The Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a masterpiece compiled by the expert team of Jiangsu New Medical College, which was published by Shanghai People's Publishing House in October 1977. In this authoritative work of traditional Chinese medicine, the medicinal part of aconite is described in detail: "Aconite is the paraphytic tuber root (subroot) of the ranunculaceae plant Aconitum (cultivated product). This sentence clarifies the ** and medicinal value of aconite, and provides valuable information for the research in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. Not only that, the "Compendium of Materia Medica", a pharmaceutical masterpiece with world influence, also clearly pointed out: "Those who are born with aconitum are aconite, and those who are born with aconitum are aconite, such as children are attached to their mothers." This sentence vividly describes the relationship between aconite and aconite, one is the female root and the other is the daughter root, which shows the close connection between the aconite and the aconitum during the growth process. Since ancient and modern times, most scholars have not disputed the relationship between the aconite, which further proves the accuracy of the medicinal part of aconite. To sum up, both the Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Compendium of Materia Medica clearly point out that the medicinal part of aconite is the paraphytic tuber root (subroot) of Aconitum aconitum of the ranunculaceae plant, which has been widely recognized and applied in the field of Chinese medicine. In recent years, there has been a mixed use of aconite and aconitum in the use of medicinal materials in some areas. For example, in the April 1971 edition of Chinese Herbal Medicine, a trial textbook for the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, aconite was described as "a processed concoction of aconitum tubers, soaked in bile water, and then boiled with tofu." In the "Clinical Handbook of Traditional Chinese Medicine", the editor, the Prescription Medicine Teaching and Research Group of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, briefly mentioned in the "Language" section in the June 1977 edition: "The old roots of Aconitum planted in Shanghai are not used when harvesting, but the newly propagated roots are excavated for medicinal purposes. Aconitum and aconite in pharmacies** are actually the same thing, and they are divided into two drugs, aconitum and aconite because of the slightly different processing methods. ”
According to Su Song, "the yuan species is Aconitum aconite, and the rest of the sizes are aconite", if according to the description of the "Clinical Manual of Traditional Chinese Medicine", it seems that aconite is used as aconite;The "Chinese Herbal Medicine" describes the use of aconitum as an aconite. This interplay of aconite and aconitum is completely opposite to the direction of traditional application, creating a huge difference. It has been argued that since Aconitum and Aconite are the same plant and similar in composition, there is no need to adhere to the traditional distinction and that simplification or reform is justified. However, this view only scratches the surface and does not provide a deep understanding of the true meaning of the use of traditional Chinese medicine. In the use of traditional Chinese medicine, the distinction between aconite and aconitum is not only based on the difference in plant form or composition, but also on its medicinal properties and effects. Therefore, simply mixing or reforming is not in line with the traditional theory and clinical practice of TCM. In the traditional view, we often hear some accidental discoveries and misjudgments from our predecessors, but these are not all. In fact, it's not uncommon to find insights that have been proven many times in practice. Therefore, for any point of view, we should go deep into ** before making a judgment, rather than rashly denying it. In the process of reform and simplification, we should also make decisions according to the actual situation of things. If reform is necessary, then we cannot stick to the old ways, otherwise development will be hindered. On the contrary, if we are not properly simplified, then it is against scientific principles. Therefore, we must approach these issues with caution. The properties of traditional Chinese medicine can vary greatly depending on the medicinal site. For example, the fruit of the pepper is warm, while the seeds of the pepper order are cool;Cinnamon sticks can walk the surface, but cinnamon can stick to the body;The stems of ephedra can sweat, while knots have an antiperspirant effect;The roots of Shou Wu can replenish the deficiency, while the vine has the effect of calming the nerves. In addition, the division of mulberry leaves, fruits, branches and root bark, the different curative effects of various parts of the lotus, the fruit of wolfberry nourishes the body and the root clears away heat and generates Jin, and the root of sulforaphane clears the lungs and the seed can dispel phlegm and lower qi. These examples illustrate the wonders of Chinese medicine. What is even more surprising is that the effects of the same drug are different even for different parts. For example, Angelica sinensis, a common Chinese medicinal material, is traditionally divided into the head, body, tail, and whole parts of the body. And according to the attached Wu, there are significant differences in the composition and efficacy of these parts. In fact, a study published in the first issue of the Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1980 pointed out that the distribution of 11 metallic elements contained in different parts of Angelica sinensis was not the same. Although we have not yet fully clarified the crux of its distribution, it is certain that there are differences in the efficacy of different parts. It was recorded in the "Compendium": "Aconitum is like taro, and aconite is like taro." This sentence is only a description based on the shape, but in reality, aconitum and aconite, although similar in appearance, are not the same medicine. Although they all contain the same nutrients, they taste different from each other. Why is that?Is it because of the difference in their connotative components?If this inference is true, then there must be a far-reaching truth in the division of aconitum and aconite. However, the current research on this issue has not been in-depth enough to reach a clear conclusion. Therefore, until the jury is conclusive, it seems that the medicinal use of aconite is still preferable to the root of the aconite. Digging deeper into this question, we can analyze it from multiple angles. First of all, from a chemical composition point of view, both aconitum and aconite contain a variety of alkaloids, and the types and amounts of these alkaloids can vary, which may be the main reason for their different tastes. In addition, their medicinal value may also be related to the type and content of these alkaloids. Therefore, for this question, we need to conduct more in-depth research to clarify the medicinal value and mechanism of aconitum and aconite.