Aconitum napellus
The great acute remedy for sudden, violent onset of illness after exposure to cold dry wind or fright. Characterised by intense fear, restlessness, and high fever.
Source
Prepared from the whole fresh plant of Aconitum napellus (Ranunculaceae) at the beginning of flowering.
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
Sudden violent onset after exposure to cold dry wind or fright. Great fear and anxiety with restlessness. Intense thirst for cold water. High fever with dry burning heat and red face. Complaints come on at night, especially around midnight.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Intense fear of death, predicts the time of death. Great anxiety and restlessness, tosses about in agony. Fear of crowds, of going out, of crossing the street. Music is unbearable. Ailments from fright or shock. Mental anguish accompanies every bodily complaint.
General Symptoms
Complaints from exposure to cold dry winds, from fright, shock, or suppressed perspiration. Full, hard, bounding pulse. Burning thirst for large quantities of cold water. Skin hot and dry, no sweat. Everything is sudden and violent. Numbness and tingling. Complaints worse at night, especially around midnight.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Fullness, heavy, pulsating, hot, bursting sensation. Burning headache as if brain were moved by boiling water. Vertigo worse on rising.
Eyes
Red, inflamed, dry, hot. Lids swollen, hard. Pupils contracted then dilated. Aversion to light.
Ears
External ear hot, red, painful, swollen. Very sensitive to noise. Music is unbearable.
Nose
Smell acutely sensitive. Coryza with frequent sneezing. Mucous membrane dry, nose stopped up.
Face
Red, hot, flushed, swollen. One cheek red, the other pale. On rising the red face becomes deathly pale. Neuralgia especially of left side with restlessness and tingling.
Throat
Red, dry, constricted, numb, prickling, burning, stinging. Tonsils swollen and dry.
Stomach
Vomiting with fear, heat, profuse sweat. Thirst for cold water. Bitter taste of everything except water. Pressure in stomach with dyspnoea.
Abdomen
Hot, tense, tympanitic, sensitive to touch. Colic, no position relieves. Burning in umbilical region.
Respiratory
Constant pressure in left chest. Dyspnoea. Cough short, dry, hard, ringing croup after exposure to dry cold wind. Hoarse, dry, croupy cough waking from sleep.
Chest
Heart palpitation with anxiety, fainting. Pulse full, hard, tense, bounding. Stitching pains in chest.
Skin
Red, hot, swollen, dry, burning. Measles-like eruptions. Formication and numbness.
Sleep & Dreams
Nightmares, anxious dreams. Sleeplessness from anxiety or fear. Restless tossing, must change position frequently.
Fever / Chill / Perspiration
Chill followed by high dry fever. Skin burning hot, dry, no sweat. Internal chilliness. Cold waves pass through the body. Sweat on uncovered parts or on parts lain on.
Modalities
Better From
Open air, rest, warm sweat
Worse From
Evening and night (especially around midnight), cold dry winds, in a warm room, lying on affected side, music, tobacco smoke, fright
Constitutional Type
Full-blooded, plethoric individuals. Young, vigorous persons. Dark hair, dark eyes. Robust constitution.
Clinical Indications
Acute fevers, croup, anxiety attacks, panic disorder, early-stage colds and flu, earache, eye inflammation, neuralgia, effects of fright or shock
Comparative Materia Medica
Belladonna has similar sudden high fever but with more delirium, dilated pupils and throbbing; Aconitum has more fear and restlessness. Ferrum phosphoricum for early-stage fever but milder than Aconitum. Chamomilla for children's earache but more irritable and less fearful.
Safety Information
Coffee, Belladonna, Berberis, Nux vomica, Sulphur. Wine and coffee may antidote effects.
Aconitine is an extremely toxic alkaloid. Mother tincture and very low potencies are potentially lethal. Use only potentised forms (6C and above). Even external contact with the fresh plant can cause numbness.
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