What it is:
This herb is thelateral roots of A-conitum carmichaeli Debx.(family Ranun-culaceae), which is produced mostly in Sichuan Province. It is dug in summer andprocessed after re-moval of the rootlets and dirt on it.

Property:
Pungent in flavour, hot in property,poisonous, acting on the heart, kidney and spleen channels.

Effects:
Recuperating depleted rescue the patient from collapse, supplementing fire of the vital gate to strengthen yang, and dispelling cold to relieve pain.

Used for:
1.Yang depletion syndrome characterized by spontaneous coldsweating, cold limbs and pulse as faint as none. It is often used in combination with dried ginger, as inDecoction for Resusci-tation (Sini Tang).

2. Yang deficiency syndromes. In cases ofinsufficiency of the kidney-yang marked by aversion to cold, cold limbs, impotence, andfrequent micturition,it is often usedwith cinnamon bark,prepared rehmanniaroot, and dogwood fruit, as in Bolusfor Tonifying theKidney-qi (Shenqi Wan); for insufficiency of the spleen- yang manifested asgastric and abdominal cold pain,poor appetite annd loose stool, it is used with ginseng, white atrac-tylodes rhizome and dried ginger, as in Bolus of Aconite forRegulatingthe Middle- jiao ( Fuzi Lizhong Wan) ; for insufficiency of the heart-yang markedby palpitation, shortness of breath,obstruction of qi inthe chest pain,it can be used withginseng and cinnamontwig;for insuffi-ciency of the spleen-yang complicated by insufficiency of thekidney-yang shown asdifficulty in micturition andedemaof the limbs, it isoften used with white atractylodes rhizome and poria, as in Decoction forStrengthening theSpleen-yang and Kidney-yang (ZhenwuTang).

3. Arthralgiasyndrome marked byjoint pains all over the body. For arthra-lgia caused chiefly by cold-dampness, it can be used with cinnamon twig, whiteatractylodes rhizomeand liquorice, as in Decoction of Liquorice and Aconite (GancaoFuzi Tang). In addition, this drug can be used together with astraga-lus root as in Decoc-tion of Astragalus andAconite (Qi Fu Tang) which can curespontaneous sweating due to deficiency of yang. It is also usedtogether with ephedra and asarum, as in Decoction of Ephedra, Aconite and Asarum (Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang), totreat affec-tion by exogenous wind-cold in patientssuffering from defi-ciency of yang.

Dosage and admi-nistrations: 3-15g. It should be decocted 30-60 minutes prior to other drugs when it is prepared for adecoction.

Precautions:
Itlikely results intoxicity if it isused unprepared, orin large dosage, ordecocted for tooshort a period. This drug should not be given to pregnant patients and those with excess of yang or deficiency of yin.