Aconite Plant Deadly. Monkshade wolfsbane and the devils helmet 55 58 Aconite is a toxic alkaloid that has been used worldwide in traditional herbal medicines for its analgesic and antiinflammatory effects. Luckily cases of fatal monkshood poisoning are rare as it tastes foul and bitter and would quickly be spat out.
Severe aconite poisoning can occur after accidental ingestion of the wild plant or consumption of an herbal decoction made from aconite roots. Care should be taken not to leave pieces of the root where livestock might be poisoned. A distinction sometimes found concerns the names monkshood and wolfsbane.
The wild plant especially the roots and root tubers is extremely toxic.
10062020 The estimated lethal dose is 2 mg of aconitine 5 ml of aconite tincture and 1 g of the raw aconite plant Chan 2012. The wild plant especially the roots and root tubers is extremely toxic. The entire plant is extremely toxic and if swallowed can cause death by asphyxiation. Qin et al 2012.