Dzhungarian Aconite (plant) - Application And Treatment With Aconite, How To Prepare A Tincture?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Dzhungarian Aconite

Aconite treatment, preparation and use of tincture

Botanical description of Dzhungarian aconite

Aconite, or in another way a wrestler, belongs to the buttercup family. This is a tall (up to 2 m) perennial bush blooming with beautiful, bizarre purple flowers. Biologists call these flowers "zygomorphic", because of them aconite does not look like most buttercups, it rather resembles a lupine related to legumes.

Aconite grows in the wild throughout the northern hemisphere. Science knows about three hundred species of this poisonous plant, of which 75 species grow in Russia alone. Despite its wide distribution, some types of aconite are considered rare and protected. For example, the species Aconitum noveboracense is listed in the Red Book. The favorite habitat of aconite is the rich soils of the river coasts, the sides of country roads, high-mountain meadows.

Interesting facts about aconite

Aconite is one of the most mystical and legendary plants. Its name can be found on the pages of ancient legends, Scandinavian epics and witchcraft tomes.

There are interesting historical facts about this plant:

• In ancient Roman gardens, aconite was cultivated for decorative purposes; lush purple thickets even adorned the imperial palace. But in 117 AD Trajan suspected a connection between numerous cases of poisoning of his servants and aconite bushes, and forbade the cultivation of this plant;
• Aconite was used by the ancient Greeks as a poison to kill criminals sentenced to death. Therefore, the plant has a sad fame, similar to the glory of hemlock (hemlock), with the help of which the philosopher Socrates, accused of political conspiracy, was poisoned;
• On the island of Chios, in the Ionian Sea, there was a cruel custom, according to which members of society who did not benefit because of their illness or old age were obliged to drink the poison of aconite and leave for another world;
• Plutarch described in his writings an episode of the poisoning of the soldiers of Emperor Mark Antony with aconite. According to the sage, the unfortunate warriors fell into unconsciousness and wandered in circles, picking up every stone in their path, as if they were looking for something extremely important. Then they vomited bile, and a painful death followed;

• In eastern India, poison "bik" is well known, which locals have used from time immemorial to moisten arrowheads and spears before hunting large game. The Digaroa tribes still grind the roots of Aconite for this purpose;
• During the time of the Holy Inquisition in medieval Europe, the presence of aconite in the house was the reason for accusing the women living in it of witchcraft. The "witch" was tried and burned at the stake right in the town square.

History of the use of aconite in medicine

The first scientific information about aconite as a medicinal plant can be gleaned from the Tibetan treatise "The Four Books". Most notably, the monks who wrote the Chzhud-shih in the seventh century AD used aconite primarily to treat tumors, and to a lesser extent to eradicate infections.

Pliny the Elder, author of Natural History, mentions aconite as a remedy for eye diseases. The scientist cites numerous facts of healing patients from glaucoma and blindness with the help of aconite juice, but warns about the toxicity of this plant and calls it "plant arsenic".

The closest attention to aconite as an anticancer agent was paid by the Viennese physician Anton Sterk (1731-1803). He is the first physician to conduct documented scientific research on a poisonous plant. Sterk tried empirically to establish the dose of aconite that is optimal for the treatment of malignant tumors, and the maximum permissible for humans.

In 1869, the authoritative London edition of The Lancet published a long article on homeopathic cancer treatment. The main hero of the medical publication was precisely aconite, which was considered the most powerful agent against malignant neoplasms of any localization. The authors cited several cases of recovery of cancer patients who took tincture of aconite.

Somewhat earlier, in 1838, the Russian journal Sovremennik published a letter from Vladimir Dahl to his friend, Dr. Odoevsky, which was called "On Homeopathy." The famous author of an explanatory dictionary and researcher of rural life, Dal, tells how, with the help of aconite, he managed to cure the Bashkir from severe pneumonia. According to the author, the patient got to his feet on the third day, sat in the saddle and sang songs. It is also known that Vladimir Dal, who exclusively trusted the healing properties of aconite, treated his son with croup with this plant.

The first Soviet physician to pay close attention to aconite was T. V. Zakaurtseva, an oncologist with 35 years of experience. In the period from 1953 to 1988, she conducted research on the healing properties of aconite, and the result was a unique method of cancer treatment. First, Zakaurtseva subjected the patient to long-term therapy with tincture of aconite, and then, when the tumor decreased in size and localized, she performed surgical removal. To consolidate the effect and insure against metastases, the course of treatment with the tincture was repeated. In this way, she managed to cure several dozen patients, including those in the second and third stages of cancer.

In 1946, two types of aconite were officially included in the Soviet State Pharmacopoeia: Karakol and Dzungarian. Although aconite does not currently have an official medicinal status in Russia, its pale-mouthed type is used in the production of the drug allapinin, which is used to treat arrhythmias. And Dzungarian aconite is actively used by phytotherapists for the treatment of cancer and many other diseases.

Other uses of aconite

Western European florists and landscape designers cultivate several slightly poisonous aconite species for decorative purposes: Aconitum variegatum, Aconitum lycoctonum, Aconitum napellus, Aconitum stoerckeanum and Aconitum cammarum, better known as "bicolor". All these are graceful low (1-1.2 m) shrubs with lush pyramidal inflorescences, consisting of many beautiful purple, blue, white-blue and yellow flowers. Garden species of aconite, like wild ones, are very unpretentious to care for and are not susceptible to the destructive action of insect pests, since they are, although slightly, poisonous.

Aconite growing in meadows can act as a honey plant, but bees are reluctant to sit on it, and only if there are no other flowering plants nearby. Beekeepers recommend eradicating aconite thickets near apiaries, since there are numerous cases of poisoning and death of bees collecting nectar and pollination from aconite.

The chemical composition of aconite

The stems, leaves, flowers and roots of aconite contain two types of alkaloids:

• Atizin;
• Aconitine.

The first type of volatile alkaloids is not poisonous, it is a 5-7 - ring-shaped molecular structure that decomposes into arucanine and organic acid as a result of hydrolysis. In fact, atisine alkaloids are mono- and diesters of benzoic and acetic acids. They are contained in aconite in very small quantities, and determine its beneficial effect on the human cardiovascular system.

The second type of alkaloids, named after the plant itself, is much more interesting. These alkaloids are represented by hypoaconitine, mezaconitine, isaconitine and aconitine itself. They do not dissolve at all in water, slightly - in ether, excellent - in chloroform. Upon hydrolysis, they decompose into benzoic and acetic acids, hypoaconine, mezaconine or aconine, respectively. The highest concentration of aconitine alkaloids in the tubers of the plant: for example, in Dzhungarian aconite it can reach 4%.

In addition to the poisonous alkaloid, the roots of aconite contain:

• Sugar;
• Daucosterol;
• Pseudoaconitine;
• Mesoinosidol;
• Saponins;
• Flavones;
• Resins;
• Coumarin;
• Starch;
• Organic acids (citric, benzoic, transaconitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, palmitic).

The above-ground part of aconite also contains:

• Tannins;
• About two dozen micro and macro elements;
• Inositol;
• Flavonoids;
• Vitamin C.

The toxicity of aconite depends on its type, type of soil and time of collection. Less poisonous bushes grow in swampy and waterlogged areas. Aconite tubers harvested in spring and autumn are more toxic, but have a weaker effect on the heart than those harvested in winter.

It should be understood that it is the plants containing aconitine and its subtypes that are poisonous. Atisin alkaloids do not pose a danger to humans, but in nature there are very few types of aconite containing only these non-toxic substances. The overwhelming majority of plants are poisonous to one degree or another.

You can check this empirically: if you rub your finger with aconite juice, the skin will first itch and burn, and then for a while it will lose sensitivity. The stronger the effect, the more poisonous the plant is. The alkaloid aconitine first irritates the nerve endings, and then sharply paralyzes them. In principle, it is not recommended to conduct such experiments, and using grated roots for them is completely dangerous.

The action of aconite on the human body

In terms of the way it affects the human nervous system, aconitine is similar to curare poison. That is why when a dangerous dose of this alkaloid enters the body, death occurs as a result of paralysis of the respiratory center. For therapeutic purposes, only scanty doses of aconitine are used, and the therapeutic effect occurs only after the gradual accumulation of the alkaloid in the blood.

A scanty amount of aconitine normalizes heart rate and respiration, activates cellular metabolism, prevents the multiplication of infections and inhibits the growth of neoplasms. And in large quantities, this alkaloid leads to paralysis of the heart muscle, suffocation and death, so the main task of a homeopath is to choose the right dosage.

Immediately after ingestion of water with a tincture of aconite dissolved in it, a person has increased salivation. This is due to the fact that the poisonous alkaloid irritates the parasympathetic nerve when absorbed through the oral mucosa. Also, in the first hours after administration, even in a healthy person, the body temperature decreases slightly.

A pronounced therapeutic effect can be achieved only with regular intake of an alkaloid. The substance must accumulate in the body and provoke an immune response. Only then will the defenses become active and the person will begin to fight the disease. When treating, it must be borne in mind that the aconite decoction is two times weaker than the alcoholic infusion.

Dzungarian aconite is used in modern homeopathy to treat the following diseases:

• Anemia and loss of strength;
• Hormonal dysfunctions, infertility, impotence;
• Diabetes mellitus, toxic goiter;
• Deafness, cataracts, glaucoma, blindness;
• Benign neoplasms (fibroids, adenomas, fibroids, polyps and cysts);
• Gallstone and kidney stone disease;
• Arrhythmias, angina pectoris, hypertension;
• Ulcers, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence;
• Bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, tuberculosis, pleurisy;
• Trigeminal neuralgia, migraine, depression, insomnia, paralysis, Parkinson's disease;
• Psychoses, schizophrenia, epilepsy, seizures and tics;
• Rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, radiculitis, gout, osteochondrosis, bruises, dislocations, fractures;
• Sexually transmitted diseases, syphilis, anthrax;
• Psoriasis, erysipelas, vitiligo, eczema, neurodermatitis;
• As an external antiseptic - for head lice and scabies;
• As an antidote - for poisoning with poisonous plants and mushrooms;
• As an antineoplastic agent - in the treatment of all types of cancer.

How to prepare aconite tincture?

The availability of raw materials and the simplicity of technology speaks in favor of self-preparation of the drug. In addition, if you make the tincture yourself, you will be absolutely sure of its quality and precisely aware of its concentration. A drug purchased from a private herbalist may be ineffective or, conversely, too powerful.

Collection and procurement of raw materials

If you are unsure of your botanical knowledge, carefully read the photos of aconite so as not to confuse it with lupine, for example. Or ask the locals if the plant you saw in the neighboring field is aconite. People are probably well aware of poisonous grasses growing in the pasture.

Homeopathy uses stems, palm-like leaves, pubescent upper shoots, flowers, seeds and rhizomes of aconite. If we are talking about Dzungarian aconite, it is the tubers of the plant that are harvested. It is advisable to collect green parts in May, before flowering, and underground parts in early autumn, immediately after wilting and fruiting.

Flowers and leaves of aconite, at the slightest damage, emit poisonous sap, so the collection must be done with gloves. Avoid contact of the fingers with the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth. Tubers can be dug without gloves, but at home, when processing raw materials, you still have to protect your hands.

Dzhungarian aconite tubers reach 8 centimeters in length and 3 in width. They are black or dark brown in color, and look like a turnip root vegetable, from which branching processes branch off, and usually in one direction. Every year, aconite seems to walk underground, and above each process of the root system, a dried stalk extending vertically upwards is clearly visible. The collected rhizomes must be thoroughly washed, grated on a coarse grater and immediately sealed tightly in a glass jar with a screw cap, since the alkaloid aconitine is volatile.

Prescription number 1 for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

For 500 ml of good vodka, you will need 10 grams of flowers or seeds of aconite. Close the jar tightly and store the medicine in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks, shaking the contents occasionally. You need to take such a tincture according to the classic "slide" scheme, starting with 5 drops a day and daily increasing the dosage by one drop to 30, and then gradually reducing it to 5 drops.

You need to drink the medicine on an empty stomach, in the morning, 30-40 minutes before meals, dissolving the tincture in a glass of clean water. With severe arrhythmia and arterial hypertension, some homeopaths prescribe this dosage for taking not once, but three times a day.

Recipe number 2 for external use

The preparation method is exactly the same, but for 500 ml of vodka, take 50 g of grated Dzungarian aconite root. The tincture is highly concentrated, and it is used only externally, for disinfecting wounds, eliminating parasites (lice, scabies mites) and relieving pain in osteochondrosis, sprains, fractures, dislocations, radiculitis, muscles chilled by a draft.

With the help of such a tincture, it is good to do vigorous rubbing of the back and joints, apply warming compresses for colds, if the patient does not have a fever.

Recipe number 3 for cancer treatment

To prepare a tincture for 1 course of cancer treatment, you need to take 100 ml of medical alcohol and 3 grams of grated Dzungarian aconite root. Soak the medicine for three weeks in a tightly closed glass jar, in a shaded and cool place, and then strain.

You need to take the tincture according to the "slide" scheme, starting with one drop a day and gradually rising to 20, and then going back down to one drop. If in the process the patient feels unwell, nausea, palpitations, then it is necessary to begin to reduce the dosage by one drop daily, even if the course has not yet been brought to the peak.

Usually three full courses are prescribed, with interruptions of one month. In the third and fourth stages of cancer, you may need a higher "slide" - up to 30 drops per day. In any case, an individual approach and advice from an experienced homeopath is required.

The effectiveness of aconite dzhungar in the treatment of cancer

Aconite has been tested by many years of practice oncologists around the world, and its effectiveness has been scientifically proven. The mechanism of action of aconitine on the body is absolutely transparent and clear, therefore, qualified doctors do not deny the possible practical benefits of such treatment. Moreover, taking aconite tincture can be considered as an alternative to chemotherapy, if it is impossible to carry out the latter.

Cancer treatment with aconite has several advantages over official methods:

• Aconite prevents the appearance of new metastases and inhibits the growth of existing ones, and in some cases even leads to a decrease in tumor size;
• With careful and reasonable use, aconite tincture does not cause side effects and degenerative changes in the body, unlike chemotherapy;
• Aconitine helps cancer patients return to normal life: relieves pain, neutralizes depression and insomnia.

Tincture of Dzhungarian aconite is about 40 times more poisonous than other popular anticancer drugs - tincture of hemlock and celandine. If we are talking about the treatment of advanced forms of cancer, then aconite is preferable, although you can try to alternate medications with short breaks. There are cases when with the help of Dzhungar aconite it was possible to prolong the life of a patient with stage 4 cancer by 1.5-2 years, while doctors gave a person at most 2 months.

Regarding the scheme for taking the tincture, a clarification should be made: most herbalists recommend taking a break between courses for as many days as the drops were the maximum dosage. That is, if the patient, because of poor health, stopped the "slide" on 15 drops, he needs to rest for 15 days after returning to one drop.

What to do in case of aconite poisoning?

For a person to die, it is enough to eat only 1 gram of fresh crushed aconite root. It is difficult to imagine the circumstances under which this could happen, but it is advisable to describe the picture of poisoning with aconite.

When the aconitine alkaloid is ingested by the oral route, the following symptoms are observed over time:

• Intense burning, pain, swelling of the tongue and mucous membrane of the mouth;
• Increased salivation, sweating, frequent urination;
• Tachycardia, facial flushing, dilated pupils, darkening in the eyes;
• Headache, trembling limbs, convulsions, vomiting;
• Choking, fainting, and cardiac arrest.

If in the first minutes it became known what exactly the cause of the poisoning was, you need to give the victim an emetic, or force him to drink 2 liters of clean water, and then induce vomiting. If time is lost, before the ambulance arrives, you can give the person a glass of water with a teaspoon of vinegar or a glass of dry wine.

Contraindications to the use of aconite

Aconite tincture is a potent poisonous substance, so the decision to prescribe such a treatment should be well thought out.

You cannot buy such a tincture on the Internet for the sake of an experiment and try to cure with it a certain disease that you diagnosed yourself. Any ailment requires examination by a qualified doctor.

Aconite treatment is contraindicated:

• Pregnant women;
• Nursing mothers;
• Children under 18;
• Allergy sufferers who have suffered anaphylactic shock;
• People with hypotension and severe liver dysfunction.

Consultation of phytotherapist Khalisat Suleimanova on the use of hemlock, aconite and celandine

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist

Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).