18. I had been treating a case of phthisis, in which I gave G., 3 dr. of tinct. every 3 hours during first part of n., to procure rest for the patient, who was a mild, nervous woman of 32. After a week of this, she asked me if there was anything else that could be substituted for the G. I asked her if it did not agree. She replied, Oh yes! but it made her feel as though some one else was sick, and not herself; she worried about some other person having her sickness. I asked her if it produced this effect every time she took it; and she said it did. (A case of melancholia is appended, in which the presence of this symptom led to a curative use of the drug.) (W. W. Day, U. S. Medorrhinum Inv., March 1st, 1881.)
19. A girl of 14 took by mistake a teaspoonful of the fluid extr. She had immediately giddiness, headache, great prostration, muscular relaxation, convulsions, staggering gait, want of co – ordination throughout the entire system, widely dilated pupils, double vision, paralysis of upper lids and lower jaw, overflow of saliva from corners of mouth, congestion of face, difficulty of speech, marked dysphagia; the heart’s sounds were heard as if far distant. A semi – comatose state supervened; the face from congested became pale and death – like, surface of body cold, clammy, and finally covered with cold sweat. There was marked fall in temp. of body; resp., at first normal, became gasping; and patient lost consciousness altogether. She eventually recovered, from stimulants, mustard, and artificial respiration. (Friedrich, Medorrhinum Press and Circular, April 18th, 1883.)
20. Suffering severely from facial neuralgia last n., I took 10 min. of the fluid extr. of G. (U. S.P.), and in 1/2 hours, feeling very little better, repeated dose. In 15 m. I was so drowsy that I could scarcely keep awake. There was great pain over frontal region – no neuralgia. Pulse was weak and intermittent; I had cold shivering and dizziness; pupils were slightly contracted; and there was general feeling of collapse. I took a cup of strong tea, and in 5 m. was very sick, vomiting freely, but not feeling any better. I than had a glass of strong brandy and water, which was repeated in 1/2 h. In 2 h. I was all right again. (De Wolfe, Brit. Medorrhinum Journ., 1881, I, 193.) III. 6. Administered to animals under the form of gelsemine it acts upon the motor system. The animal becomes at first dull, it moves only when excited; placed upon its back it recovers a normal position with slowness and awkwardly, and finally ends by no longer reacting, becoming completely inactive and deprived of movement. At the same time the respiration, which was accelerated in the beginning, becomes slower, and finally ceases before the paralysis may be complete. Sometimes there can be observed upon the limbs – during the progress of the paralysis – a peculiar fibrillar trembling. This picture may be troubled, however, by brusque tonic contractions, which place the members in extensor, the fingers spread apart, with true tetanic movements, spontaneous or provoked, which last for a short time, and again reappear after an interval. The heart is attacked last, and exhibits a lessening in its beats more and more marked, but it continues to beat hours after the paralysis is complete, and finally is arrested during a diastole. In a rabbit, with a dose of 1 gramme of the extract of G., or 10 centigrammes of gelsemine, the same phenomena are obtained. After an interval of a few m. the animal is seen to crouch, its ears are thrown back; the respiration becomes dyspnoeic; the pupil dilates, the lids are paralysed, the eye seems full, it fills with tears, becomes glazed, and presents upon the cornea a depression often very marked. The sphincters become relaxed, and there is sometimes an emission of urine and faecal matters. Then the paralysis progresses, the respiration becomes embarrassed, asphyxic convulsions occur, and the heart is soon arrested. (Rouch, Compt. rend. de la Soc. de Biol., Dec., 1882.)
GERANIUM.
Introduction
Geranium maculatum, L. Wild cranesbill. Nat. Ord., Geraniaceae.
Provings
1. Dr. E. C. Beckwith reports the following symptoms as observed upon himself: – Slight pain in occipital region, low down; fulness of eyes; dryness of mouth, extending outwards over lips to cuticle proper, followed by pain in left forehead and over left ear; tip of tongue dry and burning. The most marked symptom noticed was a constant desire for stool, this attended each attempt at proving the drug (2nd trit.); I went to stool often, but each time ineffectually; this went on for some time, and after effects of drug passed off, bowels moved without pain or tenesmus, stool natural and well lubricated. (Ohio Medorrhinum and Surg. Rep., iv, 127.)2. I made an infusion of G. m., and took a teaspoonful. In a few moments I became giddy, and saw double. When I would close my eyes and lie down I felt comfortable, but I could not open them without the recurrence of the above – mentioned symptoms. There was also ptosis and dilatation of the pupils, and my countenance assumed the appearance of one who had been indulging in strong drink a little too freely. I had great difficulty in walking with my eyes open, while I could do so easily when they were closed.
I have tried the decoction on several persons, and five times on myself, with the same result. (E. A. MURPHY, see Brit. Journ of Hom., xxxvi, 79.)
GLONOINUM (see vol.ii, p.609)
I. II.32. M. BOURRU relates the following experiments made on himself with dynamite. This is a combination of nitro- glycerine with an inert siliceous earth. EDS
1 a. For 5 m. I rubbed a small piece of dynamite in the palm of the hand. Almost immediately there was felt a slight numbing pain along the radial nerve from the base of the thumb to the middle of the forearm. Two hours later tensive pain in forehead and ringing in rest of cranium, as if a coryza were coming on.
1 b. For 1/4 hours a piece of dynamite was rubbed between the thumb and index finger. Half an hour later there was painful tension in nasal and frontal sinuses. All day there was a disagreeable feeling in the head like a migraine of medium intensity, which did not prevent close attention to work. At the end of 8 hours the pain disappeared upon going into the open air.
1 c. A small piece of dynamite was tightly held in the palm of the hand for 1/4 hour. Ten m. later there was strong tension in forehead, heat in face; painful arterial beatings in neck and temples; slight nausea; slight dizziness, but not interfering with intellectual work. The pain in the head continued until lying down at n., and disappeared during sleep.
1 d. A piece of dynamite the size of a lentil was placed upon the tongue. At first there was a sweetish taste, then an agreeable acrid taste, and lastly a burning. The mouth was then cleansed, care having been taken not to swallow any of the substance, at the same time rising up to go for some water. At this moment was a sudden onset of vertigo which compelled me to seize hold of the furniture; pressing pain in the occiput; the brain seemed to dilate as if it would burst; the heart beat violently and with rapidity; the arteries of the neck and temples were distended and beat violently; respiratory anguish and slight nausea. An effort of the will was necessary in order to analyze and transcribe the above. After 5 morning the cephalic and cervical tension diminished; pulse 80 and somewhat irregular. Half an hour later the head and heart symptoms were relieved. One hour later on walking out, there was nausea, frontal headache, weakness, exhaustion from incessant yawnings In the evening, after partaking of wines and coffee, all the malaise disappeared. On the next day the head was still dull, and there was great desire for quiet, repose, and sleep; nevertheless I was able to work as usual.
33. A. B -, a florid, healthy looking man of about forty, by occupation a contractor having a great deal to do in constructing drains makes use of dynamite cartridges. He frequently carried one of the cartridges about with him in his bare hand for the purpose of warming it. The cartridges are made of paper, and the nitro – glycerine often leaks through, staining the paper. He has noticed on one or two occasions a stinging sensation when he had a cut or crack on his hand. After this, within a few minutes, he would be seized with an intense headache, burning of the face, ringing in the ears, and a feeling as though the head were enormously enlarged and swollen, together with a palpitation of the heart. At other times the headache would not come on until night, after his return from work. It would then occur accompanied with the same symptoms as during the day, and was traced to his custom, after washing his hands as thoroughly as possible, of touching his tongue with his fingers to see if all the dynamite was washed off. It was only when he tasted a peculiar sweetish taste that the headaches were found to supervene. After being advised of the probable cause of these symptoms he used gloves when handling the cartridges, and did not taste his fingers, and has since had no sensations of the above character. (BARRINGTON NEVITT, Canadian Journ of Medorrhinum Science, 1883.)
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.