Acidum Fluoricum


Proving Symptoms of homeopathy medicine Acidum Fluoricum, described by Richard Hughes in his book, A Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesis, published in 1895….


Introduction

Hydrofluoric acid, HFl. Product of action of sulphuric acid on fluor spar (fluoride of calcium).

Provings

1a. Dr. HERING smelt at acid, 5 p. m. It appeared to him to proceed from throat to head. He felt as if he was to be struck with apoplexy, a kind of determination of blood to head and loss of consciousness, he could not recollect where he was. There followed sore throat, with difficult deglutition; his throat, as far as below larynx, felt so sore that bread, though masticated very thoroughly, could not be swallowed without the greatest pain. This lasted till next m. after breakfast, before which there was hawking up of much phlegm, mixed with some blood.

1b. Took a teaspoonful of 3rd dil. one afternoon. Immediately sensation of warmth on lips and greasy feeling in mouth. In 5 minutes headache in upper forehead and vertex towards right; in 10 minutes slight feeling of nausea and vertigo; in 15 minutes painful sensibility of right upper jaw, reflected, as it were, in lower. 1 hour after had come dullness towards right in occiput; violent jerking in interior behind and above right eyebrow, in bone; some pain in abdomen after a meal of fish and watermelon, which was quite bone; some pain in abdomen after a meal of fish and water-melon, which was quite unusual; and burning around first bone of right middle finger, with itching and stinging in skin. From 1 to 2 hours after supervened pain in larynx, as if in cartilage, inducing swallowing; slight numbness of right joint of lower jaw, a continual sensation of warmth, and as if it would begin to pain; burning pain on outside of right lower jaw on small spot near 1st and 2nd molar;burning pricking pain in left shoulder-blade; and pain in left arm above elbow. In evening pain in right instep, followed by slight numbness of right thigh, only when crossing legs; painful determination of blood to forehead, like a quick jerk, on first walking after standing, not after sitting; itching, inducing him to scratch, on both upper eyelids; sensation of fulness in both spermatic cords; creeping and severe itching on right shoulder, sometimes shifting to left; and general heat after little exercise (in night special warmth in abdomen, with pressure towards bladder). That evening also, and following morning, sensation almost like rush of blood, but rather as if of nervous seat, somewhat resembling numbness of burning, first in forehead, afterwards in upper and lower jaw of same side, in lower part of occiput, in bladder, and various other places. A cold bath in the morning was more than ordinarily agreeable. In forenoon of this (2nd) day he had, whilst sitting, a frequent sensation of a general shaking, with a dull pressure and compression in occiput, particularly towards night, with continual internal sensations of numbness in left forearm, and severe pricking in it whilst stretching it. The left hand also felt numb (was “asleep”) in morning, and remained so the whole forenoon. In the course of it came a disposition to anxious ideas, frequently to such a degree that perspiration broke out; sensation in right ear as if a singing would commence there; an almost painful electric jerk along left radius to thumb, which moves involuntarily; in fleshy part of left thumb violent burning stitch, often returning and passing out at the end, and beneath the nail painful sensation, as if something was gradually working its way out; in the left little finger a slowly jerking, repeated burning. During 2nd and 3rd day there was decidedly less voiding of urine. On 3rd day no stool; at 10 a. m. on the 4th indefinite ( sic ) desire, and pappy evacuation. On this and the following day both hands were constantly red (on 4th day full and warm also, and as if mottled) and from 10 to 11 p. m. there was violent pricking-itching on detached spots, mostly on left side, particularly on side of chest towards back, and on thigh. In evening this itching affected several cicatrices he had, dating from 32 to 2 years back, and all on left side; next morning they were red round their edges, and occupied here and their with itching vesicles. Those of more ancient date had larger vesicles; the later ones were filled with very small pimples, but only on cicatricial tissue, not on surrounding skin. During 4th day contraction in some muscles of neck on left side and towards shoulder, during forenoon, at rest and whilst rising, which after some resting gradually subsided. The pain seemed to shift from one set of muscles to another, but was always in more than one. The omohyoideus was markedly affected. He had also deep-seated pain in back, below point of shoulder blade more towards left, felt most in sitting posture, particularly whilst riding (also felt on 9th day); pricking, burning itching near coccyx, towards right; violent itching on different spots, especially back, increasing towards night, on this and the next day; on back and left hip groups of small red pimples appear. On 5th day, in morning lower incisor teeth have sensation of roughness, as if broken, and tongue feels painful on touching them (this continued several days); there was more urination, even twice in night, which is quite unusual with him, and more thirst; he had pain in left index finger, as if in bone, now and then the whole finger being painful internally, especially in evening, when also violent itching occurred, and small vesicles appeared on right index; at same time, on closing eyes firmly, he observed a large bright ring, which quickly vanished. On 6th day nothing fresh was noted; but on 7th (and following days) he had oppression in upper part of chest, not relieved by deep inspiration. On 8th and 9th, there was during forenoon, in the room and open air, a headache, a parietal bone. On 9th day it seemed in morning as if his countenance had become all at once wrinkled and old. For the first time he felt desire to scratch the head, without any actual itching; and next morning there was a great falling off of the hair Deep in the bones, superior and posterior to left eye, there was occasional soreness; and behind eye, towards temple, there had previously been in left nostril and forehead a pain, seemingly in bone, as if very deeply in interior something sharp- pointed was moved about. Later same pain occurred in posterior part of right eye, extending very far into upper jaw. There was also difficulty of breathing, seemingly from an impediment in region of pit of throat and upper chest; at same time aching pimples appeared on the back, and there was pain in chest below point of scapula. On this day and the following it is noted that the left leg readily went to sleep. On 10th day he had during his walk a very severe itching on throat and chest. Also in both joints of the jaws (worse in left), painful spasmodic contraction within and below was full, in forenoon while sitting and writing; and more itching and fresh pimples came on the back. On this day and the following, in lower part of entrance to fauces, towards left side, was a raw feeling, which, though little painful, he apprehended might prove serious. On 12th day violent itching at left inner canthus of eye, which caused him to scratch very quickly and forcibly, and itching above the anus, sudden and most violent, often returning for some days later. In evening itching on right nipple and around it; he nipple next morning much larger, redder, and the areola darker. A thin brownish crust then formed on the areola. On 13th day he first noticed several small light carmine red round elevated blood vesicles, resembling little flesh warts; they are very soft perceptible as light red enlargements of the capillaries, raising up the cuticle. They lie below the right nipple and on the opposing surface of the right arm. There weeks later some of the smaller ones had disappeared. The larger had become darker, somewhat resembling naevi materni; some are larger than before. After three months they are paler. They made their appearance and remained without any itching. On 15th day is noted aversion to coffee, and on 15th and 16th a very acrid and strong odour of the urine. On latter day a small pimple appeared on the right side of the face, and similar ones occurred there 5 weeks afterwards.

Besides this daily record, it seems that several times during the first days, while considering what might happen, he got into a most ungovernable rage, but only in his thoughts. During first week, he had after 10 a. m. a kind of shaking in the head, particularly in the back part of it, and more towards right, when first sitting, during each quick, short movement, on rising and turning, and during walking; also frequent itching in eyes, making him scratch, dull pains in region of bladder, more easily controlled and gradually diminishing sexual passion, and pain in back, sometimes high up near shoulder-blades sometimes deeply seated, as it were in region of kidneys. Every forenoon about 10 to 12 he became sleepy and tired. During first two weeks there was heat in face, and desire to bathe it with cold water, which was very grateful; and he became sleepy earlier in the evening. In 3rd week he had in evening after retiring a jerking light before eyes, crossing itself like lightning. During 4th week he was very irritable towards people, even to the greatest hatred, which he did not hesitate to give vent to in words; but as soon as he saw them everything was forgotten, and he had an entirely different opinion of them. He also had now and then in the evenings of this and the following weeks a pain resembling a contusion in the ends of the second fingers, as it were in the bones. As far as the 6th week, his urine frequently smelled very offensively; and at this period wheezing during respiration was noticed, rather by others than himself; though while taking his afternoon siesta, he found he had to bend backwards to draw a full breath. Still during this weak vesicles arose, larger and smaller, in groups, with very sensitive itching, on lunar side of right thumb and radial side of the neighboring index, leaving behind them dry scurfy spots. Even in 7th week he was remained of the drug by sensations as of a hair along the back of the left little finger, so that he repeatedly looked to see if one were not there. The following symptoms also are referred to the 3rd, but without note of time; – Great disposition, when alone, to repulsive fantastic imaginations, particularly with regard to persons with whom he stands in near relations, or with whom he is connected. Indifferent, showing no interest in any occupation. Sensation as if dangers menaced him, but without being afraid, particularly during the pressure in the occiput, the staggering, the pain in the bladder, etc. Sudden attacks of coryza, as suddenly disappearing (also after 6th and 30th.)

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

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.