Aconite-Induced Metamorphosis From Beauty to Ugliness in a Japanese Tale

Abstract

The authors present a narrative that details the cause and process of a woman’s transformation from beauty to ugliness in a Japanese tale. In “Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan,” the metamorphosis from a beauty to an ugly woman is analyzed. After taking medication to recover from childbirth, Oiwa’s face became disfigured and grotesque. Oiwa: It seems to be good for my blood, but when I drink it, it causes fraying and breakdown, causing sudden pain. I feel a numbing dullness. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was shocked. Oiwa: What’s wrong with my face? I hate this, it’s such a disgusting thing. Neighbor: It was a lie that the medicine you drank was a helpful medicine that protects the appearance of people’s faces. Your face is that of a wicked woman (惡女). Oiwa: Is it really me? Why does she have the face of an evil woman? Her hair falls out in a gruesome combing scene, driving her mad. The poison Oiwa took was aconite, which grows wild in Japan. Both aconite tincture and raw aconite roots contain high concentrations of Aconitum alkaloids, which can penetrate the stratum corneum following the diffusion gradient. As her hair fell out during a horrific combing session, she abandoned her maternal role and sought revenge, having lost what she considered a symbol of her femininity. In treating female patients with facial disfigurement, it is important to be mindful of their psychological state, akin to that of Oiwa, who became disfigured through no fault of her own.