Introduction
Kalmia latifolia, L. Mountain laurel. Nat. Ord. Ericaceae.
Provings
1. BEHLERT proved drug on 6 persons besides himself. They are undescribed, but a and c were women.
1a. reports, from 30th, headache, dizziness, and nausea; shock towards occiput from back of neck, with heat; pain in forehead (e), also over eyes, seeming to move back wards and down neck externally on both sides, then ceasing, and followed by pain in left shoulder; slight aching in forehead, sometimes shooting down to eye – teeth, worst now in one place, now in the other; frontal headache every day, extending to root of a right upper molar; on getting out of bed rending in head, followed by same in hips and legs, even to feet; tearing in nape; stinging in maxillary bones; itching in face at night; stitches in lower chest; uterine pain (such as she had 3 – 4 years before); sense of weakness in abdomen, rising up into throat, relieved by eructation, but when intense soon returning; sense as of running along spine with weariness in legs; pressing in r, side; rending in shoulder; recurring stitches in hands; stitch from right side into hip (e); stitches in knee externally (e.) and in soles; slight pain in left hand and fingers, also in left leg down to heel, where there was twitching.
1b. From same, – pain within head, with sensation when turning of something loose diagonally across vertex; pulsating pain in forehead.
1c. From same, – for several days together frontal headache on waking, sometimes followed by rending in bones of right or left face or on vertex; pain over eyes; rending in right forehead passing downwards; stitches in upper maxilla and zygoma; menses, on 4th day of proving, came 8 days too early, next time 14 days too late; scratching in throat, causing cough n. and day (also in a and d, in former with mucous expectoration in e.); stitches in toes; pain in right arm and rending in left leg, while at rest, going off on standing up, extending in less degree along whole left side and arm; rending in right shoulder, i. arm, right lower maxillary bone, and flesh of whole left leg.
1d. From Ist, taken 3 times a day, – vertigo, on stooping and looking down; rending across forehead.
1e. From 30th, – tearing in left forehead, extending to temple.
1f. From same, – frontal headache on rising in m., increasing afterwards; rending from left elbow down arm to index, which is flexed in a jerking manner, and from knuckle of right little finger up to elbow; pains in right hand; pain in bones of right middle foot.
1g. From same, – rawness and scraping in throat, with pain on swallowing, and throbbing in left tonsil.
1h. B – himself reports, from Ist, – glimmering before eyes when looking downwards, with belching of wind and some nausea all d,; fine stitches, and at a n. itching in left side of throat. (HERING, Amer. Arzn.)
2. CLARK proved 2nd dil. on a young woman, who took 2 dr each evening for 6 d. After some day more she repeated proving, with similar results. Aversion to movement or exercise; restlessness and frequent turning in bed, unpleasant dreams, talking and even getting up and walking in sleep; coldness and shivering on two day in succession; [The other symptoms were felt more or less every day.] pressive pains in whole back of head, with frequent sharp darting pain in its right side; pain in head on walking in m., and in evening; pain at top of head as if tightly bound with cord; strong pain in temples and forehead; itching of eyes, which sting when rubbed; pain in eyes, which makes it painful to turn them; sense of stiffness in muscles around eyes and in lids; tongue white and dry; lips swollen, dry, and stiff, in morning; thirst, with dryness of throat causing dysphagia; occasional pain across abdomen; pain in left hepatic region; menses late, and accompanied with pains in loins, back, and front of thighs; sensation in chest, as if strained by lifting; sharp pain in three upper dorsal vertebrae, extending through shoulder – blade; constant pain in spine, sometimes worst in lumbar region, with great heat and burning; pain in shoulder – blades; great weariness in evening, particularly in extremities, so that it is nearly impossible to go upstairs; numbness of limbs as if asleep. (Ibid.) 3. FREITAG proved drug on man named Kummer, otherwise undescribed.
3a. From Ist dil., a few globules every 2nd day for 10 day, – dulness in head (Ist d.); heaviness in right head for short time but severe; towards evening same sensation on left side; strong pressure in right temple (3rd d.); severe headache at noon of 2nd day, worse on left; cloudiness before eyes (3rd d.); sharp stitches in eyes, towards evening of 2nd day, and in right eye in m., – on 3rd day same with violent pressing; eyes feeling dim and weak; itching in eyes; severe stitches in right ear (n. of 2nd d.); short pains in right teeth (e. of 3rd d.); violent pressure in left neck and at same time in left foot; sticking pain deep under left shoulder – blade (3rd n.); drawing pain of short duration at inner side of left arm (3rd d.); pain in whole right arm, lasting for weeks; pain in left wrist, so that hand seems palsied; pain in all fingers of left hand at same time (3rd d.); pain in left foot Ist day, again, violent, on 10th day; pain in left arm above elbow, and soon afterwards between elbow and hand, frequently alternating between two places for I hours, and followed by pain in both legs below knees, which extends to feet; pain in bend of left knee, which is immediately followed by very severe but brief pain in left index, and later in right foot; pressing pain in left shin, and in muscles of left arm, with same in r, foot. These pains in limbs. continually changing from one place to another, lasted all the time medicine was being taken, and 3 weeks later.
3b. From 30th taken every 4th day, – vertigo. with some nausea, attended with pains in head and limbs; severe pressing in temples and on both sides of neck; pain and throbbing in whole left head, with stitches in left ear and behind right; glimmering before eyes,. exactly in line of vision, so that it is impossible to distinguish words while reading, – it seems as if small points were continually moving before eyes, for 1/2 hour at 3 p. m. of 2nd day, followed by nausea, and then some dulness and aching in head; pressing in eyes, attended by pains in arms and hands, in lower extremities down to feet, and sometimes in right abdomen; stitches under left eye; plus [Kummer’s symptoms of head and eyes were worse towards e., and in open air] severe stitches in ears at 4 p. m., followed by pain in arms; pain behind right ear, and in right neck and leg; pain in upper teeth; stitches in tongue; pressing in throat and nausea, with stitches in eyes; pain in right abdomen, followed by pain in right natis (after 6th dose); oppression of chest, – later with dyspnoea, dulness of head, nausea, and various pains (after 5th dose); stitches under left arm; pains in left hand, particularly in palms close to wrist, and sensation as of paralysis in right hand (after 6th dose); pain in left knee and foot, and also in right foot (3rd d.); peculiar pains along outside of left leg, frequently repeated; pain in left foot (after 5th dose); transient pains in. elbow, arm, and knee in m., and in both arms p. m., – while lying not felt (3rd d.); pain in right shoulder. left arm (particularly elbow), and both legs (especially knees); pressing in left shin, later in left shoulder and arm, followed by same on right side; sticking pain in right index, evening, soon followed by severe pain in hollow of right knee and in calf, attended with dyspnoea (after 6th dose); frequent pains in muscles of extremities, with dulness of head, vertigo and some nausea; strain – like pain at times in feet and hands; pressing pains in whole body (11/2 hours after 3rd dose). K pains were most severe while moving, disappearing on lying down. (Ibid.)
4. HAFSELER proved 30th, manner not specified. Fantastic dreams; fluent coryza with frequent sneezing and perceptibly increased sense of smell; tingling in salivary glands, immediately after eating, attended with sense of fermentation in oesophagus and copious salivation; dry chin and cracked lips; continued rising of slippery mucus in mouth, with tickling in larynx; pressing in scrob, cordis, relieved by sitting erect, but aggravated by sitting bent, with feeling under scrob. as if something would be squeezed out; easy soft stool, with pressing in rectum; frequent emission of yellow urine, in increased quantity; cough, with easy expectoration of grey, smooth, unctuous matter, which has a putrid saltish taste; oppression and shortness of breath, which obliges him involuntarily to breathe quickly; sensation as if spinal column would break from within outwards (Ibid.) 5. REICHELM proved 3rd dil, manner unknown. Irritable disposition towards evening, continuing next m.; oppression in head in evening, continuing to some extent next heat in head (m. of 5th d.); about 10 p. m. in bed momentary shivering without coldness from vertex to neck, without headache, under scalp, attended with cracking noise, and with sense of alarm, but without palpitation, – as if body were surcharged with electricity (repeated 4 times in 1/2 hours, and ending with sound as of a horn before ears); pressing pain in forehead, especially right (Ist d.); sense of pressure above right eye (3rd day); on 5th d, burning and pressing pain about eyes, especially left, which also itches, and next m. is inflamed, with burning jerking pain lasting till noon, and then subsiding; loud tinnitus aurium (4th d.); continued pressing in ridge of nose, with frequent sneezing (2nd d.); pressing pain in right face, between eye and nose, p. m.; severe pressing in molar teeth after 10 p. m., continuing some hours; dull pain in incisor and eye – teeth; costive for first 2 days; on 3rd m. a scanty stool and at noon a soft one; on 4th a soft stool early, 2 hours later a diarrhoeic, then again a soft stool, all a. m., and during time frequent ineffective urging; on 5th two soft stools, with much flatus; on another occasion, after repeated doses, had on 3rd day while riding momentary nausea on shifting of flatus, followed by stool with cutting pains in bowels; strong desire to urinate (9th d.); drawing and sticking in whole left neck, p. m., for 8 hours; pressing below left shoulder, in evening; paralytic pain in sacrum at 10 p. m. in bed, with long – lasting confusion and pain in head (2nd d.); lameness in sacrum, evening in bed (3rd d.); frequent strong cracking in joints and elbows, p. m.; itching in bend of right knee (9th d.), paralytic feeling on shin – bone, p. m.; on 6th day red spot, size of pea, on outer aspect of left leg, a little below knee, itching excessively, and afterwards burning, succeeded by a second near it, and next m. a third on right knee. (Ibid.) 6. Dr. WILLIAMSON proved 2nd dil. Acute pain in left temple. much increased by going upstairs; aching across loins, worse in evening (Ibid.) 7a. On April 20th, 1834, I made an infusion of recent unbruised leaves 3ij to I pint of boiling water. At 3 p. m. I took 3ss, then 2 doses of 3 j at intervals of 1/4 hours, after 1/2h. 3ij, and at 4:30 3vj. At the beginning of the experiment the pulse was 63, 6 or 8 beats quicker than usual, probably due to a full meal. No decided effect was noticed at first beyond slight general pricking sensation (as form heat in spring) and increased tendency to sweating. 5, sleepiness and sensation of warmth through epigastrium, both of which gradually increased. Went to bed and slept for I hours, awaking dizzy, but took tea as usual. The pricking is worse; it is more conspicuous in the scalp; it is a sensation of coolness with pricking by innumerable minute points at the same time, comparable to the effect of peppermint on the mouth. Sensation of great fatigue in all the muscles, especially when exerted, first noticed in muscles of mastication, which are excessively fatigued by very moderate exertion. The dizziness increased and also the fatigue. Soon there began a sensation of gradual contraction of the stomach, forcing its contents up into the oesophagus, and a feeling as of a ball rising in the throat, but without nausea. 7, vomiting without nausea set in (with an action like rumination), recurring every 3 or 5 m. for I hours, and accompanied with dimness of slight. Much bile thrown up towards the close. Muscular prostration was such that I could barely walk across the room. the affection of vision amounted almost to complete blindness when in an erect position. The action of the drug exactly resembled that produced by veratrum viride both on the skin, muscles, and stomach. The pulse was not examined again until after the vomiting; it was then 40 per m., and extremely weak and creeping, the artery seeming slowly to contract and dilate. I was at this time sitting in a chair, and the skin was moist and cool. Secretion of salvia more than form an ordinary emetic, but not so profuse as from veratrum viride. Sensation as if the bowels would act, which did not happen. The vomiting ceased at 8, but the cool skin, weak slow pulse, dizziness, and muscular weakness continued unabated until after 9. I then took some good wine, and in 1/4 hours was as well as ever I am. During the experiment there was a slight pain in the forehead, which in another person might have been severe, but I never et a severe headache from any cause.
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.