Introduction
Our Lady’s thistle.
Provings.
1. a. REIl. From 1st to 5th of March, 1852, took 5 dr., from 6th to 12th, 10 dr. of tinct. 4 times daily without sensible effect. On 13th and 14th took 12 dr. in same manner. M. stool on 14th harder than usual. On 15th, 4 doses of 15 dr.; very hard evacuation at 8:45 a. m., another similar one at 6:45 p. m. On 16th, 4 doses of 20 dr. One hard stool at 9 p. m. On 17th, 4 doses of 30 dr. Some nausea after each, ending in sense of inflation of stomach, which was increased by a horseback ride p. m. No stool. On 18th, 4 doses of 40 dr. Last night restless, with frequent walking; lying on back produced nightmare, which woke him twice. Very hard, unsatisfactory, difficult evacuation of brown knotty faeces immediately after dinner, somewhat relieving inflation, which nevertheless obliged him to draw long breaths. Slight dullness of head. On 19th, 4 doses of 50 dr. Very decided nausea after 1st dose, much lessened after others by diluting them more; appetite small; urine cloudy, without sediment, golden – yellow, acid; no stool; increasing epigastric uneasiness.
1b. Prepared decoction of 3j of seeds to 3xij of water, boiled down to 3vj. On 20th, took tablespoonful 4 times, with 10 dr. of tinct. to each dose. Nausea after every dose, but somewhat slighter than yesterday; dullness of head all day, with occasional transitory headache in forehead and temples; tongue white in middle, red at tip and edges; empty eructations after food taken without desire; no stool, but inclination for one; urine whey – like, yellowish brown, diminished in quantity, acid. On 21st, same doses with 20 dr. of tinct in each. Same subjective symptoms; at 10 a. m. hard scanty stool; at 11, copious pappy one, but little coloured by bile, more of a chocolate colour, preceded by violent rumbling and colic. Urine as yesterday. really less; after 6 – 8 hours depositing sediment consisting chiefly of chloride of sodium and lime. Experiments with solution of sugar and sulphuric acid gave traces of biliary coloring matter. On 22nd, the same Restless, dreaming night; increased nausea after doses; loss of appetite; feeling of inflation so strong, especially on right side, that he expected to discover by percussion great enlargement of liver, but it was not so, though whole region was painful to pressure; frequent urging to deep breathing, followed by indefinable painful sensations in abdomen; every sudden and strong movement of body painful, both in chest and abdomen; stool at 8 a. m. pappy, loamy, destitute of bilious coloring; urine scanty, brownish, showing presence of biliary coloring matter as before. On 23rd, 3 similar doses with 30 dr. of tinct. in each. After 1st, violent nausea very soon, and, 10 morning later, painful retching and vomiting of acid greenish fluid; pains in stomach for 2 h. After 2nd dose, great nausea, but no vomiting; painful griping in stomach, and cutting here and there in bowels, with rumbling. After 3rd dose, nausea so bad he was obliged to excite vomiting to relieve it. Great debility all day; no stool; urine as before. On 24th, one spoonful, followed by such nausea that he concluded system was saturated with drug, and omitted it. At 6 p. m. unsatisfactory, hard loamy stool; urine as before. Sense of fulness and tension in epigastrium continued, gradually decreasing, till 28th. From 26th, stools began to be pappy as usual, and somewhat tinted with bile; urine remained cloudy till 28th, but on that day and lost all trace of biliary colouring matter. On 29th, quite well. (Hom. Vierteljahrschr., iii, 452.)
2. Dr. BUCHMANN, on December 4th, 1877, took from 1:45 to 2:45 p. m. 5 dr. of tinct. every 10 m. Immediately scraping in throat causing cough. After 3 m. shooting pain on a small spot of 6th left rib in linea axillaris with continued drawing shooting pain on a small spot of 6th left in linea axillaris, with continual drawing pain in that line. After 10 m. drawing pain on inside of left scapula. After 15 m. pressive pain on a spot the size of a shilling on left side of nape at level of mastoid process; soon afterwards on the corresponding part of right side. After 20 m. drawing pain through left pectoral is muscle and left intercostal muscles below axilla; the shooting pain, which affects breathing, gradually forges forwards. After 25 m. pressure in eyeballs as if pressed into orbits; burning in edges of upper lids. After 30 m. tensive pressive pain in sagittal suture as if something contracted round skull After 35 m. transient drawing pain between navel and scrob. cordis in peritoneum from r. to 1., followed by burning pain, with hot feeling in a spot the size of a hen’s egg midway betwixt navel and left inguinal region. Great discharge of flatus. After 40 m. burning pain in skin on inner side of lower half of left forearm, also on outer aspect of left index. After 45 m. drawing pain in skin on outer side of left knee, drawing pain through right pectoralis muscle and on inner border of right scapula; after wards, while driving, continued drawing pain in left side of thorax up to axilla; the shooting pain only felt during expiration and deep inspiration. At 4 p. m. weariness and sleep for 10 m. 7 p. m., after supper, drawing and shooting pain in region of 5th rib during expiration, burning in edges of upper eyelids. 9 p. m., 10 dr. Soon, scraping in throat causing cough, tickling in mucous membrane of outer orifice of nostrils, great discharge of flatus. 11:30 p. m., waking with chilliness and urging to urinate, about 2 tablespoonfuls of urine passed; stitches after deep inspiration as before; paralytic pain in left tibia, drawing pain in cutaneous nerves below patella on outer side of leg; tickling in left nostril; very uncomfortable general feeling, with drawing pain in right scapula and left side of chest; crawling sensation as if a body the size of a pea were moving in a narrow channel on posterior side of liver from right to left in pit of stomach at the level of the edge of the ribs, 3 times after a minute’s pause, each time lasting 3 seconds; feeling of roughness and dryness in palate and fauces causing dry cough, collection of fluid in nasal cavity towards external orifice. – 5th, m. on waking, drawing pain in all back, watery discharge from nostrils, cough from irritation in fauces, slight burning in palate. Noon, flat taste of moderately salt soup, good taste of well salted soup, but repugnance to salted meat. 2 p. m., eructation of air with burning feeling in mouth of stomach as from acidity. 10 p. m. drawing pain in left side of thorax. 2 a. m., wakes with pressure in stomach, burning in eyelids and anus; drawing pain in right upper arm and cardiac region, after passing urine burning in orifice of urethra; 5 dr.. after some moments increased burning in eyelids, several attacks of short dry cough without tickling, rheumatic drawing in 1st joint of left 4th finger, remission of stomach – ache, pressure in precordium, burning in stomach as from acidity, cough caused by rough feeling in faces and oesophagus. 2:15 a. m., burning in pharynx, rheumatic drawing in first joint of right index, burning pain in bowels in hypogastrium; raw feeling in pharynx causing cough. 2:30 a. m., drawing pain with burning in bladder, pressive pain on inner surface of skull at coronal suture, pressure in right pectoralis muscle; drawing pain through bowels in hypogastrium, rough feeling in larynx causing cough, drawing pain in lumbar muscles, when lying on left side tension and pressure in liver. – 6th, m. pressive – burning in eyelids with swelling and weight of them chiefly in left eye, which can only be opened with difficulty, confusion of head with tensive pain in suture of left parietal bone. 4 p. m., when driving, pressive pain betwixt ribs and hip on right side of belly lasting 1/2 hour, drawing pain from r. scapula down back, tensive pain in r. hypochondrium. 5 p.m., weariness and sleep for some m. 7 p. m., sudden painful cramp in muscles of right sole flexing toes, after that has ceased great itching in sole in front of heel; drawing pain on outer side of right 4th finger. – 7th, 5 p. m., drawing pain in back for 1/2 hour, followed by weariness. 10 p. m., 2 dr. After m. drawing pains in right deltoid and back; burning in eyelids. – 8th, 3 a. m., wakes with erection, violent rheumatic pains in right deltoid and in muscles covering right radius; drawing pain all over back; great discomfort and stomach – ache, pressure in eyelids, especially left, with feeling of its being swollen 3:15 a. m., drawing pain in muscles covering left radius; empty feeling in stomach, burning in anus and nostrils; pains in right upper arm become periodically so violent that he cannot refrain from groaning; on raising right upper arm pain in shoulder – joint. 10 a. m., for the last hour drawing pains in right side of back from scapula to lumbar region, changing from one place to another after 1 m. also on outer border of left scapula and through muscles of right or left radius; pain in sole in front of heel increased by moving ankle; painless flatulent distension of ileum; pressure and same feeling in ileum on left side; pressure in nape and right temple; pressure in urethral part of glans; drawing pain from left side of chest to back, then towards left pectoralis muscle; drawing pain through right groin. 5 p. m., drawing pains in back.6 p. m., when walking stiff feeling in knees, at patella and in tendons of hough, with paralysed feeling in legs uncertain, staggering gait. – 9th, m. pain in hip-joints spreading through nates, making rising difficult, aggravated by stooping; drawing pain through back and from outer side of knee to external ankle; burning in eyelids; bruised pain in nates. – 28th, 11:30 a. m., 5 dr., 1st dil. After 3 m. burning in left nostril; drawing pain in back and inner border of right scapula; cold feeling in soles; drawing pain on inner side of right leg to internal ankle; drawing pain in left side of chest; burning in eyelids; empty feeling in stomach; drawing pain in left scapula; drawing pain in lambdoidal suture After 10 m. drawing pain from left and right through scrob cordis and epigastrium; drawing pain through left pectoral-is muscle; hot feeling in face. 11:45 a. m., pressure in forehead and eyeballs; drawing pain from left knee down leg; pain in right concha round orifice of ear. 12 noon, cramp like drawing pain in inner side of right hand, extending to first toe joints of 4th finger; drawing pain through back and hypogastrium; rumbling in ileum (Allg h. Z., xviii, 11.)
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.