Aconite poison

1. Department of
agada tantra evam vyavahara ayurveda
(Forensic Medicine &toxicology),
DBHPS’S
Shri C. B. Guttal Ayurvedic Medical College,DHARWAD
BY
Dr.Deepak S. Mummigatti .M. D.( Ay.)
Associate professor
Vatsanabha visha

2. Vatsanabha kshupa in situ
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

3. Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

4. Contents
• INTRODUCTION
• PLANT TAXONOMY
• PLANT MORPHOLOGY
• PHARMACOLOGY
• TOXIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• SHODHANA
• ANTIDOTES & TREATMENT
• CONCLUSION
• BIBILIOGRAPHY
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

5. INTRODUCTION
• Aconite tubers are most toxic wild plants distributed from
Asia to western Europe. It Was notorious in the 19th
century as an agent for homicides and suicides.
• Aconite was believed by the Greeks to be the first poison
created by the goddess ‘Hecate’ from foam of the river
Cerebrus. The name ‘Aconite’ comes from the Greek,
meaning "without struggle". Toxins extracted from the
plant were used to kill wolves in older times, hence the name
wolf's bane.
• It is also known as “arrow poison” as in late Chinese history
it was used to be applied on arrows.
• Aconitum is also known as "the queen of poisons”. Before the
birth of Christ it was known as ‘queen mother of all poisons.
Aconite was also known to Hindu medicine as recorded in
Vedas around 900 BC.
• All the parts of the aconite is poisonous but roots are highly
poison in nature.
Is also known as monkshood, leopard's bane,
women's bane, devil's hemlet or blue rocket,
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

6. INTRODUCTION
Incidents of deaths :
• Vatsanabha is the poison usually homicidal in
nature, as it is difficult to identify in P.M.
examination,
• Rarely suicidal, but some time it also may act as
accidental poison as due to missed identity as
‘radish’.
Manner of death :
• death is due to cardiac failure or R.S. failure
Pharmacological value:
• It has got lot of pharmacological values. And
hence used as a therapeutic agent,
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

7. Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Ranunculales
Family : Ranunculaceae
Genus : Aconitum
Species : ferox
Binomial name : Aconitum ferox
PLANT TAXONOMY11
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

8. Synonms 8
• Amrita :If it is used in the proper manner it acts has a
amrita.
• Sweda :By its consumption the individual will become
ensconces.
• Garala :It takes away the life, so it is called as
Garala.
• Visha :It quickly spreads in the body.
“Amurthama vatsanabho visha muktha mahaoushadham”
“Garalam marana naga stokka pranaharakam” DHA.NIGDr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

9. Vernacular names : 2
• English : monk’s hood
• Gujarati : Basnag , Bachnag
• Hindi : Bachnag
• Kannada : vasnabi
• Marathi : Bachnag
• Malayalam : vatsanabhi
• Assami : visha
• Punjabi : mohari
• Tamil : vasanasi
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

10. • Brahmana : It has pandu varna ,acts as
rasayana.
• Kshatriya: It has raktha varna,acts as
balya karma.
• Vaishya :It has pandu varna, acts as
kasthaghna .
• Kshudra : It has krishna varna , acts in
dhatu karma .
Types According to Ayurveda 2
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

11. Morphology2
• Habit : It is a perennial erect herb growing up to100cms in ht.
• Habitat :normally found in the Himalayan Regions in India
usually found above the sea level.
• Stem : It is a erect with or without slender , its height
is about 45 to 90 cm.
• Leaf : scattered distinct , gallerias.
• Petioles : 25 cm long.
• Roots : are paired, tubers are ovoid, oblong & conical in
shape, white in colour when fresh.
Size - 2.5 to 4 cm long, thickness - 1 TO 1.5 cm.
• Flower : Rich blue in colour ,with 5 petals.
• Fruits : Follicular in nature.
• Seeds : Ovoid in shape.
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

12. Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

13. Roots wet and dry
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

14. Pharmacological Properties2
• Rasa : Madhura
• Guna : laghu ,ruksha, teekshna, vikasi
• Virya : ushna
• Vipaka : katu
• part used : Kanda (rhizome)
• Dose : 1.5 mg
Karma:
Arshoghna - relieves piles
Balya - strengthening tonic
Jwaraghna - anti-pyretic
Kustaghna - skin conditions
Madakari - intoxicating
Mutrajanana - diuretic
Rasayana - rejuvenative
Swedajanana - promotes sweating
Uttejaka - stimulant
Vedanasthapana - removes pain
Vikasi - separates ojas from dhatus
Vyavayi - CNS stimulant + depression
Yakrituttejaka - liver regulator
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

15. PROPRETIES
• Indication : Jwara, Agnimandya, Aruchi, Kustha,
Jangama visha , Mutrakrucha ,Gulma
,Sotha,Ashmari,sirasula,sula 5
• Preparations : mrityanjaya rasa , Ananda bhairava
rasa, Panchavaktra rasa, tribhuvana keerti rasa etc.
Shodhana
• Aconite roots is cut into pieces & tied in cloth it is soaked in cows
urine for 3 days by changing urine cows every day .
13
• Aconite roots may also boiled in the similar fashion either by using
thriphala kwatha or ajaksheera 2
• A study was undertaken in mice, to ascertain whether 'processed'
aconite is less toxic as compared to the crude or unprocessed one.
It was seen that crude aconite was significantly toxic to mice
(100% mortality at a dose of 2.6 mg/mouse) whereas the fully
processed aconite was absolutely non-toxic (no mortality at a dose
even 8 times as high as that of crude aconite). Further, all the
steps in the processing were essential for complete detoxification“
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

16. Chemical Constituents 2
It is rich in alkaloids they are
• Pseudo aconite
• Bikhaconite
• Chasmaconite
• Indoaconite
• Diacetyl pseudo aconite etc
Chemical markers1
• Aconitien
• Hypo aconite
• Mesoaconite
• Jesaaconite
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

17. TOXICOLOGY2
Medico legal classification on the bases of its action :
cardiac poison
All the parts of the aconite is poisons but
roots is highly poison in nature
However aconite alkaloids have potential of
serious and even fatal cardiotoxicity, which is
difficult to manage. It has still remained
difficult to save these patients with
therapeutic resistant fatal arrhythmias.
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

18. • 1st stage ------ pathname vega ----- twak vikara
• 2nd stage ------dvituya vega --------vepathu
• 3rd stage ------ tritya vega -----------daha
• 4th stage-------chaturtha vega-------vikrutavastha
• 5th stage -------panchami vega ------phenodgama
• 6th stage -------sastana vega--------skandha bhagana
• 7th stage -------saptama vega--------jadata(Jaadya)
• 8th stage -------asthamai vega -----marana
Acc to charaka : sthavara visa
Acc to sushrutha : kanda visa
Acc. to Rasa vagabhata 8 visha vegas are explained in
RA.RA.SA 5
TOXICOLOGY in Ayurveda
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

19. Signs & symptoms3
• It shows the symptoms with in a few
minutes of ingestion
• Burning & tingling sensation is felt in
the in the mouth and throat
• Nausea , Vomiting , Dysphasia, pain
• Pupils dilate
• Feeling head ache & giddiness
• Pulse become slow
• Death occurs because of the RS
failure or ventricular fibrillation
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

20. Ayurveda
• Tankana (borax) is considered to be the main antidote. It
should be admistred along with ghee & arjuna for acting as
antidote13
Modern
• Prevention by Decontamination
• Gastric lavage
• Cardiac monitoring in intensive care
• Treatment for Cardiac toxicity
Treatment
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

21. POSOLOGY1
Therapeutic dose -1.5mg
Fatal Dose : One gram of the aconite root
250 mg of the extract
25 drops of the tincture or 4 mg
of alkaloids
• Fatal Period :
• Short period :Three quarter of an hour
• Long period : 24 hr
• Average : 6hr
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

22. An Ideal Homicidal poison comparison
Characteristics of ideal homicidal
poison
Characters of vatsanabha poisoning
Easily found Yes - but in olden days
Kills in very small dose Yes
Can be easily mixed with food and
drinks
Yes
Symptoms resembling natural death Yes
No characteristic of post mortem
appearance.
Yes
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

23. Medico legal points
7
• Accidental poisoning by aconite is not a rare occurrence,
as it is largely used in Indian medicine.
on 5 June 1923,five persons, three males & two females ,ate
chutney with their breakfast, and suffered from poisonous
symptoms like tingling & numbness of the tongue, etc on the
fourth day it is identified that aconite root was powdered by
mistake with mature in preparing the chutney
• Cases of suicidal & homicidal poisoning by aconite often
occur in India, although rare in European countries.
It is sometimes given with the betel leaf to make its
taste compatible.
In the annual report for the year 1949, the Chemical
examiner to the government of Madras quotes two cases of
homicide by aconite
• In rare cases it is used as abortificiant.
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

24. CONCLUSIONS:
• Aconite is one of the highly & deadly
poisonous herb known earliest.
• Its an ideal homicidal poison.
• While its use in medicine it should be
used cautiously
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

25. BIBILOGYGRAPHY
1. Dr.Namburi .- Agadatantra
3. P.V.Sharma - Dravya Guna
4. Dr.K.Narrayan ready - forencic medicen and
toxicology
5. Rasa Ratana samuchaya
6. Rasa Tarangini
7. J.P.Modis foencic medicine and toxicology
8. Bhavaprakash nighantu
9. Dhavantari nighantu
10. DR.V.V.Pillya forencic medicine book
11. Yoga Ratnakar
12. Internet websitesDr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD

26. Thank U
Dr. Deepak S.M.
FMT,Scbgamch,DWD