3. Mr. FRANKLIN BIGELOW, aet.24, sanguine, nervous temperament, took 2 dr. tinct. Effects at first were so slight that he did not think them worth nothing, but 8 days after taking it he experienced sensation of heaviness and oppression of head; severe and oppressive pains in forehead and vertex; headache, very distressing; gloomy and indisposed to exertion of any kind; became tired and greatly exhausted very easily; headache comes on after dinner and continues till evening. At same time excessive drawing and crampy pains in lower limbs, extending from thigh to toes; pains seem to proceed from bones as well as the muscles. Excessive crampy pains in whole right foot. During and after a walk symptoms are all much aggravated; it seemed as if limbs could not be made to move another step. When the pains are felt above knee they are not felt below, and vice versa. Excessive drawing and contracting pains in left gastrocnemius. The other pains in the limbs all abate while sitting; this does not, – no position seems to relieve it. Drawing and aching pains, which seem to come from bones. Heaviness and feeling of weight in the limbs. But little inclination to sleep; when it does come on dreams much of business, etc. Eyes much inflamed and weak, with great flow of tears at intervals. (Ibid)
4. I commenced my proving of this drug in 1858. I have since proved it on at least 50 persons. The tinct. of the root was employed, in doses of 1-5 dr. A few provings were made with the 3x dil. (in all these the characteristic eruption was developed). The following is a brief digest of its pathogenesis:
4 a. Pain of head is a very constant symptom, generally dull, stupefying, and pressive; most frequently in forehead and temples; bruised pain above and at back of orbits; tightness of brain; often more or less nausea with headache; giddiness pretty constant; an intoxicated feeling and tendency to stagger, often with dizziness or imperfection of vision. The head symptoms are aggravated by smoking; they are felt very soon, sometimes within 5 morning.
4 b. Mind irritable, impatient; incapacity to think or fix attention; confusion; stupid intoxicated feeling; dulness of all mental faculties. In one case, great and almost uncontrollable mirthfulness, but it is not said at what stage.
4 c. Great heaviness of lids; difficulty of opening eyes or keeping eyes open; eyes close in spite of him, on looking steadily at an object; fulness and congestion of lids. Diplopia when inclining head towards either shoulder, but single vision when holding head erect (I case); objects seemed double upon raising head from stooping position or on looking sideways, but not when looking directly at them (I case). Dryness of eyes. Misty or glimmering appearance before eyes. Pain in orbits, sometimes excessive.
4 d. Mawkish taste in mouth; clammy, feverish feeling and taste; great hunger (I case); feeling of emptiness and weakness in stomach and bowels; eructations; hiccup; slight pain in transverse colon, with yellow colour of face (I case) gnawing pain in region of transverse colon all afternoon; slight pain in left iliac region (2 cases); frequent sharp darting pain through left hypochondriac region; after experiencing chills, headache, fever, and prolonged sweating 17 hours after taking drug was awakened by severe moving pains in lower abdomen, soon followed by a very large but natural stool, without relief of pain, and soon after by a deeply bilious discharge, with instant relief of pain, – 19 hours after, another bilious evacuation, without pain, rumbling in region of umbilicus.
4 e. Urine increased in quantity, clear and watery; frequent micturition, – as often as every 1/2 hour.
4 f. In a few cases, watery discharge from nose; paroxysms of hoarseness, with dryness of throat; voice seems weak; stitching sensation in region of heart; stitches in chest; shuddering pain in right breast; constrictive pain round lower part of chest.
4 g. Pain in back, as in cold stage of ague (many cases); coldness of extremities, especially feet (often seven); feet felt as if in cold water. This symptoms occurs early, and is generally accompanied with heat of head and face, and with headache, with anguish feeling, pain in and between bones of left leg; not able to go downstairs, without holding on to something. Pain under right knee when walking. Pain in lower limbs (very common).
4 h. Febrile chilliness, with cold extremities and heat of head and face, with headache (an early symptom in most cases). Pulse very uniformly depressed, and down by 10-20 beats, within first 5 or 10 m., if subject remains quiet, but liable to great variations from exercise. In one case pulse rose from 60 to 70 in first 5 morning, but in next trial fell 10 beats in same time. In man cases, pulse soon becomes very feeble, sometimes scarcely perceptible, with chilliness, cold feet, heat, heat and pain of head, etc. After 1 to several hour chilliness subsides, general hat supervenes, mostly about head and face, with full pulse of 80- 100. In most cases, perspiration follows, sometimes profuse, lasting a few hour to 2 hours, with thirst, languor, and prostration. One feels as if he had had “a fit of sickness.” Another speaks of “every symptom of ague; would have thought he had the ague.”
4 i. Disposition to yawn; a sort of stupor; cannot keep eyes open; is obliged to lie down and sleep. Sleepiness, and long and sound sleep, are very general symptoms.
4 j. The drug produces a peculiar and very marked eruption in most of the provings. It appears chiefly on face, less frequently and less conspicuously on back, between shoulders, etc. It is papular, of much the same colour as that of measles, but the papulae are larger, and more distant and instinct. They are attended with little or no sensation, the subject being unaware of their existence until he happens to see himself. This eruption generally appears the 2nd or 3rd day of the proving, and continues one or two weeks, or more.
4 k. General symptoms were-weakness and trembling through whole system; listless and languid; great lassitude; feeling of lightens of body and sense of instability of whole system; feeling of danger of stumbling or falling; fugitive or fixed pains here and there; easily fatigued, especially in lower limbs, general feeling of illness, as in fever. (J. S. DOUGLASS, M. D., United States Journ of Hom. i, I bis[*In a later communication(Nov., 1861) Dr.Douglass writes:
a. My experience does not perfectly coincide with your remark upon the action of G.upon the nerves of sensation. It does not, certainly, “cause the numbness, tingling, prickling, and crawling sensations” of aconite, but in my individual experience, it causes the pains. In my own provings I have frequently experienced a succession of acute, sudden, darting pains, evidently running along single nerve branches in almost every part of body and limbs, sometimes so sudden and acute as to make me start. At one time a quick succession of these acute sudden pains coursed down the outside and front of the tibia for 1/2 hour leaving a lime of considerable tenderness marking its track.
b. You remark that you have not been able to elicit such marked symptoms in your provings as were experienced by me. The symptoms particularly referred to are the chills, the reactive febrile heat with headache, and the sweat. You suggest that I am probably very susceptible to the action of this drug. This remark suggests an important fact which has gradually unfolded itself in my successive fragmentary provings on some seventy persons, and on myself. It is that the degree of chill, of febrile reaction, of headache, and of neuralgic pain, bears a very uniform ratio to the nervous sensitiveness of the patient….In several highly sensitive subjects the chill has been equal to a respectable fit of ague the reaction and pain of head corresponding, and the sweat profuse. These symptoms have been most marked in some female provers of this temperament, taking 1/2 dr.doses(Monograph on Gelsemium, by E.M.HALE, M(>)D(>), 1862*]
5. Dr. W. E. PAYNE proved fluid extr. in 1859.
5 a. April 7th, 9:30 p. m., took 4 dr. in water; on 8th, 5 dr. in morning and 6 in forenoon; on 9th, at 5 a. m., 6 dr.; and on 10th, at 6:30 a. m., 10 dr. At 2 p. m. on 10th, when lying down, pain under left floating ribs, suddenly, as from thrust with a sharp instrument. In an instant pain disappeared but appeared as suddenly in left temple, causing involuntary contraction of brow. At 2:30 there was full and crowded feeling in whole head, and sensation of feverish heat in face; nevertheless temperature of skin did not appear augmented. At 3 took 6 dr. on sugar. In 1/2 hour pulsative pains in left hypochondrium, continuing 1 hour 11th. – At 9 a. m. 6 dr. In 1 hour, while sitting, sensation as if galvanic current were passing down forearms and hands; same also in feet. At 2, when lying down, pulsative pains in left hand and finger – joints, and at same time in right foot, more severe in ball of great toe, continuing for 2 hours. 12th. – At 6 a. m., 6 dr. Fulness about head. 13th. – At 9 a. m., 10 dr. 14th – At 3 p. m., 10 dr. Feverish heat in face; full and crowded feeling in head, with pain as if brain were bruised, and accelerated pulse (90); general fatigue; aching in loins; soreness of trapezius muscles on moving. At 6, sensation if galvanic current were passing through forearms, continuing for 1/2 hours. The sensitive and bruised feeling of the brain continued for 2 days., the aching and soreness in muscles of neck and shoulders for 4 days.
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.