Introduction
Arsenite of copper, CuHAsO3; Scheele’s green.
Provings.
1. a. Dr. GEO. S. FOSTER too gr. 1/4 of 2x trit, March 26th, 1868. On 27th, tongue heavily coated brownish-white; feels irritable and peevish; constipated; dark spots before eyes; dizziness; dull heavy aching in occiput; general feeling of dulness in head; debility; no appetite.
1 b. On April 5th repeated dose. Twitching and jerking of facial muscles of left side, between eye and corner of mouth, which was quite violent. 6th. – Two similar doses. Tongue much coated; dizziness; black specks before eyes; much flatulent eructation. 7th.-Very restless; nervous (or rather, nerveless). 8th. – Tongue coated white; breath bad; much itching of scalp last night. At 11 a. m. repeated dose. Peculiar tremulousness of tongue, with coolness of same, metallic taste; tongue white; itching of scalp in evening 9th. – Took 1/2 gr. Tongue still white, at back very thickly coated; fulness of head, slight darting pains in temples. 10th – Tongue same; rumbling in bowels, with sharp quick pains low down. 13th. – Severe pain under lower angle of left scapula, worse when moving or breathing, cannot take full breath without aggravating it; tongue same. Pain lasted till 15th, with oppressed feeling about chest, as if constricted. (Dr. BLAKELY’s provings, Hahn. Monthly, iii, 519.) 2. Dr. R. C. SAMEDLEY took, January 1st – 5th, 3-30 gr. of 12th trit., with only feeling of weakness (once), cutting pain in stomach while eating (once), and distensive rolling sensation in brain, as if he would fall forward, after reading, going off in open air (once). From 10th – 12th took (in all) 75 gr. of 9th trit. without effect, save aggravation of a chronic itching on arms and legs. From 14th – 17th took (in all) 245 gr. of 6th trit. P. m. on 17th urine had strong odour, like that of garlic. At 5 p. m. 6 gr. of 3rd trit. Nausea in evening, with lameness of back. 18th. – Woke with nausea and bitter taste; stiff lameness in back, returned while sitting after exercise. Took 267th gr. in 3 doses today. Besides these symptoms, sense as of gentle rotary motion in head after study; further aggravation of itching, made worse by scratching, an accompanied by small thickly studded elevations; in evening boring pain in right ear; sharp pain in temples, worse in left; pain in right lumbar region and anterior portion of right thigh; chilly feeling over entire body, skin sensitive to contact with clothing, which produces chilly creeping sensation. Slight garlicky odour of urine. 19th. – Felt better on waking; unusual thirst, easily satisfied; cold food relished more than warm; lumbar lameness still continues. at 10 am. took 15 gr. of 3x trit. At 2:30 p. m. twitches of pain in right upper and left lower posterior molars. On 26th took 15 gr. of 6th, on 27th 60 gr., on 28th 190 gr., on 29th 80 gr. without effect, save slight nausea, and a little unsteadiness in head after studying. Thirst and itching remained unabated for several weeks after last medicine was taken. itching had never been more than slight previously; now it was intolerable, requiring “raking, ” so as to convert it into a soreness. (Ibid.)
3. Dr. BLAKELY himself proved 12th, 11th, and 10th potencies; and seemed to have from all considerable temporo- frontal headache, with soreness of bones of head and face. (Ibid.).
Poisonings
I. Two children, a girl, aet.4, and a boy, aet. 2 1/2 were suddenly seized in morning with violent sickness and vomiting of a light green substance, like bile diluted with water. The second time they vomited the mother observed amidst ejected matters some had particles, which provide to be portions of an ornament containing arsenite of copper, which they had eaten that morning. Both continued vomiting same green fluid every 10 or 15 morning. during day, apparently returning copious droughts of water which intense thirst caused them to ask for continually. About noon the complained of pain in bowels, followed by copious but natural stools, after which pains abated. About 5 p. m. ipecacuanha was given, with droughts of tepid water. This increased vomiting for a time, same bilious fluid being more copiously ejected. Hydrated peroxide of iron was given, after which they were sick a few times only. For some time prior to this feet and legs of both were gradually becoming cold, pulse faltering at wrists, faces deadly pale. Hot-water bottles were applied to feet, and they were wrapped in blankets; shortly after this they sank into a quiet and easy sleep, vomiting having entirely ceased. they suffered much from thirst the following night, with slight flushings of face, but next morning seemed will, save that girl complained of headache, an boy had trifling reactive fever. (BALLEY, Medorrhinum Times, XIX, 507.) 2. A boy, aet. 3 1/2 refused his breakfast, felt chilly, and was sick. At 10 a. m. he was seized with convulsions, for which he was put into a warm bath, and they soon passed off. At 11 he was in a semi-comatose state, face placid, skin warm; bowels had acted several times, stools passing involuntarily, watery, bilious, and very offensive; no abdominal tenderness. In evening it was reported that slight convulsive twitchings of facial muscles had been observed; he had been more feverish but now was less so; had not been sick; bowels less freely open. Next day., 7 a. m., another child had been seized with convulsions with violent shrieks, and some dysentery. First child was almost in state of asphyxia, skin cold, pulse feeble, face livid. He improved under stimulants, but p. m. was again seized with a severe tetanic convulsion, and from that time alternations of repose and convulsion (amounting sometimes to perfect opisthotonos) continued till he died at midnight, 38 hours from commencement of attack. P. M. Dejections from boy in napkin were deploy tinged with bile; those from girl wee of deep yellow colour. On inner surface of stomach, at cardiac end, there were small red patches. Contents of stomach were 3v of chocolate brown fluid, of consistence of gruel. A patch of large intestine was redder than usual. (METCALFE, Lancet, 1860, ii, 535-536). 3. A girl, aet.14, took 1/2 oz. She was seized with severe symptoms, and brought to the hospital after 1 1/2 hours. On Dr. Schaefer’s arrival, vomiting had set in, vomit depositing a green sediment. She had sunken eyes, trembling of limbs, great thirst, burning sensation about throat, malaise; spat up mucus streaked with blood; gastric region tender, and touching it gave great pain; pulse 132. Later, there was pain in calves. Vomiting was encouraged by warm water and hydrated oxide of iron given, of which the first doses were vomited. After 2 hours she was no worse, As she had not urinated for 4 1/2 hours, the urine was drawn off. Except headache, no other symptoms occurred on 1st day. She gradually improved, and on 4th day had regained her appetite, but on taking food she had a sensation of pressure in region of stomach. Dismissed well on 9th day. (Zeitschr der k. k. Ges. der Aertze zu Wien, March 8th, 1858.).
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.