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| Latin Names |
English Name |
Sanskrit Name |
Hindi Name |
Aconitum bisma
(Buch. - Ham.) Rapaics (Ranunculaceae)
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A. palmatum D. Don
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Crowfoot |
Prativisha |
Bakhma |
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| History |
In the writing
in english on Indian Drugs, it appears to have almost escaped
attention. Dr. Buchanan, in his account of the Kingdom of Nepal
enumerates four kinds of Bakh, of which Bakhma is one, and describes
it as a powerful bitter. With pepper, it is the remedy for pains
in bowels, diarrhea and vomiting. It is regarded as a valuable
tonic and digestive.
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| Habitat |
It grows in
the alpine Himalayas of Sikkim, Nepal and the adjoining parts
of southern Tibet; between altitudes of 3,000m and 4,800 m.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
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It is a biennial herb with tuberous and paired roots. The mother
root is often dry and cylindrical and the daughter root varies from
shortly conical to long cylindrical. Its external surface is somewhat
smooth and light brown. The leaves are orbicular-cordate to reniform
with a very wide shallow sinus. Flowers are greenish blue in few-flowered
panicles. The follicles are 2.5-3.0 cm long. The seeds are blackish,
obovoid, obscurely winged along the raphe and transversely lamellate.
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| Principal
Constituents |
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The roots contain five diterpene alkaloids, viz. Palmatisine, Vakognavine
(C34H37NO10), Vakatisine (C22H34NO2Cl),
Vakatisinine (C22H33NO4) and Vakati
(C22H33NO2).
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| Toxicology |
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The alkaloids identified from the plants are non-toxic1.
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| Indications |
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The root is intensely bitter like quinine and is used in combination
with Long Pepper (Piper longum) for pain in the bowels, diarrhea,
and vomiting.
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| Product Range |
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Gasex (GastriCare).
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| References |
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Anonymous, 1998, Wealth Asia CD-ROM, CSIR, New Delhi.
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