53 results
- Digital Images
- Online
Aconitum napellus (Monkshood); sedative
Rowan McOnegal- Digital Images
- Online
Aconitum carmichaelii (Azure Monkshood)
Rowan McOnegal- Digital Images
- Online
Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. Ranunculaceae. Chinese aconite, Chinese wolfsbane, Carmichael's monkshood. Herbaceous perennial. Distribution C. to W. China to N. America. Named for Dr J.R. Carmichael (d. 1877), English physician, plant collector and Protestant missionary from 1862-1877 in Guangdong and Shandong, China initially in Canton. He aided Francis Forbes to collect plants for Kew. Aconitum plants are so poisonous that Theophrastus states that death was the punishment for possessing them. Aconitine is the poison and was used - from Aconitum ferox - in the 'curry murder' in London in 2009. It causes respiratory paralysis, bradycardia (slowing of the pulse), cardiac arrhythmias, tingling, sweating, gastric cramps, diarrhoea and death, both by ingestion and by absorption through the mucous membranes and the skin. Despite this it is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. It is a restricted herbal medicine which can only be dispensed by a herbal practitioner for external use following a one-to-one consultation, or by prescription from a registered doctor or dentist (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Dr Henry Oakeley- Ephemera
- Online
Monkshood (Aconitum napellus. Family: Ranunculaceae) : Dindevan.
Date: [1966?]- Pictures
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Monkshood (Aconitum napellus): flowering stem and floral segments. Coloured etching.
Reference: 25334i- Pictures
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Monkshood (Aconitum napellus): flowering plant. Colour process print, c. 1924.
Date: 12 January 1924Reference: 25596i- Archives and manuscripts
Cases of Poisoning by Aconitum Napellus (and Cyanide of Potassium)
Date: 1859-1861Reference: MS.4401Part of: Scattergood, Thomas (1825-1900)- Archives and manuscripts
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M0005914: Aconitum Ferox, from Bentley and Trimen: Medicinal plants (1880)
Date: 17 November 1938Reference: WT/D/1/20/1/49/18Part of: Wellcome Trust Corporate Archive- Pictures
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Monkshood (Aconitum napellus): entire flowering plant. Coloured etching by C. Pierre, c. 1865, after P. Naudin.
Naudin, Philibert, active 1870.Date: [1865]Reference: 24662i- Books
An inquiry into the physiological and medicinal properties of the Aconitum Napellus. To which are added observations on several other species of aconitum / [Alexander Fleming].
Fleming, Alexander, Sir, 1881-1955.Date: 1845- Books
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An inquiry into the physiological and medicinal properties of the Aconitum Napellus : to which are added observations on several other species of aconitum / by Alexander Fleming.
Fleming, Alexander, 1824-1875.Date: 1845- Pictures
- Online
Aconite or monkshood (Aconitum napellus L.): flowering stem with separate labelled floral segments. Engraving by J.Caldwall, c.1804, after P. Henderson.
Henderson, Peter, active 1799-1829.Date: December 1804Reference: 18308i- Pictures
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Four poisonous plants: monk's hood (Aconitum napellus), deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) and thorn-apple (Datura stramonium) Coloured engraving by J. Johnstone, 1855.
Date: [1855]Reference: 28005i- Pictures
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Helmet flower (Aconitum anthora L.): flowering stem with separate floral segments and a description of the plant and its uses. Coloured line engraving by C.H.Hemerich, c.1759, after T.Sheldrake.
Sheldrake, Timothy, active 1740-1770.Date: [1759]Reference: 18230i- Books
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On the medical properties of the natural order Ranunculaceae: and more particularly on the uses of sabadilla seeds, Delphinium staphisagria, and Aconitum napellus, and their alcaloids, veratria, sabadilline, delphinia and aconitine / By A. Turnbull.
Turnbull, Alexander, 1794 or 1795-1881Date: 1835- Books
- Online
On the medical properties of the natural order Ranunculaceae : and more particularly on the uses of sabadilla seeds, Delphinium staphisagria, and Aconitum napellus, and their alcaloids, verateria, sabadilline, delphinia, and aconitine / by A. Turnbull.
Turnbull, Alexander, 1794 or 1795-1881.Date: 1838- Digital Images
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Eranthis hyemalis Salisb. Ranunculaceae Winter Aconite Distribution: Europe. The reason it was called Winter aconite and linked to Aconitum napellus as being just as poisonous is because plants were classified according to leaf shape in the 16th century. L'Obel's Stirpium adversaria nova (1571) and Plantarum seu stirpium historia (1576) (with a full page illustration on page 384 showing Eranthis and Aconitum together) along with the knowledge that related plants have similar medical properties caused the belief that Eranthis are as poisonous as Aconitum. They are both in Ranunculaceae and while Eranthis (like all Ranunculaceae)is toxic if eaten, it does not contain the same chemicals as Aconitum. Caesalpino (Ekphrasis, 1616) pointed out the error in classifying according to leaf shape and recommended flower shape. It contains pharmacologically interesting chemicals such as khellin, also present in Ammi visnaga. This is a vasodilator but quite toxic, but can be converted into khellin analogues such as sodium cromoglicate – used as a prophylaxis against asthma attacks – and amiodarone which has anti-arrhythmia actions so is used for atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. It is endangered and protected in the wild (Croatia) because of over-collecting for horticulture. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Dr Henry Oakeley- Digital Images
- Online
Eranthis hyemalis Salisb. Ranunculaceae Winter Aconite Distribution: Europe. The reason it was called Winter aconite and linked to Aconitum napellus as being just as poisonous is because plants were classified according to leaf shape in the 16th century. L'Obel's 'Stirpium adversaria nova' published in 1571 and 'Plantarum seu stirpium historia' published 1576 (with a full page illustration on page 384 showing Eranthis and Aconitum together) along with the knowledge that related plants have similar medical properties caused the belief that Eranthis are as poisonous as Aconitum. They are both in Ranunculaceae and while Eranthis (like all Ranunculaceae) is toxic if eaten, it does not contain the same chemicals as Aconitum. Caesalpino (Ekphrasis, 1616) pointed out the error in classifying according to leaf shape and recommended flower shape. It contains pharmacologically interesting chemicals such as khellin, also present in Ammi visnaga. This is a vasodilator but quite toxic, which can be converted into khellin analogues such as sodium cromoglicate – used as a prophylaxis against asthma attacks – and amiodarone which has anti-arrhythmia actions so is used for atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. It is endangered and protected in the wild (Croatia) because of over-collecting for horticulture. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Dr Henry Oakeley- Books
- Online
On poisoning by the root of aconitum napellus / by F.W. Headland, M.D., B.A., F.L.S.
Headland, Frederick WilliamDate: 1856- Books
- Online
An inquiry into the physiological and medicinal properties of the aconitum napellus. To which are added observations on several other species of aconitum / by Alexander Fleming.
Date: 1845- Books
- Online
Observations, anatomical, physiological and pathological, on the pulmonary system : with remarks on some of the diseases of the lungs, viz. on haemorrhage, wounds, asthma, catarrh, croup, and consumption : tending to establish a new pathology of the lungs, founded on the anatomy and physiology of the parts : some remarks are introduced on the broken-wind of horses, and to the whole is added an appendix, containing Observations on some of the articles of the materia medica, viz. on the Rosa Rubra, Flores Chamaemeli and Sarsaparilla, as also on the Cicuta, Stramonium, Hyosciamus and Aconitum / by William Davidson.
Davidson, William, 1765-Date: 1795- Books
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On the distinctive characters of the roots of aconitum napellus (monkshood) and cochlearia armoracia (horse-radish) / by Robert Bentley.
Bentley, Robert, 1821-1893.Date: 1856- Books
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Libellus quo demonstratur: stramonium, hyosciamum, aconitum, non solum tuto posse exhiberi usu interno hominibus, verum et en esse remedia in multis morbis maxime salutifera. Junguntur simul harum plantarum imagines aere excusae / [Anton Störck].
Störck, Anton, Freiherr von, 1731-1803Date: 1762- Digital Images
- Online
Paris quadrifolia L. Trilliaceae Herb Paris Distribution: Europe and temperate Asia. This dramatic plant was known as Herb Paris or one-berry. Because of the shape of the four leaves, resembling a Burgundian cross or a true love-knot, it was also known as Herb True Love. Prosaically, the name ‘Paris’ stems from the Latin ‘pars’ meaning ‘parts’ referring to the four equal leaves, and not to the French capital or the lover of Helen of Troy. Sixteenth century herbalists such as Fuchs, who calls it Aconitum pardalianches which means leopard’s bane, and Lobel who calls it Solanum tetraphyllum, attributed the poisonous properties of Aconitum to it. The latter, called monkshood and wolfsbane, are well known as poisonous garden plants. Gerard (1633), however, reports that Lobel fed it to animals and it did them no harm, and caused the recovery of a dog poisoned deliberately with arsenic and mercury, while another dog, which did not receive Herb Paris, died. It was recommended thereafter as an antidote to poisons. Coles (1657) wrote 'Herb Paris is exceedingly cold, wherupon it is proved to represse the rage and force of any Poyson, Humour , or Inflammation.' Because of its 'cold' property it was good for swellings of 'the Privy parts' (where presumably hot passions were thought to lie), to heal ulcers, cure poisoning, plague, procure sleep (the berries) and cure colic. Through the concept of the Doctrine of Signatures, the black berry represented an eye, so oil distilled from it was known as Anima oculorum, the soul of the eye, and 'effectual for all the disease of the eye'. Linnaeus (1782) listed it as treating 'Convulsions, Mania, Bubones, Pleurisy, Opththalmia', but modern authors report the berry to be toxic. That one poison acted as an antidote to another was a common, if incorrect, belief in the days of herbal medicine. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Dr Henry Oakeley- Books
- Online
Antonii Störck ... Libellus, quo demonstratur: stramonium, hyosciamum, aconitum, non solum tuto posse exhiberi usu interno hominibus, verum et ea esse remedia in multis morbis maxime salutifera. Junguntur simul harum plantarum imagines ære excusæ / [Anton Störck].
Störck, Anton, Freiherr von, 1731-1803.Date: 1762