CHROMIUM


Proving Symptoms of homeopathy medicine Chromium, described by Richard Hughes in his book, A Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesis, published in 1895….


Introduction

Including Acidum chromicum, chromium trioxide, CrO3 H2O; Chromium oxidatum, chromic sesquioxide, Cr2O3; and Kali bichromicum, potassic dichromate, K2Cr2O7. (Unless otherwise specified, the last will be understood as the preparation employed.).

Provings.

1. a. the following list of symptoms is the result of several provings with low dilutions of chronic acid on myself in the course of several months. The symptoms appeared only after a long continued and repeated taking of the acid. Pains on left side are worse and longer lasting than those on right; quick walking gives relief; cold water and strong draught of air cause or increase pains. Tiredness and weakness. Mostly in evening, disagreeable prickling and itching here and there, with uneasiness in limbs, so that he was obliged to get up from sitting or lying, and walk about. Notwithstanding good sleep at n., great sleepiness in daytime; but if he lies down for a nap he cannot fall asleep. Wakes at early dawn, and cannot fall asleep again, although still sleepy and not down, and cannot fall asleep again, although still sleepy and not excited. Heavy, dull, stupid. Diminished vision. Occasionally, sensation in r ear as if water was in it, coming and going suddenly. Soon after going to bed (10 p. m.) two attacks of every violent toothache on right side, each lasting about 10 or 15 m., with free interval of several m. During 2nd attack, painful teeth seemed as if too long; pain extended into forehead; he was frequently obliged to change his position, and afterwards felt such uneasiness in limbs that he was compelled to get up and walk about. Even next m. teeth of right side felt so long, and cold water produced pain. Repeated toothache of short duration, especially in right lower jaw; during attacks corresponding artery beats more violently than that of other side. In n. sudden violent pain in several undecayed teeth in left lower jaw, with similar arterial involvement. In m., after usual rinsing of mouth with cold water, toothache in. lower jaw for short time. During eating, though food tastes natural, sense as if exhaled air smells putrid, almost causing nausea. More hawking of phlegm than usual. Transient nausea at different times when stomach is empty; in 1/2 hours after simple supper, nausea, gradually increasing, with sensation as if stool would follow. Sudden violent stitch in region of heart, pain disappearing only gradually after several m. For almost 3 weeks, apparently deep – seated pain, with stiffness, from left scapula and shoulder, up neck to occiput; for several days so violent that slightest motion of affected parts was very painful, at n. even sleep was impaired, only certain positions were endurable; rising from recumbent position caused much pain, and turning of head backward or towards left was impossible; pain felt least when standing and walking; at times it extended to elbow and to muscles below shoulder, all muscles connected with shoulder were more or less painful to touch, and use left arm was impeded; least draught of air increased pain; there was stitching on deep breathing, and very violent pain on coughing (after taking Daphne indica this pain departed, first moving down to pelvis, making lumbar region sensitive). Several times short – lasting pain, with lameness in meddle of upper arm in front, as from a severe blow. Arms fall asleep easily. Drawing deep – = seated pain, as if in bone, in upper right thigh, in front, extending to hip – joint.

1b. After a few dr, of Ix, dl. shortly before supper several times vomiting of food, then three times of bile, with much retching, at intervals of 5 or 10 m., with (warm) perspiration; quick walking relieves nausea which precedes each vomiting. Between attacks, pressure and fulness in stomach, obliging him to loosen clothes. (F. G.OEHME, M. D.M N. Y.Journ. of Hom., left 367.)

2. a. DUFFIELD took 5th dil. of chromic acid for 3 days, 3 doses daily. Experienced sense of lightness of head, like vertigo, with heat in face; dull pain over left eye as if headache would set in; pulsative sensation from region of heart to left eye and left side of head, with general fulness in frontal region; slightly acute pains in left hypochondrium; pulse full and a little accelerated; late going to sleep, with restlessness during n. and anxious dreams.

2 b. Took 6th dil. in same way for 4 d. On 2nd day very painful external piles; pulse at 7 a. m. 48, at 3 p. m. 64. On 3rd day, piles internal and bleeding. On 4th day, fulness in head at n., with peculiar sensation of lightness at heart, and vertigo when descending stairs; rawness or soreness in chest, with slight dry hacking cough; pulse at 10 a. m. 82; feet, naturally burning hot, were cold. On 5th day, fulness and throbbing in fore part of head, emptiness of chest with soreness on pressure, and cold feet; eyes sore, feeling heavy as if inflamed; after dreaming of it in n., attack of strangury in m., from which he did not get relief for nearly 2 hours; slight pain and throbbing in left lung; pulse at 8 a. m. 72, at 4 p. m. 84. Without note of time, – Accumulation of tough mucus in throat, with constant inclination to swallow it, as it cannot be hawked up; haemorrhoidal discharge from anus during stool, pretty copious, with weakness in small of back; pain in lumbar region at 9 p. m.; dull aching pain on top of left shoulder, as if from great fatigue, lasting 2 hours, at 10 a. m., also sensation as of paralysis in right leg, from knee down; distressing dreams at n., about to be put to death by person, and at same time innocent of crime. (ALLEN’S Encyclopedia, iii, 275.)

3. a. Nov. 24th, 1842, Dr. DRYSDALE began to take r gr. of Ix. trit. of C. oxidatum 3 times a day 25th. – Dull pain at inner angle of left scapula in evening 26th. – In m., transitory undefined pains in elbows. 27th. – After breakfast and dinner, fetid musty smell in posterior nares, chiefly perceived in expiration. In forenoon dull confusion of head. In evening pricking in skin at various points, smarting in eyelids. 28th. – For several days dull, bruised, fatigued feeling in legs, especially above knees, with some pain on firm pressure; transitory pains in various parts; feeling of dryness and uneasiness in right eye and right nostril. 29th. – Bad taste in morning; fulness and slight shooting pains about anus in m. and forenoon; itching of skin round eyes and over cheek – bones in evening 30th. – Dreamed of having pain under apex of heart, and woke with such pain; sudden inclination to vomit in m. while dressing, with flow of water in mouth and dull pressure in stomach; unusual hunger in middle of d. Dec. Ist. – Metallic taste in mouth before dinner; pricking in tongue; itching and smarting round eyes, especially inner canthi; deep seated pain in back of left chest and corresponding place in front, with feeling on deep inspiration as if root of lung could not expand and was painful. Itching in various parts in evening, in toes burning and itching like chilblains (to which he is not subject). 2nd. _ Woke early from vivid dreams with pains suddenly shifting to various parts of the trunk – at one time dull at inferior angles of scapulae; then pressive in right hypochondrium, edge of false ribs, region of bladder; then dull pressive over right eye; then in knee. Fulness about rectum, and difficult evacuation of a soft scanty stool. For several day frequent passing of flatus and frequent aching and shooting pains about epigastrium. The symptoms seem to be generally most in m. 3rd. – Same pain about left scapula, in morning; pinching pain at epigastrium; a sort of sudden jerk of both eyeballs for a second. 4th. – In n. severe boring pain in left chest below axilla, about 4th rib, not increased by motion or respiration, going off on turning to right side; pains in knees; itching and drawing pains in balls of feet, at root of toes, painful on treading. 5th.. – In evening in bed, pain in region of heart, a fine – drawing, nervous pain, at times reaching through chest to shoulder and neck; on lying on left side, sort of clucking painful sensation on deep breathing. In evening violent disagreeable pain as from flatulence came on in right side from lumbar region round to caecum, brought on by any movement of trunk or by deep inspiration – not felt on sitting or lying still. 6th. – This m. in bed same pain still felt very troublesome; rather better on getting up. 7th. – Still pain in loin;; it seems to arise in a spot which is tender to pressure about 1 in. to right of middle lumbar spine. Rheumatic pains about right shoulder and various parts of back. Flatulence and rumbling of abdomen have continued troublesome for several days, also almost daily pricking in tongue at various times. Superficial burning pain about middle dorsal vertebrae; sudden jerking pains in left ear; cold feeling in small spot in meatus of left ear. In bed severe quivering boring deep – seated pain in inner side of thighs, especially left 8th. – Pain in loins continued; occasionally indistinct pains like a strain about balls of feet; shooting pains in left temple. 9th. – Still lumbar pain, most felt in m. in bed; itching in right palm; pricking in tongue; several sharp cutting pains over left eyeball at n. in bed; smarting and heaviness in eyelids in evening 10th. – Lumbar pain gone; same symptoms in tongue and eyes. 11th and 12th. – In m. heavy muscular pains in neck and shoulders, and various parts of trunk, soon going off and only slightly felt in back during day 13th. – Drawing pains in left scapula occasionally throughout day, but most in morning; sharp drawing pain in bones and ligaments of right foot.

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

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.