VATSANABHA

Name: VATSANABHA

Vatsanabha is an herb used as an ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines. It is a poisonous herb, but, when used in smaller quantities, after purification, as medicine, it has many health benefits. It is called as Monk’s Hood or Monkshood in English.

Description:

Botanical name – Aconitum ferox Wall.ex Syringe

Synonyms in Sanskrit: 

Visha, Amruta, Vatsanabhi, Garala, Stokaka, Pranahara, Kshveda.

Categorization:  

It is categorized under ‘Visha’ group of herbs. The word Visha in Sanskrit means poison.

Family : Ranunculaceae

There are many Aconitum species herbs, that are used in the name of Vatsanabha, of which Aconitum ferox is used most commonly. Some use Aconitum chasmanthum.

Chemical constituents and pharmacology 

Roots contain toxic alkaloids, pseudo-aconitine, bikhaconitine, chasmaconitine, indaconitine, etc.

Aconitine is the toxic chemical derived from this herb.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES 

Rasa    : Madhura 
Guna   : Rooksha, Teekshna, Lakhu, Vyavayi, Vikashi
Virya   : Ushna
Vipaka : Madhura

Medicinal qualities of Vatsanabha as per Ayurvedic text books – 

·         Aconitum ferox is pungent, bitter and astringent in taste. It acts as Yogavahi – a catalyst for other medicines.

·         It is rejuvenative, balances Tridosha, especially Vata and Kapha.

·         It improves digestion, relieves coldness, nutritive and improves strength.

·         It is used in Ayurvedic treatment of  indigestion, anorexia, spleen disorders, gout, cough, asthma.

·         It is  used in the treatment of vision problems, night blindness, eye infections, inflammation, otitis, headache.

·          It is useful to relieve headache, sciatica, backache.

·         It is used as antidote for poisoning due to rats, rodents, scorpion and snake bites.

·         Part used: The tuberous root is the used part of Vatsanabhi.

·         It is best to collect roots of aconitum ferox between December to April. During this period, Vatsanabha will be more potent.

·         Dosage: – 

    This herb should always be used only after purification process. The dose of purified Vatsanabha is – 60 – 125 mg

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

English     : Indian aconite
Hindi        : Bachnag, Meetavish 

Distribution – 

Cultivated in Himachal Pradesh, Panjab, Sikkim states in India; also grows wild in Himalayan peninsula.

  
PLANT DESCRIPTION 

A biennial herb grows up to 90 cm in height. Leaves scattered with slender petiole, palmately compound, with fleshy leaf blades. Flowers blue, in long recemes. Fruits oblong, seeds obovoid to pyramidal shaped, Root tubers are dark brown and is extremely poisonous. 

Aconite is found from Sikkim to Northwest Himalayan region upto the height of 10,000 - 15,000 thousand feet. 28 various species of Aconitum are available both as poisons and medicines all over India. The flowers are very attractive. The leaves and root yield its active ingredient, a potent alkaloid called Aconitine. The  smell of the flowers is highly poisonous and makes faint. The horn-shaped roots are deadly poisonous and are used for medicinal purpose. Aconite is available in two types - one in White colour and the other is in black.  Actually gray and yellow are its natural colours. Aconite is also called as 'white aconite'. And it is be coloured to make it insect-free. Then it is  called 'Black Aconite'. It looks like the naval of  a calf , that is why it is named as 'vatsanabha'. No other tree grows in the surroundings of this tree.

     
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Plant pacifies vitiated vata, pitta, fever, cough, asthma, bronchitis, hypotension, colic, flatulence, dyspepsia, amenorrhea, skin diseases, low back pain, arthritis, hepatitis and cardiac debility. The root powder in large dose is narcotic to lethal

Toxic effects of Aconitum ferox according to Ayurveda - 

Sushruta has explained Torticollis (neck stiffness) and yellowish discoloration of eyes, stools and urine as the toxic effect of Vatshanabhi.

The text book Rasaratna Samucchaya explains 8 stages of toxic effects of Vatsanabha. These stages refers to spreading of poison in different parts of the body. These stages are also dependent on level of toxicity and dosage of Vatsanabha.

·         1^st stage – Twak Vikara – skin rashes,

·         2^nd stage – Vepathu – tremors

·         3^rd stage – Daha – burning sensation all over the body.

·         4^th stage – Vikrata – deformity

·         5^th stage – phenodgati – frothing

·         6^th stage – skandha bhanga – drooping and wasting of shoulders.

·         7^th stage – Jadyata – wasting and comatose of whole body.

·         8^th stage – Marana – death.

·         Antidotes for Vatsanabha poisoning –

·         The treatment for Vatsanabha is possible upto 5^th stage only. – (Rasaratna Samucchaya)

·         a.  During Aconitum ferox toxicity due to over-dosage or usage without purification procedure, then ghee along with Tankana bhasma is given.

·         b. Combination of  Honey, ghee and bark of Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) is also used as antidote.

·         c. Whenever Vatsanabha is used in any formulation, Tankana Bhasma (Borax calx) is always used in equal quantity. If used so, it will nullify all the toxic effects of Vatsanabha and hence there will not be any toxic effects.

·         Example: Tribhuvana Kirti Ras - a potent Ayurvedic medicine used in fever, has both Vatsnabha and Tankana.

·         d. Vatsnabha used with equal quantity of Tankana (purified borax) and double quantity of black pepper (Maricha / Ushana) will not have any toxic effects.

One among the following method is followed for detoxification of Vatsanabha.

1. Aconitum ferox root is tied in a piece of cloth, kept dipped in cow urine. It is exposed to sunlight for three days. Each day, cow urine is replaced with fresh one. After third day, it is dried and preserved.

2. Aconitum ferox roots are made into pieces, tied in a piece of cloth, suspended in goat milk or cow milk, and heated for three hours.

3. Vatsanabha kept dipped in cow urine for three days, gets purified.

4. Vatsanabha is boiled by suspending in Triphala decoction for three hours

.

Indications and contra-indications of Vatsanabha - 

·         While taking Vatsanabha, it is better to follow Abstinence. One should take cow milk, ghee, honey, sugar and rice.

·         All those food articles that cause increase of Pitta, like hot and pungent, sour, salty food stuff,  should be avoided.

·         It should not be taken during summer and rainy season, (where there is chances of Pitta increase).

·         It should be avoided in people with Pitta symptoms like – who are very angry, who have excessive thirst, hunger, excessive sun exposure, who have walked for long.

·         Sleeping in day time should be avoided.

·         It is contra indicated in pregnancy, lactation, and in early childhood, patients of cardiac, liver, kidney and brain diseases.

Important Ayurvedic medicines with Vatsanabha as ingredient: 

Tamra parpati, Shankha Vati, etc.

All the precautions, side effects and antidotes of Vatsanabha also apply to medicines prepared with it.

Aconite Plant Outer Shape 

Aconite plant is a perennial herb, having a simple stem, usually growing from 1 to 3 inches, like hefty carrot, outward part is light gray colored and internally it is white coloured, gluey, shiny, simple and straight trunk, leaflet shape is axil, like that of sinduvara (five-leaved chaste tree), flowers are red,white and yellow in colour, fruits round and shiny.

Aconite Plant Medicinal Treatment
 
Cough breathing
Take betal leaf, add 65-125 mg aconite, apply a little bit of cooked linseed oil and give it to the patient in the morning and evening. It is useful in Cough as well as in asthma.
Tonsils
Paste aconite and anoint it on throat. It is beneficial in throat related problems.
Fever
1 ] Give Aconite in half a grain quantity along with cinnamon, sulfur, borax and other savory materials. It controls fever.
2 ] Give Aconite in lesser quantity to nuemoniac patient to decrease fever.
3 ] Take purified aconite, pure asafeti-da, pure borax, Indian turnsole, essence of nirgundi (chaste tree) in equal quantities and paste them. Prepare pills in 65 mg size. Take one pill with proper dosage to gain control on ulcers, inflammation and fever.
4 ] Take equal parts of cinchona, camphor and pure aconite and take it in 65 gm dose in the morning and evening to control oozing from eyes and fever.
Diabetes
Take 10 gm. of pure aconite and add it with 70 gm. of arrowroot. Patients who suffer with dysentery, diabetes, paralysis may take this medicine 65 gm - 125 gm. This medicine should be taken three times a day.

Difficulty in Urination
Take half a grain of pure aconite to rectify the disorders of urination.
Frequent urination
Take pure aconite in half a grain quantity to control over frequent urination. It is beneficial, if it is given in lesser quantity in Sciatica, joint pains and lockjaw problems.  

Whole body pain 
1 ] Aconite oil is helpful in efface the problem of whole body pains. Anoint the paste ofaconite in problems of Arthritis and inflammation of small joints.
2 ] Take 25 gm. of Aconite millet and add it to linseed oil, boil it and apply this oil to check arthritis and whole body pains.
Pulse infirmity
Take 15-16 mg. quantity of  aconite inproblems like pulse infirmity. It is also useful in diseases caused by frequent urination, bed-urination.

Rasayana 
1] Add borax to the same quantity of aconite and take 15-16 mg. dosage to live a healthier and longer life. Heart beat would be in a systematic condition.

 Sexual energy sustains consistently. The power of senses increases more. 

Guards against you from fever,  indigestion, arthritis, boils and pustules.

2] Take 30-30 gm. Myrobalan black and leadwort , banyan 15 gm, aconite white 9 gm. and make fine powder out of the ingredients. 

Add cow ghee and honey upto 160-180 gm. If this powder is taken one and half a gram to 3 grams, diseases like white leprosy and asthma would be cured. 

And the whole body get energized. Before taking this drug, one should take medication to clean stomach first.

Inflammation
In fever with inflammation of phlegmy fever, aconite should be taken in a lesser quantity. In the childrens' inflammation aconite works very well.

Scorpion bite
Rub aconite on scorpions' bite and if this medicine is taken in 125 mg. quantity the poison of scorpion goes off from the body.

Leprosy
Take this medicine upto three months, leprosy would be cured.
Defects
If this medicine is taken in higher quantities, death occurs.

Prevention
After vomiting, borax should be given mixing with cow ghee or bark of white marudah with cow ghee or honey. Other than this, turmeric can also be given by rubbing it in water.