5a. Mrs. N. W-, M. D, being in ordinary health, began, Oct. 1st,1869, by taking 3 dr. of 3rd dil. (The tincture used in the remaining provings was prepared from the pollen only) 3 times daily. First noticed she was more active; things went easily. No other effect for 4 day, unless it was increased sexual instinct; then sweetish nausea, with fulness of abdomen, particularly after eating, even after small quantities. Food does not increase the nausea; no desire to vomit. On 6th day moral symptoms were developed, did not want to be pleased, no care to talk or read; desire to sleep; slept well, but had unpleasant dreams. Omitted medicine 2 day; nausea and full feeling subsided. At intervals, skin of abdomen feels stretched and stiff; sore pain in upper chest. On 7th day took 5 dr., and in a few m. nausea much increased, with same bloated feeling in abdomen, particularly hypogastrium, with some tearing from ovarian regions down both thighs; darting pains in different parts of head. Ate, but without appetite; restless, and desire to be doing something, but no ambition; sense of pressure in vagina, and pain at top of sacrum extending to hips. On 8th day, worse on going to bed; cannot go to sleep; wild feeling in head as though she would go crazy; dreaming all night; better on rising; constant nausea. On 10th day, pain in right iliac region, better during motion; head grows wild after keeping quiet a little while. At 2 p. m. took 5 dr., increased depressing weight over pubes, after supper; knee ache. 5b. Prover came to Dr. Dunham on 22nd to state her symptoms, her mind being so affected that she could not record them. There came on 20th, and increased up till now, a sensation in pelvis as though everything were coming into the world through the vagina. Last n. sensation was very distressing, and not relieved by change of position. The dragging downwards is felt in stomach, and even in shoulders; not relieved by lying down, but worse when standing up. There is disposition to place hands on hypogastrium and press upwards (also to inhale forcibly) in order to relieve dragging sensation; likewise, aching and pressure across lumbo- sacral region, and some pressure upon rectum; pressure also on top of head, with crazy feeling; she wants somebody to talk to her and entertain her (very unusual); feels nervous, wants to cry from feeling of irritation and of something wrong in pelvis and abdomen; feels hurried and yet incapable, as if she had a good deal to do, and could not do it. She is thirsty, drinking often and much. Her bowels are naturally regular; but now she has alternate loose and solid stools, several during day, and constant feeling as though she must have a stool, resulting from sensation as though something were pressing on anterior walls of rectum at and near anus. She cannot get to sleep at n., but lies with eyes wide open; grumbling pain in right head and teeth. Her pelvic pains are worse during, but still more after, motion. She is somewhat tender to pressure in ovarian regions, especially r.
5c. (Dr. Dunham now continues report.) 23rd. – Aching in pelvis as if not in uterus but around it. She feels constantly two spots corresponding in position to ovaries, which ache and feel like coals of fire. Same dragging sensation as before. 25 th. – After reporting on 23 rd (10 a. m.), desire for stool, and during day stool every hours, lumpy, small, diarrhoeic, with wind; constant tenesmus, she could sit at stool for ever, therewith burning in urethra, with tenesmus there also, and smarting after micturition. Helonias relieved, but she has still to-day the bearing-down – a pulling upwards and forwards from tip of coccyx, downwards and backwards from spines of ilia. Disposition to muse and dream, seems asleep and a far off, mental faculties benumbed so that she is indisposed for work; headache in occiput and over eyes. Increased desire for meat, and has eaten much. 26th. -All yesterday pressure on bladder; aching in right ovary kept getting worse, feeling as if knife inserted there ripped down groin and front of thigh; pain extended over lumbo-sacral region, and she had to lie and cry herself to sleep; pain extended upto right hypochondrium and was somewhat relieved by pressure on ovary. This m. no pain, but the sore sensation which follows pain; diarrhoea continues, also irritation of bladder, but she can control this by determining not to micturate; legs ache, causing her to twist and turn. It seems as if the symptoms came on worse as soon as he gave up active control over herself, e.g. when she tried to sleep. She thinks effects of are passing off, because first symptoms, such as pain in occiput, are coming back. 28th. – Menses occurred yesterday, as usual, and regularly, and continued normal as long as she kept moving, but as soon as she came to rest the flow ceased. None this m. She cannot think, acts without thought; feels hurried, walks fast instinctively; is forgetful, cannot decide for herself, must depend on others. November 2nd. – She noticed on 29th some heart symptoms, not definite. On 30th, after walking, sudden fluttering sensation there. There is now hurried forcing feelings, with faintness and fluttering as though she could do nothing, but must put by her work and sit still; seat of sensation is apex of heart, and twice she had sharp pain there. Great weakness in legs. She feels as if she must breathe quick, yet she does not. Prover feels that her whole system has been profoundly affected by the medicine; “she is not the same person that she was;” she feels hurried, and yet cannot do much, has no heart or strength to attend to business, which has not heretofore been a burden to her; she feels discouraged, but no longer has ideas of suicide as she had about 8th day of proving. 3rd. – Gets out of breath going upstairs, must stop and rest; appetite tremendous, especially for meat; does not care to be alone (contrary to wont), but does not dread it; sexual instinct, ordinary dormant, now much excited; wits languid, intense dull. Bloating of abdomen continues. Can repress her symptoms and disregard them if she keeps very busy, but as soon as she ceases her occupations they recur with great intensity. 4th. -Much sweating in axilla, especially right (noticed before); burning itching on swell of both deltoids; heart symptoms passing off, felt now only on fast walking.
5d. From 4th to 7th felt quite well, but on 7th bearing-down sensation recurred, and was followed by thin acrid leucorrhoea, leaving a brown strain, -these symptoms worse from afternoon to midnight; therewith mental depression and emotional irritation as before, -this came upon her like a sudden cloud. On 17th was in the same state, with constant burning pain across hypogastrium, sense of irritation in womb, and great irritability of temper. On 12th leucorrhoea had ceased, but sense of irritation remained. Menses recurred from 14th (i. evening after only two week’s interval), scanty, dark, and thick. Mental symptoms continued upto 22nd. From 30th onwards a third series of Lilium symptoms came on, passional excitement and hurried feeling, aching and burning pain in ovaries (distinctly defining these organs in her sensations) with aggravation at n., and diarrhoea in morning; then despondency and mental depression; then hurried feeling and impulse to work without real desire for it. With the ovarian irritation (always worst p. m.), there was pressure on bladder, urine being high coloured and scanty: she could pass it every 1\4 h. Dec.8th. -Constant burning in back. On introducing finger into vagina she found the os, which usually so high as to be almost out of reach, now low and titled back, pressing on rectum, while fundus lie on bladder. She now took platina as an antidote, and the Lilium symptoms gradually passed away. (Ibid., 1870)
6. Mrs. A. F. -, M. D., took, Nov. 20th, 1869, 3ij of tinct. at a single dose. Had no symptoms for 2 weeks, but then came on chills creeping down back on going to bed every n. for a month, followed by violent beating of heart and throbbing of carotids, preventing sleep while lying on either side. These, and still more other symptoms ranging from Jan. 12th to April 5th, 1870, are very dubious effects of drug. (Ibid.)
7. Mrs. C. le B-, M.D., from Nov.24th, 1869, took two doses of 3rd dil. daily for 6 d. Dull frontal headache all 1st day 2nd day, dull headache beginning in forehead and going all through head, worse on left side; severe pressure in right eye for 2 hours; chilly feeling all over body. 3rd day, same headache, mostly confined to forehead; yawning and stretching; severe chill towards e, causing great pain in and about heart, going through to under scapula; pain constrictive, heart feeling as though squeezed in a vice; blood seems all to have gone to heart, causing feeling as if she must bend double; can hardly walk upright; therewith nausea. All these feelings removed on getting into a warm room. 4th day, same headache; stupid feeling; nausea, transient, suddenly coming and going; heavy dull feeling in stomach, pains in right ovarian region, a gnawing dragging sensation, worse on walking, a feeling as if something were shaking loose there whenever right foot was planted firmly; also gnawing pain in lumbar region, worse in bed and lasting all night; sight (prover is hypermetropic) much worse than usual. 5th day, still headache, lumbar and ovarian pains, and nausea; sight worse, eyes very painful, smarting, must close them often; light pains, darkness pleasant. 6th day, eyes still bad, and though, no more medicine being taken, other symptoms gradually subsided, eyes took 4 weeks to return to their normal state. (Ibid.)
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.