Introduction
Eucalyptus globules, Labill. Australian gum tree. Nat. Ord., Myrtaceae.
Provings
1. Dr. D -, man of 26, took, May 10th, 1873, 10 dr. in half a glass of water. In 3/4 hour sensation in stomach as if too full, not much pain, lasting about 1 hour. During whole evening eructations tasting of drug. At 9:30 p. m. repeated dose; no knee symptoms save uneasy sensation in umbilical region. 12th. – At 7:30 a. m., 10 dr.; in 1/2 hour same sensations as before, but extending farther through bowels; skirmishing aching pains in upper bowels, with feeling as if diarrhoea was impending;dull feeling in head; eyes hot, burning and smarting; some stiffness of nose. Repeated dose 3 times in day without new symptoms, save that after last he felt some fulness and soreness in throat on swallowing, and burning there; eye same; feels as though he had taken cold. 13th. – Took 10 dr. at 7:30 a. m. and 12:30 p. m. 20 dr. at 6:30 p. m. On getting up in morning (still catarrhal), sharp aching pains in lower bowels, with thin, watery, yellow diarrhoea. In evening fulness and pressure in stomach. During afternoon constant sensation as of phlegm in throat, and expectoration of moderate quantity of slightly thick white frothy mucus; examination showed relaxed, aphthous condition. 14th. – No medicine; catarrhal symptoms disappear. 15th. – At noon, 30 dr. Same full, uncomfortable sensation in stomach as if too much had been taken; burning in eyes begins again. At 6:30 p. m., and again at 7 and 12 next morning repeated dose. Same feeling in stomach, and no stool this morning. After dinner, considerable sharp aching pain in hypogastric region; eructations as before; some burning in stomach. Doses repeated at 6 and 11 p. m. produced nothing rash 17th. – 30 dr. at 7, 12, and 6:30. Cold turns again, some coryza, burning of eyes, general full feeling of head, dull and sleepy, dull frontal headache, eyelids heavy. About 20 morning after dinner, peculiar sensation of faintness and “goneness” at stomach, with distinct sensation of beating, saccharine with heart. This feeling continue at times all afternoon and next forenoon. Proving now discontinued. Since then some irregularity of bowels and lack of prompt digestion. ( Trans. of Am. Inst. of Hom., 1873, p. 370). 2. Mrs. D – took in 5 dr. doses at different times, taking it 3 and 4 days each time. Did not think it had any effect; but inquiry ascertained that each time she had cold in head, and a thin diarrhoea, accompanied by aching (rather sharp) pains ruining through bowels, particularly in morning (Ibid.)
3. Eucalyptol depresses temperature of healthy body more than quinine. A dose of 120 dr. reduced that of a man by.0oF., and that too in evening, when it would naturally have risen. Four doses of 20 dr. take at intervals of 1 hours did not impair appetite but produced a sort of drunkenness, which in 1 1/2 hours passed into mental depression and exhaustion lasting for several hour (SIEGEN, Lond. Medorrhinum Record, ii, 71.)
4. Eucalyptus and its oil have a warm camphoraceous taste, and increase the salivary and intestinal secretion, producing copious and soft motions, while larger doses excite aurora, and stools smell of eucalyptol. The active principles are readily dissolved; they increase the heart’s action, accelerate the respiratory movements, and lower arterial tension. E. excites perspiration. In large doses eucalyptol acts on the kidneys like turpentine, copaiba and cubeb. (RINGER, op. cit.)
5. a. Dr. FAWCETT, of Australia, put 20 leaves into a pint of water, and allowed it to simmer until the quantity was reduced to one half; of this he took a tablespoonful 3 or 4 times a day. After using it regularly for several day, its influence showed itself in eructations on the skin of a herpetic character, in glandular enlargement, and in the development of ulcer and indolent ulcer. Next in order was felt tenderness and burning sensation in stomach and bowels, with great heat in rectum, followed by tenesmus with discharge of mud and great prostration. Violent purgation and hemorrhage from the bowels ensued, and a suspension of the expedients became necessary. Having recruited his strength, he repeated his daily doses of a decoction of the leaves, and soon experienced pains of a stitching, jerking, tearing character, worse at night. He also again felt the burning sensation in the epigastric and umbilical regions which he had previously noticed, together with tormenting thirst; faintness, vertigo, dimness of vision, sense of fulness in head with dull frontal headache, and tightness across bridge of nose as if profuse epistaxis would set in. In both upper and lower extremities pricking sensations were first noticed, followed by painful aching, with sense of fulness in veins, and a stiff, weary sensation as if too lazy to move. Experiment was again discontinued. On renewing it 4 months later, similar eruptions again recurred, together with swellings in different part of body. One, below right nipple, about size of filbert, was seat of stabbing and darting pains. It remained upwards of 2 months, and phytolacca had to be taken to remove it. 5 b. Dr. F – was requested to see a lad of 13, who appeared to be suffering from rheumatic fever. The usual remedies were of no service. On more closely examining the boy’s condition, he found many nodular swellings over the metacarpal and metatarsal joints. He could neither walk nor carry anything without great pain. Noticing a similarity to the symptoms the eucalyptus had produced on himself, he found that the lad had eaten largely of the gum and had chewed many leaves. Dr. F – believes that his symptoms were entirely due to the action of the evening ( Monthly Hom. Rev., xvii, 90.).
Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.