Introduction
Potassic nitrate, KNO3, Nitre, saltpetre.
Provings.
1. HAHNEMANN, Chronic Diseases, part iv. of original vol. of translation. Contains 588 symptoms from self and 3 others, and 122 from authors.
2a. I applied a thermometer to the pit of my stomach, and found that the highest degree to which the thermometer would rise was 98 degree. I then took 3j of N. dissolved in of water; 2 m. after this my pulsations were reduced from 72 to 64; 4 m. after they were as low as 62, and from that time they began gradually to increase, till at the end of 10 m. they were at 70, and soon after at 72, the exact number at which they were before I took draught. About 20 m. after I had taken the N., on looking at the thermometer, the mercury had risen from 98 degree to 99 1/2 degree, and in 20 m. more it was fallen again to 98 degree, and my pulse still continued to beat 72; this was exactly, in every respect, the state in which I was before I took it. As the rising and falling of the mercury in all the subsequent trials was extremely regular, I shall leave out of my narrative of the following experiments the observations I made on it, and lay it down as a postulatum that whatever power N. may have of cooling the body, it does not exert it in any perceptible manner on its external parts.
2b. About an hour after I had taken the first draught I took a second. My pulse beat 70 before I took it, but in I m. after no more than 60, though it soon became quicker, so as at the end of 10 m. to beat 68, and in a few m. more 70. As soon as I had taken it I felt a chilliness all over my body, but more particularly at my stomach, which continued for about 20 m. to give me a good deal of uneasiness. It then began to decrease, and in little more than 1/2. hours was entirely gone off.
2c. The next d. I repeated the same experiment. Before I took the dose my pulse beat 64; the 2nd m. after the stroke were reduced to 60; the 5th m. after they were 63, and soon came to 64, as before I took it.
2d. The day following I took a drachm dissolved in 2 oz. of water. Before I took it my pulse beat 73; the 2nd m. after it fell to 66; the 4th m. after it rose to 69; and from that time became still more frequent, till at the end of 9 m. it had recovered its usual strength, and was at 73.
2e. Twenty m. after this dose I took of N. dissolved in 3 oz. of water. After 2 m. my pulse was weak, fluttering, and unequal, and beat about 70 in a m.; soon after I felt a painful sensation at the upper orifice of my stomach, and on arising from my chair, it was with some difficulty that I walked through the room; I then returned to the chair and felt my pulse again; it was now become so quick, fluttering, and irregular, and my head was so giddy, that I could not exactly number the strokes it beat, though, as near as I could judge, they were between 96 and 100; in about an hours every one of these disagreeable symptoms began to abate, and continued slowly decreasing all that day; the next m. when I got out of bed they were entirely gone off.
2f. I dissolved in 3 oz. of water, which I left 12 hours exposed to the air, and then swallowed; immediately before I took it my pulse beat 64; the 2nd m. after it beat the same; the 4th m. after it beat 59, and from that time began to increase as in the former experiments till it came to the standard at which it had been before I took the N.
2g. I dissolved in a quart of water, which I began to drink early in the m., and by taking small draughts of it as often as I had convenience, I finished the whole at 8 that n. without feeling any uneasiness from it, or being sensible of its having operated any other way than by urine.
2h. Two day after I dissolved 1 oz. of N. in the same quantity of water, and drank it in the same time; it gave me no uneasiness, nor had any sensible effects.
2i. Some day after this I dissolved 1 1/2 oz. of N. in 3 lbs. of water, and took a draught of it every hours, except in bed; the whole was drunk in 24 hours; after 4 or 5 draughts I felt a slight chilliness at my stomach every time I took it; but this generally went off before the time of taking the next draught, and on that account gave me but little pain.
2j. I now resolved to try what would be the effect of the same quantity of N. when every different dose was taken immediately on its being dissolved. For this purpose I divided 1 oz. into equal parts, and took one of these parts, dissolved in 4 oz. of water, every 90 m. The weather at this time was very warm, and therefore the first 3 or 4 doses cooled and refreshed me; the fifth and sixth, however, gave me a chilliness and pain in my stomach; the seventh and eighth increased these sharp stinging pains, not only in my stomach, but through my whole body, which were so violent that for 15 m. after each dose I could not breathe without feeling a very acute pain on every inspiration.
jk. As I had been able to take 1 1/2 oz. of N. with very little inconvenience when it had been long dissolved, I resolved to make one more effort to try if I could manage the same quantity, when every dose was taken immediately after being dissolved. I therefore prepared 8 powders of each, with a design to take one of them every 90 m., as in the last experiment; the second dose gave me a chilliness at the stomach; the third gave me some of the above – mentioned pains, and the fourth increased them to such a violent degree that I was obliged to desist from taking any more. (ALEXANDER, Exp. Essays, 1770.) 3. RUMMEL proved 1st trit. June 7th, 1837, took, p. m., 6 gr. Soon after, great heat of face and of upper lip; hands hotter than usual, without acceleration of pulse. Roughness in nasal fossae, as if catarrh was impending. Slight dull hissing in ears. Slight afflux of water into mouth. 8th. – A large painless pimple on inside of lower lip, which lasted for several day, but disappeared without suppurating. Drawing in tibia. At 5 p. m. took 10 gr. Dull pressive pain in right chest over false ribs, later going towards pit of stomach, and remaining there some time, with much eructation and noisy emission of flatus. Some chilliness and yawning soon after dose; pain as after a blow in hams; transient tearing drawing in middle finger of left hand; pressure on stomach changes to sensation of hunger. 9th. – On waking, eyes a little inflamed, as in catarrh, with pressure, especially in l. Frequent attacks of tearing – drawing in parietal and frontal bones with confusion in head. Stool delayed. Oppression of chest. 10th. – Oppression continues, especially in m., with pressure at stomach; pricking shoots in glans penis; some soft stools; towards evening head confused again, with drawing in sides and front. 11th. – Pressure at stomach and oppression of chest continue, obliging him frequently to draw deep breaths; confusion and drawing again in head. 12th. – Stomach somewhat painful in m. and head confused in evening ( Archiv, xvii, 2, 123.) 4. SCHROEDER, after having long observed a homoeopathic diet and satisfied himself as to his perfect health took, June 20th, in m., as much N. as would lie on point of penknife, repeating dose at 9 and 10 a. m. Murmuring in ears, as of running water; borborygmus; pinchings in transverse colon. 21st. – At 6:15 a. m., a teaspoonful in warm water. Nausea in stomach, slight burning and pressure, eructations, scanty soft stool; shootings in left sacral region on sitting. At 8, repeated dose. I evening, strong tinnitus in left ear; pressure of flatus and feeling as if diarrhoea would set in, a few drops of thin fluid escaping with wind. 22nd. – At 6:30 a. m., a heaped teaspoonful. Disgust and shudderings some time after ingestion; nausea in stomach, burning and pressure recurring and lasting nearly all day, slighter towards evening; pulse frequent, hard; breathing quickened, with sense of febrile weakness in whole body. At 8:30, a second dose. Pressure in the forehead above root of nose, and sense of tension of skin there. Starting in muscles of r.arm. At 10 and 11, repeated dose. Soon after last teaspoonful pinchings in stomach. Painful swelling f left epididymis behind and below testicle, to size of hazel – nut; testicles sensitive and retracted, with pressive feeling within them; pain in pubic region on touching it; smarting in urethra during micturition, on finishing act burning pain, – urine reddish; pressure towards both ears and temples. 23rd. – In m., pulse quick and hard, breathing accelerated, with febrile weakness and tremor; p. m., shootings in right chest between 5th and 6th ribs. In evening, pressure and tension in forehead as yesterday (quite unwonted with him). 24th. – Pressure in stomach, relieved by eructations, m.; tearings in metacarpal bone of right index and in wrist. Disagreeable hypochondriacal state of mind he is discontented with himself and everybody, sad, irritable, and averse to all mental exertion. ( Ibid.) 5. LIER, June 18th, at 7 a. m., fasting, took 5 gr. of N. Nothing occurred save eructation, borborygmi, and unusual flatulence, – first extending to following day 20th. – At same hours repeated dose, with same result; also much thirst. 8 p. m., pressure and darting pain, transient, in right chest. Omission of usual evening stool. Sound sleep till midnight; after that frequent dreaming, and walking from dryness of tongue and mouth, with thirst. 21st. – On rising, he is still sleepy and weary; later, he feels better. At 3 p. m., hard stool, with violent straining. 22nd. – At 8 a. m., 15 gr. Eructations and flatulence as before. Anorexia and much thirst; towards noon, sensation as if oesophageal mucous membrane was covered was covered with thick viscid mucus; towards evening, vomiting after drinking some Bavarian beer. No stool. Sleep restless, disturbed by anxious dreams. In m., dryness of tongue and mouth. 23rd. During whole m. pressure under sternum; p. m., frequent shoots, of brief duration, in left chest; frequent pressure in rectum, with hard stool at 6 p. m. Sleep good. (Ibid.) 6a. FINZELBERGER, aet. 26, June 7th at 6 a. m. took 6 gr. of 1st trit. Immediately, eructations, sense of heat in stomach. Pressive headache, especially in frontal region; general relaxation; distaste for work; and somnolence, – all coming on 3 – 4 hours after dose, and in e. Lancinating pain, lasting some m., in knees, elbows, and shoulders, lasting longest in left elbow and increased by movement; it is worse in afternoon than in m. Lancinations in right chest, returning 3 times at about 1/2 hours intervals (6 hours after); later, sense of fulness under sternum, increased by deep breathing, and causing short, dry, hollow cough. No appetite, much thirst; tongue white and coated; pressure in region of stomach. Flying heats in face, which is red and burning; then, in evening, chilliness, with hard and frequent pulse – a febrile state. In urinating, burning in urethra towards meatus; urine clearer than usual, no sediment (as there had been before), and quantity diminished. Skin dry and hot, no perspiration even towards m. Sleep interrupted sometimes by dryness of mouth and thirst. 8th. – In m., pulse softer, but still too quick. Frequent paroxysms of cough, generally accompanied by expectoration of a solid bronchial mucus, sinking in water and not dissolving on shaking, during cough, pressive pain behind sternum, followed by soreness. Distension of epigastric region; tasteless eructations, once with gush of water into mouth; thirst, anorexia, tongue white coated. Towards evening, fever; tonsils and uvula red; swallowing saliva painful; repugnance for pipe, general depression. 9th. – During n., sleep frequently interrupted by cough and expectoration; towards m., moderate sweat. Sore pain in throat. Same sensation behind sternum on coughing, and rattling there. The phlegm seems to come from the depths of the chest. Tongue coated, no appetite, fulness of stomach. (There doses of ipecacuanha 3, at 4 hours intervals, checked cough, which was annoying.) 10th. – Sleep good; two attacks of cough and expectoration towards m.; slight pain in throat and in right frontal sinus; dry coryza. Sense of fulness in stomach, little appetite, tongue clear. Urine very cloudy, soon depositing a thick yellow sediment. Hard stool. Symptoms of chest and stomach continuing some day yet, he took more ipecacuanha, and they all disappeared by the 15th.
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.