One kind of toxic medicinal material widely used in Tibetan medicine is the root of Aconitum gymnandrum, also known as Xueshanyizhihao in Chinese. It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is mainly distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region of China.
Image of Xueshanyizhihao
【Main Components of Xueshanyizhihao】
Aconitine
Also known as: Fuzijing
Chemical formula: C34H47NO11
Molecular weight: 645.74
Aconitine is a diterpene alkaloid that can be found in various plants such as Aconitum carmichaeli, Aconitum kusnezoffii, Aconitum soongaricum, and Aconitum sinomontanum.
It is a colorless transparent crystal with a melting point of 204℃. Its specific rotation is +19° (in chloroform).
It is soluble in chloroform, benzene, ethanol, etc.
Aconitine has analgesic effects on various neuralgia and gout. However, due to its high toxicity, it is no longer used in clinical medicine.
In traditional Chinese medicine and folk medicine, various species of Aconitum are widely used for their antipyretic and analgesic properties in the treatment of rheumatism. However, caution must be exercised as these species often contain aconitine.
【Common Emergency Treatment for Xueshanyizhihao】
1. Induce vomiting.
2. Perform gastric lavage with a 1:5000 solution of potassium permanganate.
3. Administer 50mL of 50% sodium sulfate orally as a laxative.
4. For severe vomiting and diarrhea, do not administer laxatives after gastric lavage. Instead, administer 10g of magnesium oxide, 10g of tannic acid, and 20g of medicinal charcoal mixed with warm water as a paste for oral consumption. If there is no bowel movement, a 2% saline enema can be used for laxative purposes.
5. Use high doses of atropine to counteract the excitatory effects on the vagus nerve. The specific dosage depends on the severity of the poisoning. For mild cases, administer subcutaneously or intramuscularly; for severe cases, administer intravenously. The general dosage is 0.5-1mg every 2-4 hours, and for severely poisoned individuals, the dosage can be increased as needed, with a shorter interval between doses.
6. Administer 5% or 10% glucose solution to promote the excretion of toxins.
7. If there is shock, arrhythmia, convulsions, metabolic acidosis, or other symptoms, provide symptomatic treatment.
8. For some severe cases, blood purification therapy can be performed to completely remove the toxins from the body.
9. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used for patients in the recovery period.
