: विधा/तिविषा ज्ञेया शुक्ळा कृष्णा तथारुणा । " (नि.र.) ["Trividhajtivisa jneya sukla krsna tathājruna" (Ni.ra.)]

'श्यामकन्दो चोपविषा सा विशेया चतुर्विधा । रक्ता श्वेता भृशं कृष्णा पीतवर्णा तथैव सा ॥” (म.नि.)

[śyāmakando cópavişā sā vijñēgā caturvidhā Raktā svētā brśam krsnā pītavaſmā tathaiva sā" (Ma.ni.)]

'Indian Medicinal Plants' also mentions four varieties: 'The root is exhibited as white, yellow, red and black varieties, the white variety is the best.' Therefore, it is the white variety Aconitum heterophyllum which is used in the formulations.

The root of Cryptocoryne spiralis (Retz.) Fischer ex Wydler which is called nārțativițayam in Malayalam, is inexpensive and freely available in the market. Though it is said to have tonic and antiperiodic properties, it has none of the other properties enumerated for ativițayam (A. heterophyllum). Hence, it should not be used as a substitute for ativişā (ativițayam).