Medicinal plant No 14

Aconitum napellus Linn. (=A.ferox Wall.) Ranunculaceae (वत्सनाभ-कुलम्)

Eng : Indian aconite, Monk's hood Hin : Bachnäg, Mithāvis (a9-, Haifa) Kan : Vatsanābhi (DEJ2) Mal : Vatsanābhi (Jonumosl) San : Vatsanābhaḥ (aGYG19:) Tam: Vasanavi (E510) Tel

: Vatsanábhi (387.3°?)

Distribution: Northern Himalayas of Nepal and Kashmir The plant: A biennial herb with tuberous roots, 60 – 90 cm in height with

an erect stem, slender to rather robust, finely pubescent in the upper part; leaves scattered, basal 5 – 6, upper leaves upto 10, petioles slender, blades somewhat fleshy, reniform, rarely cordate-orbicular with a wide and shallow sinus, 5-pędatipartite almost to the base, lobes narrow, inciso-dentate, or laciniate, ultimate segments or teeth acute, uppermost blades sessile or subsessilę, much smaller and less dissected; flowers blue, in loose racemes, floral leaves much reduced and passing into trifid or entire and linear-lanceolate bracts; sepals blue, hairy, uppermost helmet shaped, laterals oblique, orbicularobovate, broadly clawed; fruits oblong, conspicuously reticulate follicles; seeds obovoid to obpyramidal.

Roots are dark brown externally and the fracture is scarcely farinaceous and yellowish; on tasting, it produces a strong tingling sensation. The innovation bud is conic and the scales are persistent

and prominently and finely nerved. Parts used: roots Properties and uses: The roots are sweet, thermogenic, narcotic, anodyne,

anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, nervine tonic, stomachic, appetiser, carminative, digestive, stimulant, sialagogue, cardiotonic, emmenagogue, anaphrodisiac, depurative, sedative and febrifuge. They are useful in vitiated conditions of vāta, pitta and kapha, cephalalgia, neuralgia, painful inflammations, strangury, cough, asthma, bronchitis, hypotension, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, carüiac debility, dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, spermatorrhoea, leprosy, skin diseases, sciatica, gout, paralysis, hepatopathysplenopathy, pharyngodynia, diabetes, nasal discharges, fever, inflammatory fevers and debility.

"सिन्दुवारसदृक्पत्रो वत्सनाभ्याकृतिस्तथा । यत्पाइँन तरोर्वृद्धिर्वत्सनाभः स भाषितः ॥ (भा.प्र.) ["Sinduvarasadrkpatrā vatsanabhyakſtistatha Yatparsvena tarorvrddhirvatsanabhah sa bhasitah" (Bha.pra.)]

“अमृतं स्यात् वत्सनाभो विषमुग्रं महौषधम् । गरळं मरणं नागं स्तोककं प्राणहारकम् ॥ गरळं स्थावराद्यं स्यात् प्रोक्तं चैकादशाह्वयम् । (रा.नि.) ["Amrtam syāt vatsanābho viņamugram mahausadham Gara!am maranam nagam stākakam prāņahārakam Garalam sthavaradyam syat proktam caikadasahvayam" (Ra.ni.)]

है

"विषं प्राणहरं प्रोक्तं व्यवायि च विकाषि च । आग्नेयं वातकफहत् योगवाहि मदावहम् ॥ तदेव युक्तियुक्तं तु प्राणदायि रसायनम् । योगवाहि त्रिदोषघ्नं बृंहणं वीर्यवर्द्धनम् ॥ (भा.प्र.) ["Vişam prāņaharam proktam vyavāyi ca vikāși ca Āgneyam vātakaphahrt yogavāhi madāvaham Tadēva yuktiyuktam tu prāņadāyi rasāyanam Yogavahi tridosaghnam brmhanam viryavarddhanam" (Bha.pra.)]

"रूक्षमुष्णं तथा तीक्ष्णं सूक्ष्ममाशु व्यवायि च । विकाषि विशदं चैव लध्वपाकी च ते दश ।। तद्रौक्ष्यात् कोपयेद् वायुमौष्ण्यात् पित्तं सशोणितम् । तैक्ष्ण्यात् मतिं मोहयति मर्मबन्धान भिनत्ति च ॥ शरीरावयवान् सौक्ष्म्यात् प्रविशेद्धि करोति च । आशुत्वादाशुवत् प्रोक्तं व्यवायात् प्रकृति हरेत् ॥ विकाषित्वाद्दीपयति दोषान् धातून् मलानपि । अतिरिच्येत वैशद्याद् दुश्चिकित्स्यञ्च लाघवात् ॥ दुर्जर चाविपाकित्वात् तस्मात् क्ळेशयते चिरम् । विष रसायनं बल्यं वातश्ळेष्मविकारनुत् ।। कटुतिक्तं कषायं च मदकारि सुखप्रदम् । व्यवायि च शिरोद्वाहि कुष्ठवाताननाशनम् ॥ अग्निमान्द्यश्वासकासप्ळीहोदरभगन्दरम् । गुल्मपाण्डुव्रणाासि नाशयेद्विधिसेवितम् ॥” (शा.नि.) ("Rūkşamuşņam tathā tikşņam sūkşmamāśu vyavāyi ca Vikāși visadam caiva laghvāpāki ca të dasa Tadraukșyāt köpayēd vāyumaușnyāt pittam sa soņitamTaiksnyāt matim mohayati marmabandhan bhinatti ca Sariravayavan sauksmyāt praviśēddhi karoti ca Asutvādāśuvatproktam vyavāyāt prakrtim haret Vikāșitvāddipayati doșān dhātün malānapi Atiricyēta vaiśadyād duścikitsyanaca lāghavat Durjaram cāvipakitvāt tasmātkļēśayatē ciram Visam rasāyanam balyam vātas!ēşmavikāranut Kațutiktam kaşāyam ca madakāri sukhapradam Vyavāyi ca sirodvāhi kuşthavātāsșanāśanam Agnimāndyaśvāsakāsap!íhodarabhagandaram Gulmapāņduvraņāļśāmsi nāśayēdvidhisēvitam" (Sā.ni.)]

Cacharetſforhyr: Hlount and 64146: 1 कण्ठरुक्सन्निपातघ्नः पित्तसंशोधनो/पि च ॥ (ध.नि.) ["Vatsanābhoſtimadhuraḥ sosno vātakaphāpahaḥ Kantharuksannipātaghnaḥ pittasamsodhanõſpi ca" (Dha.ni.)]

ahhatratforma: Elount and44146: कण्ठरुक्सन्निपातघ्नः पित्तसन्तापकारकाः ॥ (रा.नि.) ["Vatsanābhoſtimadhuraḥ sāşņā vātakaphāpahaḥ Kantharuksannipataghnaḥ pittasantāpakārakāḥ" (Rā.ni.)]

Remarks: Indian aconite or Monk's hood is a virulent poison and hence

purification is needed before using. The roots are purified either in cow's urine or milk. The purification with milk is more effective.