Introduction
Several species of Artemisia, Left. Levant worm – seed, Semen contra. Nat. Ord., Compositae.
Provings.
I. HAHNEMANN, Mat. Medorrhinum Pura, vol. of original and translation. Contains 290 symptoms from self and 5 others, and II from authors.
Poisonings.
I. Theodore Georgi, aet. 2.1/2, of scrofulous constitution, but otherwise healthy, on account of thread – worms got from his mother, on November 23rd, at 11 a. m., a heaped teaspoonful of powdered cina – seeds in syrup. In 10 morning violent and repeated vomiting of yellowish water and watery diarrhoea with general convulsions. After 1/2 hour I was called and found the child lying on its mother’s lap, still in convulsions, which had not declined in violence. They consisted in distortion of the limbs in all directions, the fingers and toes only remaining free; head and body were drawn backwards, forwards and sideways, and the struck around him with his arms. Along with these there were violent shocks through the body with stamping of feet downward and butting of head upwards and backward; especially severe were the shocks in the lower part of chest and upper abdominal region, felt when the hand was applied. The face, which was at first pale, became gradually livid and was now quite blue, the eyeballs sometimes convulsively turned upwards so that only the whites were visible, sometimes they were staring straight in front, the pupils dilated and insensible to light. The tongue was sometimes cylindrically contracted and spasmodically extended between lips, even when there was no effort to vomit. Respiration normal, temperature of skin lowered, skin dry, pulse small, contracted, but regular, and not quick (ipec. 1, a drop on sugar every 1/4 hour) Vomited yellowish water twice; the convulsions diminished, and gradually changed into jerkings, and in 1/2 hour
there occurred quiet sleep, the cutaneous turgor returned, there came on general sweat, and the pulse grew stronger. The patient woke lively and cheerful and remained so. (NOACK. Hygea, xvi. 81.)
2. A boy, aet. 7, got in afternoon a teaspoonful of cina powder. That evening he refused to eat, but slept all night. Morning on rising complained of begin tired and sick and soon began to vomit mucus. He continued to complain and suddenly had an attack of convulsions in all his limbs with los of consciousness and foaming at mouth. after 8 morning regained consciousness, but soon became delirious and often cried out aloud, with jerkings in limbs. Great heat, redness of face and thirst. NO stool. After a few doses of bell. 24, had diarrhoea which was repeated after every dose. No more convulsions heat and thirst little abated. Noisy delirium and lying quite still, alternately. at the commencement of the attack the chill screamed out suddenly then fought with his hand in the air and had no sleep. He got hyos. 3 every 4 hours and was soon well. (BETHMANN, Archive, xvi, 2, 106).
3. A shoemaker gave his child, aet. 5 years, cina for a long time in order, as he said, to prevent worms making themselves at home in his bowels. But the more cina the child got the worse he became. I found him extremely weak, pale, with no appetite, he lay all day and perspired incessantly. Every afternoon there came on an attack of heat followed by unusual sweat and deep sleep. China I soon cured him. (Ibid. 107.).
4. A boy, aet. 5, took, on January 25th (Conversion of St. Paul, on which day old and young in Posnik take worm seed) several tablespoonfuls of the seed in the course of the forenoon. In afternoon he asked his father why the sky was green in place of blue. The father, who had taken some of the medicine, observed that a piece of flannel (he was a flannel printer) of a Berlin blue colour, had a greenish hue. Crimson looked fulvous madder – red or bronze coloured, white objects appeared yellow. Neither son nor father had other morbid symptoms except giddiness. a neighbour’s child, who had taken the seeds, had the same illusions as to colour. (SCHMID Deutsche Klinik, Dec. 25th, 1852, p. 595.)
5. A girl, aet. 10, whom her father suspected of having worms, got from him 10 grammes of powder of cina flowers in syrup, on February 26th, afternoon. Evening, she had vomiting with convulsions, cold skin which soon got warm. This state lasted all night, and continued till death. On 27th, passed 9 lumbrici by anus and one by mouth in vomiting. – 28th. Doctor saw her at 11 a. m. Vomiting very violent, the ejected matters still containing the medicine, convulsions during which skin was cool, pupils dilated, and nearly insensible to light, somnolence, could only be aroused by shaking and calling to her, stomach apparently painful, asphyxia. She died on afternoon of 28th, in spite of wine and Seltzer water. The vomiting went on till the last though almost nothing came up. (VON LINSTOW, Vierteljahrsch. fur gericht. Medorrhinum, xxi, 80.).
Experiments on animals.
I An oz. of essential oil was thrown into stomach of rabbit. Within 5 morning animal lay on its side in opisthotonic spasms. Breathing was short and laboured, and in 85 morning death took place, Doses of 3j – 3iij occasioned similar phenomena, but more slowly. (ROSE, Virchow’s Archiv, xvi, 239).
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.