Cicuta.- After II. 3, insert the following:
4. Four children, aet. 11, 7, 6, and 5, ate some of the root. The youngest while eating it began to stagger, fell down unconscious, and had a violent epileptic attack. The 6 years old child had also a milder epileptic fit. The other 2 vomited most of the root, had no convulsive attacks, but complained of stupefaction and weakness. In all the temperature of the skin was lowered, the pulse small and slow. The 3 eldest children got emetics and vomited freely, there only remained laziness, dryness, and thirst. At n. they had profuse sweat and next m. were well. The youngest did not vomit, the convulsions continued and increased in severity, face dark red, lips blue, bloody foam at mouth. After 4 h. of this state, the child was bled and the emetic acted, consciousness returned, the convulsions ceased; then came on lethargy, which lasted all next d., and then recovery took place. (BENNEWITZ, Medorrhinum Zeit. v. Verbascum f. Heilk. in Preussen, v, No. 11, 51; in Frank’s Mag., i, 39.)
5. Four children, aet. 3, 5, and 6, ate in forenoon some of the root. The 3 years old child had pain abdomen, vomiting and convulsions, and died at 1 p.m. The other 3 children got emetics, which brought away some of the root. They were very cold, face pale and distorted, very dilated and insensible pupils violent pains in abdomen, and general convulsions. In 2 there was a complete loss of consciousness. The third complained of noise in ears and vertigo, and then fell into a state of stupor. In one child the respiration was very weak and scarcely audible, in the others it was irregular, snoring, and sometimes interrupted by hiccup. Heart’s beats irregular, sometimes intermitted for a considerable time, then several violent beats ensued. (MEYER, Ibid., xi, No. 40, 178; in Frank’s Mag., i, 39.)
6. Seven boys, aet. from 12 to 16, ate some of the root. After 1/2 h. the first complained of vertigo and staggered like and drunken person, then fell quite unconscious, and had a fit like epilepsy. When brought to the hospital was in a state of tetanus and trismus, very cold, breathing irregular, and he died. The second boy fell down, when walking, in a stupefied state, got up, and contrived to get home. He was sufficiently conscious to call for his mother, and then fell down; clonic convulsions and l trismus ensued, and he died. The third and fourth boys had tetanus and trismus; they got an emetic and recovered. The 3 others had eaten less of the root and were only slightly affected. P.M. of the boy who died first. Abdomen moderately distended, green spots on its right side and on the neck, posterior surface of legs red. Cornea dim and sunk. On sawing through skull, diploe much injected with black fluid blood. All the vessels of pia matter and the arterial meningeal media full of blood, as also all the sinuses. Cerebral substance showed numerous bloody points. In r. lateral ventricle half a teaspoonful of serum, none in l. Plexus choroidei distended and redder than normal. At base of skull a teaspoonful of dark fluid; about 1/2 oz. of similar fluid; its pia matter moderately distended. Grey substance darker than usual. Lungs dark blue, with red spots; lungs much distended, containing much dark red blood. Larynx, trachea, and bronchi red. Bronchi contained much red mucus. In each pleural cavity 3 oz. of serum. Pericardium anteriorly adherent to heart. Cavities of heart and large arteries empty. Mucous membrane of posterior wall of stomach red for about three inches. Spleen somewhat softened and containing much blood. Right kidney congested. (VELTEN, Casper’s Woch., 1840, No. 19, 308.)
7. The wife of a labouring man found, March 19th, a root of C. which she took for celery, and the same e. should boiled it up with potato soup, of which the whole family partook at supper. (The family consisted of a man, aet., 51, his wife aet. 38, 2 sons, aet. 14, and 10, and 2 daughters, aet. 7 and 3.) After 1/2 h. all complained of pain in belly, nausea and vertigo. The man went into open air, but returned at 8 p.m. with the most horrible pains in belly and sickness, and found his wife and children in similar suffering. He could not help them, but fell down beside then unconscious. The doctor came at 10.45 p.m. and found the man lying with cold and stiff arms and legs, breathing slow and laboured, pulse could not be felt, mouth firmly closed with foam upon it, insensibility of the whole body. He died in 1/4 h. The woman related in broken words what she had done. An emetic was given to all the survivors which caused them to vomit. The mother and oldest boy got a purge of senna, Glauber’s salt and tart. em., for these intolerable pains in bowels which caused copious purging, after which they got coffee and lemon-juice. -21st, 7 a.m. they complained of vertigo and great prostration. At 10 a.m. the oldest boy had twitchings of facial muscles and convulsions, with violent pains in bowels, abdomen distended and very painful to touch. Leeches were applied and antispasmodics given by mouth and enemata, and by the 26th he was quite well. P.M. of the man snowed the abdomen much sunken, stomach contained much of the soup, its m.m. was normal, the duodenum was contracted to the thickness of a bass fiddle-string, the bladder contracted and empty. (ALLIHN, Neue Zeitsch. f. Nat. und. Heilk., i, pt. i, 195.)
Cimicifuga
The following provings have been made with Macrotin, the resinoid prepared from C.
Provings
1. E.P. SEIP, M.D.- “The following provings were made with the 3rd trit., 3 or 4 gr. being taken 3 times a d. with a gradual increase in the quantity until 25 gr. a day were taken.” [This is all the information given; and the symptoms are presented in schema form without even an indication of their respective subjects. On inquiry Dr. Seip tells us that the day-books are lost; that the provers were found ladies and himself, the majority of the symptoms having been experienced by the latter.- EDS.]
1 a. Mind.- He is constantly troubling himself about something. More or less fear; apprehensive; thinks she has some incurable disease. She feels miserable; words cannot express how badly she feels. Mind is dull, heavy; cannot collect her thoughts long enough to write a few lines. Fear of impending danger. She sits for a long time without thought, moving her hands and feet; frequent sighing. Melancholy; at times very irritable; relieved when menstruation sets in. Great forgetfulness, with inability to concentrate her ideas; which makes her very angry. Suspicious of everybody; thinks she has not told the truth in regard to herself.
1 b. Head and Face.- Pain in occiput in m. Severe sharp pain over left eye, extending through head to occipital protuberance. Throbbing headache p.m., increasing towards e., worse motion, must be perfectly quiet. Headache, preceded by lachrymation. Dull headache, commencing in occiput, gradually extending to vertex balls, aggravated by pressure. Headache in e., relieved on setting in of nausea and eructations. Face suddenly becomes flushed and hot.
1 c. Mouth and throat.- Dry, sticky feeling in mouth. Tongue slightly coated, yellowish; sense of taste impaired. Tongue is pale and feels heavy. Dryness in throat, causing frequent hawking and coughing.
1 d. Stomach and Abdomen.- Nausea and eructations in e. Faint feeling in epigastrium, extending over whole chest and head, followed immediately by throbbing sensation over whole body. Faintness at epigastrium on meeting anyone he knows, like that produced by a sudden fright. Sharp cutting pain in umbilical region early in m., relieved after large papescent stool. Alternate constipation and diarrhoea.
1 e. Genito-urinary system.- Frequent urination, copious or not. Suppression of menses for 6 weeks. Pulsating pain in back, relieved by pressure and after menstruation. During menstruation bearing-down pain, with sensation of tightness around hips. Menses scanty and dark; clotted; afterwards increased in quantity. Dysmenorrhoea; pain not relieved for several h. after flow has commenced. Dark circles round eyes the week before menstruation, which disappear when menses have set in. Mammae feels sore, and extremities heavy, before menstruation.
1 f. Chest and Back.- Sudden sharp pains a little below l. nipple. Darting pains in chest, both side, with palpitation. Pains in l. chest, extending through to back. Pains as if in heart, extending down left arm to fingers, with palpitation. Frequent palpitation at n. in bed, or from least excitement or exertion. Sensation in neck as if muscles were too short. Pulsating pain in lumbar region, relieved by supporting back. Pain in whole back, as if all its muscles were bruised.
1 g. Extremities.- Dull pain in r. arm from elbow to shoulder. Pain in l. shoulder shooting down to fingers. Weakness in both arms, and inability to move them. Heaviness of legs as if very tired. Pain in l. knee, inside patella, and in right ankle. Muscles feel as if too short. Pains in muscles of thigh.
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.