Introduction
A. Abrotanum, L.; southernwood. A. Absinthium, L. wormwood. Nat Ord., Compositae.
Provings
1. Dr. A.M. CUSHING, well, but subject to itching papillary eruption on legs, and of habitually loose bowels, took, of a tinct. prepared by maceration from entire fresh plant, on Feb. 6th, 1866, at 10:30 p.m., 6 drops. In 5 m., head felt as if squeezed on temporal regions. Slight nausea, much eructation of flatus. 7th, took 8 drops at 10:35 p.m. 8th, 10:30 p.m., 15 drops. 9th, 2 p.m., hurried desire to urinate after stool. 10:30 p.m., 15 drops. 10th, 11 p.m., 20 drops. Frightful dreams; awoke frightened and trembling. 11th. -Bowels costive for third time in his life when well. 2 p.m., 25 drops. Lame, aching pain on inside of right knee, then on outside of left knee. 12th, 10 p.m., 40 drops. Soon after, pain in left, then in right leg at middle of tibia; pain and fullness of head; aching pain in ankles and feet, worse on outside of left ankle. Old eruption feels sore, violent pricking itching, extending to head and arms. 13th to 16th. -Pain in ankles and knees; feet lame and painful. 15th and 16th. – Severe aching pain in both axilla, as if sore was forming. 16th, 11:35 p.m., 60 drops. Soon after heard noise like humming of bee; walked round room to find it. When in bed it sounded like persons talking in distance; on listening intently it disappeared, but would return as he turned his mind from it. Itching followed, then darting pains in different parts of body, most in lower lobe of both lungs, and in legs below knees. 17th, 6 a.m., urgent desire for stool; loose stool; another at 7 a.m. 9 a.m., seized, when riding, with lameness and aching of left arm above elbow on outer and under side; lame all day 17th, 10:30 p.m., 50 drops. 18th, 9 p.m., 100 drops. In 10 m. nausea, pricking pain right side of chest, pain in left lung, with weak, numb feeling of arms and limbs. 19th. -Awoke with severe pain in left temple, continued all forenoon, with sore feeling in all limbs, mostly in joints; also in lower portion of left lung; mouth hot and dry; felt sick all forenoon, better in open air. In afternoon severe pains; obliged to lie down; very sleepy; could not sleep; not able to attend to patients. E., better. 1 a.m. (?) while riding, very severe pain in left arm above elbow. Frightful dreams of mad dogs, &c. On waking, very lame, worse in back; muscular soreness on motion, severe pains in back of neck, shoulders, right side of chest, and limbs; right hip so lame as to cause limping for some time. Bowels seemed costive, with loose stool. Severe pain all day in side and back of neck, shoulders, limbs, back, and hips; arms and hands felt numb. Sensation as if breathing hot air, continued 2 d. In evening eyes smart, pain in left eye, could not open it for several seconds. Uncommonly poor appetite. 21st. – Bowels more costive than for years. Pain in base of both lungs through day, with darting pains in limbs and ankles; headache; pain in both hips, severe in right hip and thigh. 9:30 p.m., natural stool. 10 p.m., 500 drops of Ist (aqueous) dil. In 30 m. strange pulling sensation of muscles of right side of neck beneath angle of jaw, followed by almost intolerable itching of a corn on second toe of left foot. 22nd. -Bowels natural. Aching pain all day across hips; legs and feet lame and painful. Sore tongue and mouth all d. E., nausea, burning, and soreness of stomach. 10 p.m., 1000 drops Ist dil. In 5 m. seized with trembling all over. Nausea and sour eructations; pain just below heart, followed crawling sensation and eructations; then pain and heat in bowels 15 m. after taking med. The raising of wind and trembling continue. Feels too warm in cool room. Pulse quick; wind rushes out of right ear; watery discharge from nose; desire to urinate; pain in testicles and back. At midnight got out of bed, walked round room; bowels bloated so much, it was difficult to walk or bend, seems as if bowels could be kept from passing out at anus only by keeping legs close together. Very severe itching of corn on left foot. Restless sleep with springing up, and constant jumping and thrashing of arms. 23rd, 6 a.m., very urgent desire for stool, 3 loose stools in forenoon, 1 in e. Pain all day in shoulders, arms, and hips.; right knee and ankle weak; very nervous; back quite lame. Very sudden pain in legs; pain in region of liver and kidneys of sick, sore, faint, inexpressible nature, very peculiar, almost amounting to fainting. Unable to walk on street. Sleepy all day; heat in stomach; raises wind tasting of plant. Eruption nearly all gone. 10 p.m., bowels bloated and painful. Stomach very sour. 24th, 6:30 a.m., urgent desire for stool; loose stool. Forenoon, weak and lame; pain in shoulders, right hand lame. Poor appetite. During proving, often drops reins unconsciously while driving. 25th. -R. knee lame and painful. 7 a.m., soft stool. 9 a.m., stool with much straining; sensation as if it was large and indurated, though quite the reverse. Mouth dry and sore. 26th. -Restless sleep; mouth sore and dry. 6:30, urgent call and loose stool. Back lame and painful. Eruption gone. E., soreness of head of left fibula, so severe as to cause lameness when walking at three different times. 27th. -Very restless night, with heat and pain at epigastrium. Natural stool; slight itching of limbs, but no eruption. In forenoon, darting pains in various parts of the body, most severe in right arm, above and near elbow-joint. Sore mouth, with increased saliva, more in n. Both legs lame and painful, from hips to knees; they feel very sore, but are not tender to touch. Appetite poor. Afternoon, pain above right elbow. E., sore pain in knees, first right then left; limbs very weak; right arm lame and weak. Yawning and eructation all day. Burning through right side of chest; difficult breathing. 11 p.m., severe sore pain just above left elbow; both hips and legs so lame it was difficult to walk. Mouth quite sore, confined mostly to gums near left upper molars. 28th. -Unrefreshing sleep; on waking, both arms and both legs and feet very lame and painful, but relieved after motion. In 1/2 h. right hand lame and useless. Chilly in very warm room. 10 a.m., left hand as lame; he could not sit still. 11 a.m., both knees lame. 11:30 a.m., ankles and legs to knees so painful he could not sit still while examining a patient. 5 p.m., heavy pain in lumbar region, extending to both testicles. E., both legs weak, both hands painful, and so lame as hardly to be used. Soreness of mouth increases. March Ist. -Mouth better; pain in both knees. Hands painful and sore all day; handles everything with difficulty. Pain in back and testicles. 2nd. -Slept better; on waking early sharp pain in left shoulder; in 1/2 hours pain in left elbow and right hand; severe and sore pain in both lungs. Pain in left hypochondriac region, with eructation of large quantities of flatus. Pain in right elbow all forenoon, darting pain in various parts of body and limbs. Mouth better; bowels natural; urine profuse. 3rd. -On waking both shoulders very lame and sore. Feels as if both arms were tied to body. In 1/2 h. pain is all in arms just above elbows. Afternoon, pain in back, hips, and knees. E., belching of large quantities of wind tasting of salt mackerel, though none eaten for months; cannot eat it. Pain in bowels all n., with several stools. 4th. -Joints all sore and lame. 5th and 6th. -Improving; during proving lay very straight in bed (usually lies with feet drawn up). Small scratch made a large sore. After proving old eruption returned, but not so severe as before, and was easily cured by rhus tox. 200 and has not returned. (Publ. Mass. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc., iii, 19.)
2. Dr. GATCHELL proved tinct. (how is not stated) on two ladies with following results:
2 a. In the first, -1/4 h., numb sensation in fingers; 1/2 h., dull aching in all fingers; 1 hours, joints stiff, with prickling sensation. Had fugitive pains in shoulders all n., could not sleep for them. Next day piles appeared, and became worse as rheumatic pains abated, with frequent inclination to stool, hardly anything but blood being passed. Prover also reports-soreness of scalp, especially left side; urine scanty.
2 b. The second was gloomy and desponding; ill-natured, irritable, and violent; exceedingly peevish, feeling as if she would like to do something cruel; thinks her brain is softening, having feebleness and dullness of mind, taciturnity, l and no capacity for thinking. After ceasing drug was excited, loquacious, like shouting, good-humoured and happy. Head was weak, so that she could not hold it up; conversation or mental effort caused sense of fatigue in left brain especially, and there was sensation of creeping chills along cerebral surface, with pricking sensation; also itching of scalp. She had scraping in throat; gnawing hunger, craving bread and milk, and-after ceasing drug-burning in stomach as from acid; weak, sinking feeling in bowels and colicky pains; darting and twitching in ovaries, latter extending to back, making it feel weak; raw feeling in respiratory tract caused by cold air, sudden hoarseness, weak voice; arms very weak, with aching from shoulders to elbows; very weak and disposed to lie prone. She remained very much relaxed and incapable, with weak sickly feeling for many day, and internal trembling when excited (U. States Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., v, 291.).
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.