12 a. A. about the end of the 1st week felt soon after dinner at slight sensation of pressure in stomach that lasted about 1 hours 2 day previously he had much flatulence, and though usually quite regular, had no stool. The following days the bowels became again regular, but the tiresome feeling of pressure in stomach persisted, lasting till e. Appetite and sleep normal. – At the commencement of the 2nd week, the stomach was painfully sensitive to external pressure. The stomach pains became relieved during the n., but in the m. of the 3rd day there was nausea and great inclination to vomit, with loss of appetite. About 3 p. m. general restlessness, constricted feeling in chest and precordial anxiety. Head hot and red, carotids beat strongly, the pulse which in the m. was 68 rapidly rose to 98. After 1 hours all this passed away, in the evening the pulse was 74. The 2 next day he felt tolerably well, the stool was regular, pappy, the pressure in stomach continued. On the last day of the week the above described attack occurred at the same time but in a still more intense degree. He had marked dyspnoea and had to take deep breaths in order to allay it. The flatulence had persisted all the week, the flatus had a strong smell of sulphurated hydrogen gas. Sleep and appetite good. – The 3rd week the stomach and respiratory symptoms were not observed. But the sleep became restless, in the 2nd n. there was profuse sweat, sensation of great heat, and tiresome itching of skin. On waking next m., though he had never previously suffered in his eyes, he now felt a shooting sensation in them with great heaviness of eyelids. There was great congestion of the palpebral conjunctiva and tarsal border of the lids with moderate secretion from the Meibomian glands. The eye affection got better in the course of the day but recurred next m. in the same degree. Next day it was much increased and persistent, the lids were stuck together in the m. and there was copious secretion in the canthi. This affection only declined gradually some time after the end of the proving. At the same time as the conjunctivitis was developed he felt increased muscularity with general excitement, so that he was later of getting to sleep than usual. The hot feeling of the skin persisted also during the d. On the 4th day after it commenced there appeared on neck and chest an extensive eruption of acne. The flatulence continued, appetite and stool were normal, on one afternoon there was a transient recurrence of the congested feeling in chest and head. – The 4th week was characterised by an increase of the conjunctivitis. The hot feeling and itching all over the body disturbed the night’s rest very seriously. The acne became associated with numerous small furuncles. Appetite more than normal. He felt distinctly greater muscular power, the limbs seemed to possess more elasticity. The greater development of flatulence continued, the pulse during the whole proving was harder and fuller than normal. No more iron was taken after the end of this week. – The following week was distinctly bad. The feeling of fulness and pressure in stomach with painfulness to external pressure recurred. The whole body felt tired and prostrated. The pulse, which had been quicker and regular during the proving, became slow and irregular so that after every 4th beat there came a double beat. The limbs felt as if made of lead, then ensued drowsiness and disinclination for all work. On one occasion he slept for 14 hours continuously. Whilst the acne slowly receded the conjunctivitis remained and the appetite grew worse. The painfulness of the stomach increased: there was intense bitter eructation after eating for several successive d. Sometimes bulimy came on, which however immediately ceased on commencing to eat. On the afternoon of the 5th day there occurred a violent fit of dyspnoea, the chest felt constricted, with great anxiety. After this all the symptoms declined, but the attack above described again occurred with all its previous intensity after 8 d. Without any obvious cause at about 3 p. m. there came on quite a stormy action of the heart. Its beats were irregular, the pulse hard, 105, irregular, great precordial anxiety and dyspnoea. These symptoms lasted about 1 hours, then gradually declined, but a similar fit recurred at the same time on the next 4 d. The conjunctivitis also recurred with all its previous intensity. From this time all morbid symptoms rapidly disappeared, and in a short time the health was again completely normal.
12 b. The three other persons developed very similar symptoms. In these also the action of the iron began with the same stomach affection, and at the same time there occurred congestion with stormy heart’s action and dyspnoea. In all the cases there was a sensation of increased general health; at times there were attacks of great nausea and general heat. In all 3 also after leaving off the iron there came on general prostration and depression, tiresome fulness and pressure in stomach, eructation of bitter stuff after eating, derangement of the hitherto regular stool, loss of appetite, and corporeal debility. B and C had attacks of vertigo in the m. after rising; D, who had previously suffered from chronic constipation, after the 1st week of taking the drug enjoyed easy and regular stools.
The following table shows the m. and evening pulse during the whole time of observation. The occasional afternoon rise of the pulse to 100 and upwards does not appear in this table, which is limited to the m. and evening pulse.
(Experimentelle Beitrage zur Eisenwirkung, Diss. 1887, quoted by Prof. Hugo Schulz in Virchow’s Archiv, 1887, vol. cix.)
LYCOPODIUM (see vol. iii, p. 155)
I. 27. A few day ago I took 5 gr. of the 1x trit. Two hours afterwards a fit of gastralgia came on, which continued for several m. and then passed off. Two hours later I went to bed apparently well. During the n. I had anything but pleasant dreams. First, I had a long and arduous task in trying to eject a crowd of London gamins, who persisted in occupying my premises, but who unfailingly returned after each ejection. After this I found myself sleeping in the whispering gallery of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and was considerably alarmed to observe that the dome was inclining to one side, and that I was in imminent danger of being suddenly landed in Ludgate Hill. In endeavouring to escape I awoke, glad enough to find my alarm unfounded; but I noticed that there was a more rapid action of the heart than I had ever before experienced. I had also a headache. For a few day after this I experienced uncomfortable gastric sensations, such as one might expect from over – indulgence. I did not notice any action on kidneys or bladder. (Herring, Hom. World, Sept., 1891.)
MERCURIUS CORROSIVUS
In the first No. of the Reports of the London Homoeopathic Hospital (Oct. 1891), there is a proving of this drug from the pen of Dr. J. H. Clarke. It is a record, extending during 142 days, of symptoms commencing after rubbing the 3x dil. on the gums to relieve a gumboil. It is calculated that during the two days’ use of this measure a quantity of tinct. = gr. 1/17 of the salt was employed. The patient, however, had only recently been seriously out of health; and after using the M. corr. it is noted that ” all the old symptoms returned, and new ones as well. ” Under these circumstances, we hardly see our way to do more than refer to the observation in question.
MERCURIUS CYANATUS (see vol. iii, p.260)
II. 4. I was called to a young man of 28, and found him with altered countenance, small and frequent pulse, cold sweat: throat, velum palati and base of tongue were covered with grayish false membranes, apparently well – organised. Patient acknowledged that he had endeavoured, on the previous day, to poison himself with cyanide of mercury, but had taken so large a dose as to cause vomiting. This had saved him. I gave the antidotes to mercury, and improvement soon set in. Little by little, the false membranes diminished in thickness, but the tongue changed in appearance, and the buccal mucous membrane showed mucous patches like those of secondary syphilis. is this a reminiscence (a very faint one) of the case recorded as II. 3? – EDS. (Leon Simon, Trans. of Paris Hom. Congress of 1889, p. 100.)
PHOSPHORUS
II. 39. a. A. D. -, a widow, aet. 36, a fair – haired, well – nourished woman, was admitted into the female ward of the North – West London Hospital on May 10th last, under the care of Dr. Donald Hood. The patient was brought to the hospital about midnight, with a history of having accidentally taken a mixture of phosphorus paste in beer which had been prepared for the purpose of killing beetles. A small bottle holding about an ounce was shown, about one – third full of the paste, the remainder having been swallowed. When first seen the patient was retching violently, but after the administration of sulphate of zinc she vomited a small quantity of bilious fluid, smelling strongly of the poison. Previously to this she had taken hot mustard and water, which had produced a copious emesis. After the direct effects of the emetic had passed off, the patient stated that she felt quite recovered, and wished to go home; but in view of complications, both medical and legal, arising, she was persuaded to stay in hospital. She remained perfectly free from symptoms, both subjective and objective, for four days after admission. The urine examined did not reveal anything abnormal. The further course of the case was as follows: –
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.