The uses of aconite in the medical field can be traced back to the medieval times. Aconite is a flowery plant bearing long stems and purple, yellow or white flowers. You may have encountered aconite in your mythology books. History has it that Aconite, whose origin was said to be from the Black Sea, was written in one of Pliny the Elder’s books. Aconite has been known by ancient people to be a poison.
Legends foretell how it became poisonous. One story says that Cerebus, an animal in mythology described as a three-headed dog with poisonous saliva, was brought to Aconae, an area along the Black Sea, by Hercules. It drooled directly over the plant rendering it poisonous since then. Another story says that a sorceress once made use of this alkaloid to poison a king. The question is, “How does aconae become a medicinal plant if it were poisonous?”
There is a thing called homeopathy. It is a type of complementary medicine wherein a substance which is known to cause certain symptoms in a normal person causes relief of those symptoms in a sick person. Because of this principle, the use of aconite as an herbal medicine has gained much popularity.
What are the medicinal uses of aconite? Before one can understand the beneficial effects of this plant, it is important that one understands its poisonous effects first. As a poison, aconite causes tingling sensation felt in the mouth, including the tongue. Hypothermia rapidly ensues with associated fall in pulse rate. Breathing becomes irregular and the person starts to vomit and experience abdominal pain. Death occurs due to suffocation.
These known harmful effects of aconite had been found out to become beneficial in ill people. People with high grade fever are given aconite to relieve their illness. The same is true for people with increased pulse rate who then experience slowing of heart rate after taking aconite. This is exactly the epitome of homeopathy.
In this day and age, aconite is being used not only for fever and increased pulse rate but for several other conditions, as well. One of the several studies done revealed the use of aconite (Aconitum variegatum) to treat anal fissure. Aconite, in the form of liniment, tea, topical agent and tincture can be used to treat anal fissure.
How effective is it for aconite (Aconitum variegatum) to treat anal fissure?
As mentioned above, one of aconite’s poisonous effects is numbness of the mouth. Researchers found out that this effect can actually be therapeutic by relieving pain. Since anal fissure can be very painful due to the abundance of nerves and hypersensitivity of the lining of the anal canal and anus, a drop of aconite tincture or applying a thin layer of ointment over the involved area helps relieve the discomfort.
Aside from relieving pain of anal fissure, aconite also is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Aside from relieving pain, aconite also facilitates healing of the fissure since it promotes adequate blood circulation around the area.
Please Share
