Anthroposophical Views

Cool, calm and collected

Dora Wagner

Nerves are the higher roots of our senses

In October, after a bicycle accident, I was diagnosed with a torn tendon in my right shoulder. All of a sudden there was a plethora of considerations to process, issues to sort out and decide. Fear, stress, deadlines, doctor’s visits, and hospitals overcrowded with Covid patients all left their mark. My nerves were on edge, resulting in restlessness, sometimes even panic. Beyond a certain point, I could no longer find restful sleep— not only because of the physical complaints, but because of my circling thoughts. After surgery at the end of November, my right arm was immobilised. Now suffering from aching nerves and tense muscles, I still couldn’t find a good night's sleep. Yet, although I can only write this article with some effort, I feel like a million dollars. I have two remedies to thank.

Before surgery, Calmedoron— the anthroposophical ‘gift for our nervous system’ —became a very loyal friend. In this remedy, mother tinctures of Hops (Humulus lupulus), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora sp.), and Oats (Avena sativa) are combined with Coffee (Coffea arabica) in a highly diluted, homoeopathically potentised form. In convalescence I have fallen in love with Monkshood (Wolfsbane, Aconite, Aconitum napellus). These plants have spared no effort in relieving my overly stressed nervous system and easing my pain.

Hundreds of billions of nerve cells— neurons —provide the functional and structural units of our brain and entire nervous system. They enable the transmission of signals from our sensory organs to our brain— such as visual and auditory sensations, muscle movements, perceptions of temperature, pressure, and pain. Neurons also transmit signals from our brain to the organs and to our body’s periphery. To make this transmission of information possible, the nerve cells mainly receive electrical stimuli— so called ‘action potentials’ —and transmit them to one another. An infinite number of action potentials are sent back and forth to allow our nervous systems to function, enabling us to move our muscles, feel pain, dream.

There are many different types of neurons, each specialised in form and function, that are as complex as they are fascinating. However, they all share certain common features. Each and every neuron has a relatively large cell body, the soma. The most obvious difference between neurons and other cells, however, are the long extensions that rise from the cell body— the dendrites and the axons. Dendrites are like small branches that function as neural terminals, receiving signals from nearby neurons and transmitting them to the soma, where metabolic activity takes place.

In the soma, new molecules are generated, and all kinds of essential functions are carried out that make possible the vital maintenance and the function of the cell. Axons, the largest extensions, conduct impulses from the soma to their terminals and transmit the action potential from the cell body to other neurons. One of the main features of an axon is a layer called the myelin sheath, which can increase or facilitate the speed of transmission of electrical stimuli. At the biological junctions between neurons, chemical neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, adrenaline, serotonin and histamine help to transmit the signals from one nerve cell to the other. These synapses— the associated neurons and their receptors —are each named after the transmitter they work with; cholinergic (acethylcholine), dopaminergic (dopamine), adrenergic (working on adrenaline or noradrenalin), serotonergic (serotonin) and so on (Schmidt, 2000). Anthroposophically, the nerve-sense system is seen as the mediating part of the tripartite human organism, providing the physical tool that enables sensory perception, imagination and thinking. It gives a person the basis for their daytime consciousness, enabling them to grasp the sensory world, whilst summing up the activity of their entire organism.

In the anthroposophical approach, a plant is considered to be medicinal if it shows any disturbance, distortion, or abnormality in the threefold structure of roots, flowers and fruits, leaves and shoots. The second consideration is that the root processes of plants correspond to the head and the nervous functions, the flower processes to metabolic activities, and leaf processes to rhythmic patterns in the human body. The part of the plant that is particularly favoured in terms of growth, expression or features is considered for its healing effect. If it is the root— as with Aconitum napellus —the herbal part is transformed into a medicine for corresponding ailments. By this system, it becomes obvious that Aconite root be used as a remedy for painful, inflammatory processes of the Nerve-Sense-System and so for neuralgic pain associated with restlessness and anxiety. To this day, Aconitum plays an important role in the anthroposophical pharmacopoeia, both as a single remedy or in composition. In accordance with the homeopathic tradition, sometimes the whole fresh plant is used at the beginning of flowering, while in some other preparations only the fresh tuber is taken.

Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) is the most impressive of the buttercups— very gorgeous, but incredibly poisonous. In fact, it is the most poisonous plant in Europe. This is why it was banned from our medicinal herb garden in Herdecke and I mourn it endlessly. As majestic as the plant appears, with upright growth to 1.80m, Monkshood also seems to me a little bit rigid, aloof and introverted, as if it were frozen. The stalked, deep blue, helmetshaped flowers of this ‘Queen of Poisons’ sit in a long spike-like inflorescence at the top of the stems and shine from June to September. The bizarre shape of the large, almost closed flower heads only unfolds to its impressive size when the corolla leaves transform. Hidden beneath them are the actual, quite small, and inconspicuous petals. It is as if the fey folk have built a place to escape into the air, and are sitting on top, masked, with blue helmets, not permitting other creatures any free access.

Only bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) are allowed to feast on the sweet nectar of the blossoms. No less graceful, yet restrained, the large, stiff, dark green, filigree-slit, deeply lobed, five- to seven-pinnate leaves form directly on an erect, glabrous, sometimes also hairy stem. While the upper growth is unfolding, the bulbous, fleshy root begins to pass on some of its stubbornly held vital energy to a side shoot. Over the course of the year, this will swell into a beet-like root, while the previous year's root dies in wintertime. This process is something really special; only part of the plant's power is allowed to unfold upwards, the rest always remains in the root area. Thus, Monkshood emphasises its root life.

Its scientific name, Aconitum, was used by poets such as Ovid as a collective name for strong poisons. The term napellus is derived from the Latin word nápus (root) and refers to the thick beet-like root where the toxic content is at its highest, particularly in winter. According to Greek mythology, when Hercules defeated the fearsome threeheaded Cerberus, the wolf spewed venom and bile in rage, with the plant growing where the wolf's drool touched the ground (Grant and Hazel, 2004). The sorceress Medea later used the ‘wolf's bane’ to take revenge on her unfaithful husband, Jason, by trying to kill his son, Theseus. Indeed, Wolfsbane has a long history of use as a poison. It was used on spears and arrows for hunting and to eliminate criminals and enemies.

Various poisonous alkaloids are found in Aconitum napellus. The poisonous effect is mainly due to aconitine, which can prove fatal to an adult in doses as small as 1.5 - 5mg. The greatest concentration of this toxin is found in the root and the seeds, where as little as 2mg can prove a lethal dose. Aconitine can be absorbed through the mucous membranes, the gastrointestinal tract and, very quickly, through skin— so just touching the plant can be dangerous. Aconitine is primarily effective as a neurotoxin; it can easily cross the bloodbrain barrier and damage the central and peripheral nervous system. Aconitine slows down the inactivation of the voltagedependent sodium channel, so more sodium can flow in. This slows down depolarisation and prolongs the action potential. As a result, the neurons are initially excited and then paralysed. When aconitine acts on the sodium channels in the heart, it leads to cardiac arrhythmia, and even cardiac arrest (Teuscher and Lindequist, 2010). When the poison is absorbed through the mouth, the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat tingle then quickly become numb— the sensation is like having an anaesthestic at the dentist — then breathing becomes shallow and slow, followed by symptoms of paralysis, and even loss of consciousness.

Despite its toxicity, Monkshood was prescribed in Greek and Roman medicine by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. It was used as poison bait; as an antidote after scorpion stings or as an adjunct to painkillers. Galen recommended preparations of the plant for cleansing wounds. Roman doctors used aconite for earaches. Samuel Hahnemann (1790) reported that he had successfully treated nerve pain and gout with a homeopathic remedy made from Aconitum and preparations from the root were subsequently used in Germany until the end of the 19th century. In Holland, Paracelsist van Helmont (1793) reported how, during a self-experiment sucking on a Wolfsbane root, he located the ‘camp of the soul’ when he felt himself thinking in his stomach. Use of aconite is strongly anchored in Ayurveda and also in traditional Chinese medicine, with various preparation methods to detoxify the roots. For example, it is used for external applications for pain, especially back pain, fever, neuralgia, and inflammation. In some Chinese regions, the roots or root tubers of the Aconitum species are boiled for several hours, or days, then eaten as vegetables or used in herbal soups (Chan, 2014). Preparation is only considered complete when the tongue or gums no longer feel numb when consuming the decoction.

Needless to say, self-made remedies or selfmedication must be avoided at all times. Today, Aconite is mainly used in homeopathy in Germany. Homeopathic preparations (drops, globules, pain oil) are still available over the counter, while concentrated preparations require a prescription. Over the last few weeks, it has been very beneficial to meet my pain with aconite oil and to experience the power of this plant with my own body. Monkshood has become a loyal friend to me during my convalescence and I intend to stay in deep connection with it in future. I believe there is something beyond mere quantities of ingredients and theoretical knowledge of effects. Rather, if we engage in sincere and responsible relationships with them, herbs can caress us like good friends.

So, we should also regard them as such and treat them with great respect. I am very grateful that my plant friends helped me become aware of my needs. By supporting me in giving rest and recreation a place in my life, they helped me find my way back to wellbeing and balance.

Images:

Drawings and collages made by Dora Wagner using Wikipedia commons

References

Chan, T. Y. K. (2014) ‘Aconitum alkaloid poisoning related to the culinary uses of aconite roots’ in Toxins, 6(9): 2605-2611 Grant, M. and Hazel, J. (2004) Lexikon der antiken Mythen und Gestalten. dtv Hahnemann, S. (1790) cited in Cullen, W. Abhandlung über die Materia medica. Schwickert: Leipzig; Band II, S. 320 Teuscher E. and Lindequist U. (2010) Biogene Gifte. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft: Stuttgart

Schmidt, R. et al. (2000) Physiologie des Menschen 28. Auflage. Springer, Berlin S. 199–206.

Van Helmont, J. B. (1693/1971) Aufgang der Arztney-Kunst. 2 Bde. Tr. Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. München