Habitat: The western Himalayas from Hazara to Kashmir and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, between altitudes of 2,100 m and 3,600 m.
English: Indian Napellus.Ayurvedic: Visha, Shringika-Visha, Vatsanaabha (related sp.).Folk: Mohri, Meethaa Zahar.Action: Sedative, antirheumatic, analgesic, antitussive, antidiar- rhoeal. Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I and Part II, equated A. chasmanthum with Vatsanaabha. (See A.ferox.) It has the same uses as A. ferox. The alkaloid content of the root ranges from 2.98 to 3.11%; includes chasmaconitine and chasmanthinine.
Napellus, equated with Aconitum napellus Linn., is indigenous to Central Europe (named after the Black sea port Aconis and known as Wolfsbane, Monkshood). Aconitum of homoeopathic medicine is an alkaloid obtained from the roots and stems of A. nepellus. Used as an analgesic and sedative. It contains terpenoids up to 1.2%, including aconitine and aconine.Toxic constituents of A. napellus are aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconi- tine, 3-acetylacoitine, lappaconitine (diterpenoid-ester alkaloids), benza- conine, benzoylaconine.Aconitine, mesaconitine and hyp- aconitine exert widespread effects on cardiac, neural and muscle tissue by activitating sodium channels. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Aconitine is absorbed through mucus membranes and the skin. (Francis Brinker.) It is a cardiotoxin and interacts with antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, Digoxin/cardiac glycosides. (Sharon M. Herr.)Dosage: Root—10-15 mg powder. (CCRAS.)