1 c. Dr. B. now infused 380 gr. of dried herb in a quart of water, and boiled it down to a pint. Jan. 8th. – Took Zi at 8 a. m. At noon slight distress in umbilical region. Took Zij. 2, frequent dull pains in umbilical region, with feeling in anus as if torn; this was a prominent symptom, and lasted all d. Roughness of pharynx. 10, have had frequent distress at umbilicus, with hard aching distress in whole dorsal region. Urine 49 oz., pale. Took Zij more. 9th. – Awoke at 4 a. m. with great desire to urinate; voided 13 oz.; dull pain in lumbar and sacral regions. 8, took Ziij. 2 p. m., sharp cutting pains in epigastric region every few m., followed by dull pains. 6, mushy stool; dull distress in whole dorsal region. 9, pains in hips when walking. Urine 63 oz., pale, reddens litmus paper, no albumen. 10th. – Restless n., but no pain. Feeling languid, with aching distress in all large joints. No stool to – day; urine less abundant than yesterday. 11th. – Aching in all joints, with great despondency. 12th. – Woke with dull headache, and aching distress in all large joints; bad taste in mouth. Same symptoms each m. for 3 day more. (Hale’s New Remedies, 2nd ed.).
Experiments on animals
1. a. Dr. Burt injected at 4 p. m., Sept. 5th, 5 dr. of the oil under skin of a cat’s fore – leg. In 1/4 hours mewed constantly, ran about, appeared restless and uneasy. 5, is quiet, with eyes half closed. 7, injected 30 dr. After 1/2 hours appeared in great distress; profuse salivation. 8, quiet, with mouth open. 6th. – Passed 4 stools, natural, during n., last slightly streaked with blood; has not urinated. Refuses to eat. 9 a. m., injected 50 dr. under skin of foreleg, followed by great agitation as before. 10, ears and legs very cold; excessive trembling. 4, has had two undigested stools, and urinated. 6, injected 40 dr. After 1 hours was unable to get up, and trembled excessively. 7th. – Appears quite natural; has passed stools and urine during n. Injected 30 dr. under skin of side. 5 p. m., very weak, has been trembling all day 7, injected 50 dr. Tried to walk, but was unable to do so. 8, injected 30 dr. 8th. – Just alive. Injected 30 dr. Ears and legs very cold. Died at 9 a. m.1 b. P. M., 9 hours after death. – Encephalic and thoracic viscera natural; liver much congested, also colon and rectum which were filled with dry faecal matter so agglutinated to intestines as to be removed with difficulty. Kidneys, cortical substance, slightly congested; bladder much distended Other abdominal viscera natural. (Ibid.)
ERYNGIUM.
Introduction
Including E. aquaticum and E.maritimum. Nat. Ord. UmbelliferaeEryngium aquaticum Button snake – root.
Provings
1. I took from 5 to 20 dr. of tinct. daily for about 10 day, when I stopped, concluding that the drug would take no effect on me. In the course of a week, however, the following symptoms appeared (of which I have notes in part only):1 a. Purulent inflammation of left eye, which was red, swollen slightly, and tender to pressure; constant dull, aching pain, relieved by heat, followed by profuse secretion of thick, whitish mucus, sticky like gum – water, gluing eyelids; this lasted 48 hours, and left conjunctiva granulated and rough.
1 b. Intense redness of throat as far as visible, and slight swelling, but no pain or bad feeling, with profuse secretion of thick whitish mucus, giving throat an ulcerated appearance. Inflammation seemed to extend to Eustachian tube; and left ear was swollen within and without, tender to pressure, with constant aching pain, bleeding readily, and finally discharging thick white bloody pus, of foul odour, which continued to pass for several n. Nose also discharged thick yellow mucus for some time; and tongue had greyish colour with ragged appearance.
1 c. Oppression of chest; feeling of fulness; inability to take deep breath, with desire to do so; no cough; lungs eel as if solidified.
1 d. Urine normal at first; then profuse and deep yellow, but without froth or sediment. Sexual desire suppressed, then excited, with lewd dreams and pollutions; discharge of prostatic fluid from slight causes.
1 e. Pulse increased about 10 beats, but soft and weak. Feeling of great debility; lower extremities languid and heavy, with profuse perspiration on walking; fainting fits, dared not rise suddenly, step down, or turn my head quick, or I would fall into a swoon, from which I was once with difficulty aroused. L. os calcis and patella tender, sore and painful on motion. Continued singing and ringing, with cracking sound, in left ear. (C. H. McClelland, M. D., in Hale’s New Remedies, 2nd ed.)
2. a. Dr. C. H. Cogswell, while a student, proved tinct. in 1865. Began Nov. 23rd by taking 10 dr. before each meal and at bedtime. 11 a. m., frequent desire to micturate; stinging burning pains in urethra behind glans during act; urine light red and scanty. 2 p. m., severe pain in left groin and testicle, worse during exercise; also slight dull pain in lumbar region. Previous to retiring, urine rather darker, with symptoms in urethra more marked. Slept well. 24th. – On rising in m. thick yellowish tenacious mucus in mouth; appetite partially wanting, though reviving at sight of food; pain in left groin and testicle continuing. Repeated doses this day and next. 26th. – Feeling of weakness and heavy dragging pain in lumbar region. P. m., took a long walk and returned feeling very tired, especially in loins, with heavy disagreeable sensation in groin. Took no medicine. 27th. – Took 15 dr. 1/2 hours after breakfast. 11, while sitting, heavy dull pain in mastoid portion of temporal bone, passing through to opposite side; also rheumatic pain at back of neck, cervical muscles being slightly stiff and sore on motion. Repeated dose before dinner (as at 6 p. m.). Pain in head still remaining; thoughts rather confused, could not concentrate them upon any subject without much exertion. Between 9 and 10 p. m. slight nausea, with drawing cramping pains in stomach, also heavy compressing pain between shoulders; slight perspiration of disagreeable odour, resembling that of urine. 28th. – M., severe colicky or crampy pains in small intestines; sense of weight in stomach; tongue and fauces very dry, with insipid taste in mouth; dull dragging pain in occiput, neck, and shoulders; expanding sensation in frontal region above eyes, increased by stooping; bruising tearing pain about ears, as if they were being torn away. Pain left occiput about 11 a. m., but became severe in front, involving eyes, which were blurred – exercise or least excitement increased pain, also combing hair (scalp being sore to touch); was restless, uneasy, frequent changing position; flashes of heat passing through system; slight nervous erethism; stool costive, dark, dry, and hard, with tenesmus, faeces seeming to cut as they passed anus; sensation after micturition as if some urine remained in urethra, of burning, smarting character, though urine itself was of normal temperature, and not corrosive. Urine of 24 hours was 26 oz.; reaction slightly acid; sp. gr. 1016; solid matter 382.11 gr.: of lightish red or amber colour when boiled; after standing some hours a white flocculent sediment is found. (Some of the drug seems to have been taken to – day, for ” burning in oesophagus after taking ” it is mentioned; but the doses are not specified.) 29th. – Stopped taking drug in m., pain in head less severe, but worse in neck and between shoulders; erratic pains all over body during day, seemingly in muscles; loss of energy, very sober and depressed in spirits; partial anorexia; nausea followed by acid eructations about noon; very nervous in evening, unable to remain in one position. 30th. – Woke early; frontal headache on rising; thick, tenacious, disagreeable mucus in mouth; erratic pains in trunk and upper extremities; heavy dragging pain in stomach; smarting, burning sensation in fauces.
2 b. Dec. 11th, took 150 dr. in divided doses during day, and continued same for 5 day more. On 11th acid eructations followed each meal (not subsequently). 13th. – No evacuation for 2 day, and bowels torpid still; urine scanty; transient rheumatic pains in left shoulder and arm, also right wrist and hand. 14th. – Dull aching in frontal region, especially over left eye. 15th. – After 2nd dose to – day, severe pain in frontal region sufficient to cause dimness of sight, over left eye it was tearing and boring; inability to think steadily on any one subject. 16th. – Mucous membrane of larynx seemed thickened, with short hacking cough and slight expectoration of mucus, thick and stringy, light yellow in colour. Slight dyspnoea as if clothes were too tight; choking in throat on slight pressure. 17th. – Took Z 3 times to – day. Continual dull heavy pain in frontal lobes of brain; concentration of mind caused a heavy full pain if persisted in; eyes irritated by strong light, which produces burning, smarting sensation, with heavy aching pain, dull expression of eyes, and great inclination to sleep. Very nervous and uneasy, moving about continually. 18th. – Slept well during n., woke in m. with colicky pains in bowels, also smarting raw pain in left side of throat, with dry tongue; thick yellow mucus was ejected from mouth, which increased smarting in throat; hollowness or emptiness in stomach, accompanied by heavy dragging pain; reading or writing caused hard heavy pain in forehead, increased by stooping. Frequent desire to urinate during day, urine passing guttatim, with slight tingling near orifice of urethra. 19th. – Slept well during n., but rose with dull heavy pain in head; pain increased by lowering it or thinking intently on any subject, mostly in frontal region, and more particularly over left eye, where it is sharp and shooting; when sitting in a stooping posture it would leave eye and pass into neck and along muscles to shoulder and beneath scapula, where it would remain for some time. Muscles of eyes felt stiff, and there was pain on turning eyes quickly; eyes sensitive to strong light, and slightly congested at times, especially when looking at a strong light or walking in bright sunshine. Pulse about 90; muscles of neck sore on turning head quickly; pressure caused a hard heavy pain. 20th. – Heavy dragging pain in stomach during night; constipation still continues, with crampy colicky pains in abdomen; pains in head and neck less severe, but not entirely gone; great inclination to sleep most of time, especially p. m. 21st. – Pain in head and neck increased in intensity, severe on stooping or turning head quickly; burning pain in eyes, they feel heavy and are slightly congested squinting on exposure to a strong light; sharp – piercing pain in bowels, which feel bloated but do not look so, feel heavy while walking, and are sore on pressure. (Ibid.)
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.