The white aconite is the dried rhizome of the plant Aconitum carmichaelii, which belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. It mainly grows in Hubei, Gansu, Henan, and other regions. The black aconite, also known as "fuzi," is the processed product of the rhizome of the plant Aconitum heterophyllum, which belongs to the family Araceae. It is mainly produced in Sichuan and other regions.
Picture of White Aconite
1. Different properties
The white aconite has a pungent, sweet, and warm taste. It is toxic and enters the Yangming Stomach Meridian. It functions to dispel wind and cold, expel cold and dampness, and relieve spasms and pain. It is mainly used for conditions characterized by excessive wind and phlegm, deviation of the mouth and eyes, and headache and convulsions, especially for wind affecting the head and face.
The black aconite has a pungent and hot taste. It is toxic and enters the Heart, Spleen, and Kidney Meridians. It functions to rescue collapse and warm the middle, as well as relieve pain.
2. Different components
The medicinal components of the two are also different. The main components of white aconite are inositol, choline, sucrose, calcium oxalate, and mucilage, among others.
The components of black aconite are similar to Aconitum carmichaelii. It mainly contains various alkaloids, such as aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine, fuziline, and benzoylbenzaconine, among others.
Picture of Black Aconite
3. Different efficacies
White aconite is a warm medicinal herb with certain toxicity. It enters the Liver and Stomach Meridians and has the effects of dispelling wind, resolving phlegm, relieving pain, detoxifying, and dispersing stagnation. Black aconite has a pungent, sweet, and hot nature. It is toxic and enters the Heart, Kidney, and Spleen Meridians. It has the effects of rescuing collapse, tonifying fire and assisting yang, dispelling cold, and relieving pain.
4. Different toxicities
White aconite is entirely toxic, with the highest toxicity in the rhizome. It can cause significant irritation to the skin and mucous membranes, and can also inhibit the central nervous system.
After poisoning, symptoms may include numbness of the mouth and tongue, a sense of tightness in the limbs and body, profuse sweating, thirst, dry tongue, palpitations, restlessness, and agitation. This may be followed by aphasia, vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis of the face and forehead, and ultimately respiratory and circulatory failure leading to death.
The toxic reactions of black aconite are mainly caused by alkaloids such as aconitine. The lethal dose of aconitine is 3-4mg, and ingestion of 0.2mg can cause poisoning in adults.
Poisoning incidents involving black aconite are relatively common. Aconite poisoning mainly manifests as toxic reactions in the nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems, and can be fatal in severe cases.
