Introduction
Mercuric iodide, Hg I2.
Provings.
1. A man, aet. 22, lymphatic, took every 2 day 10 centgr. of 3x trit. The 22nd day there appeared 2 boils, one on inner side of middle of left thigh, the other on lo. leg. At same time 2 smaller boils on l. side of face about malar region and inflammation of a sebaceous follicle on right cheek. 18 day later there was a painful follicular inflammation at level of chin and a small boil on left natis. Finally a pustular eruption at orifice of nostrils. (ANDRIEU, Journ. de la Soc. Gall. viii, 140, 1856.)
2. A man, aet. 30, lymphatic – sanguine, took every day 20 centgr. of same. On 14th day a small red tubercle in centre of left temple, which lasted 9 day (Ibid., 141).
3. A woman, aet. 40, stout, lymphatico – sanguine, took every m. 20 centgr. of same. On 9th day, on middle of left maxillary region, a projecting pustule the size of a pea with hard red areola. A similar smaller but very red tubercle above middle of left eyebrow. A similar tubercle above right eyebrow. All were gone in the space of a week. (Ibid.)
4. A man, aet. 25, lymphatic, took every m. 20 centgr. of same. The 7th day there appeared 2 tubercles of bright – red colour, the size of a large shot, one on left temple, the other on left side of forehead, a finger’s breadth below the commencement of the hair. There were at same time weight and dull pain in frontal region. They went off in II day (Ibid.)
5. A girl, aet. 5, took every m. 5 centgr. of same. On the 13th day there appeared 2 boils, one on the front of left thigh about its middle, the other on the inside of left leg. The 15th day a stye appeared (Ibid.)
6. A woman, aet. 30, lymphatico – nervous, took every m. and evening 10 centgr. of same. The first 6 day she had great weakness of stomach, accompanied by much weakness of limbs, which came on after each dose and lasted about 2 h. From 7th to 14th day no symptoms but on 15th day she had great heaviness in hypogastrium, with a feeling when she walked as if something would come out of vagina. The uterus in fact was so much prolapsed that it projected from the vulva the size of an egg. At same time drawing pain is more severe; the womb was enormously congested. The medicine was discontinued, and 12 day later the womb had resumed its ordinary size; but it was considerably lower than normal, though all the symptoms had disappeared. (Ibid, 146).
7. A young woman took 3 gr. of 2x trit. three times a d. After 4 day following symptoms occurred, in order as recorded: intense shivering, followed by feverishness; pain on pressure at epigastrium; painful swelling of tonsils and submaxillary glands; distension of abdomen about navel, with pain at the part on pressure; loud and bitter belchings; hot perspiration; nausea, while passing a diarrhoeic stool; frightful dreams; aching pains from hips to ankles, as though she had walked many miles, felt more particularly in bones; catching pain under right breast, oppressing breathing; urine thick and dark when passed; frequent desire to micturate, she cannot hold her water for a minute; bitter taste; profuse flow of saliva, and aching in teeth of lower jaw; hot and inflamed state of right side of nose, with coryza; feeling in forehead as if head were bound round with tight cord; pains in bones of head, chiefly occipital; low spirits, and disposition to cry; excessive giddiness, everything seems to reel round her. (ROBINSON, Brit. Journ. of Hom., xxiv, 517.)
8. [The following (8 – 18) are results of a proving by the Philadelphia Provers’ Union, made in 1855, of which we only know that the potencies from 1 – 30 were employed, and whose only record now existent is the schematic pathogenesis given by Hering.]
Dr. ARMOR, Ill – humour and slimy taste on waking in m. Slight headache in region of comparison (3rd d.) Dimness of sight (1st d.). Fine stinging in teeth at times (7th d.); salivation (5th d.); large flow of water in mouth (3rd and 4th d.), not so much, but obliged to expectorate (8th d.). Hawking and spitting of small quantity of white, tough expectoration through day (2nd d.); disposition to hawk, sensation as of lump in throat, with a disposition to hawk it out all 7th day, hawked up a hard greenish lump on 8th day; sore – throat, feels as if scalded on waking, worse during empty swallowing, all day quite troublesome (6th d.); sore – throat, worse during empty deglutition (3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th d.). Nausea and sore – throat after 1/2 hours (1st d.). Pain around umbilicus (1st d.); Urine red (2nd and 3rd d.). Hoarse and husky 1/2 hours after getting a little wet in a shower, in evening (5th d.). Cough, with a little loose, whitish, slimy expectoration through day, and with slight difficulty of breathing (10th d.). Cough with white, thick expectoration, backache dry in evening (11th d.), better afterwards, but prevented him from making another proving; breathing more difficult than usual (9th d.). On waking, stiffness and pain in neck, in region of 1st or 2nd cervical vertebra, going off in short time (4th d.). Weakness of knee – joints (1st d.). Foolish dreams (3rd d.); dreams about gunning and farming (7th d.), gunning and traveling (11th d.); anxious dreams (2nd d.), about removing and his relations (4th d.). Chilly and aching in lower limbs, through forenoon (2nd d.); flushes of heat, and tickling sensation over face (1st d.) ((HERING, Mat. Medorrhinum, Vol. i.)
9. Mrs. ARMOR. Pain in forehead (1st d.). Eyes watery, look slightly swollen, Running from nose, with a good deal of sneezing (2nd d.). Tongue constantly dry, with desire to wet the mouth. Desire to drink, but small quantities. Loud rumbling in bowels (2nd d.). Pulse accelerated, beating stronger. An almost insupportable pain and aching in lower limbs, in evening, better on moving, disappearing during a walk (2nd d.). Chilliness at bedtime, followed by flush of heat over face (1st d.); flush of heat and sensation of being tickled over the whole body (4th d.); flushes in face, face hot and hands cold. (Ibid.)
10. Mr. ROTTNER. Irritation of mucous membrane of nose, causing constant snuffing (1/2 hours, 1st d.) (Ibid.)
11. Dr. J. R. COXE, jun. Severe headache all over, from 8 p. m. on 1st day, and all 2nd day; sharp pain in sinciput, over both eyes (11 a. m., 1st d.). Eyes inflamed, right eye worst, bright light irritates greatly (3rd d.); right eye inflamed, and slight lachrymation (1st d.); pains in and over left eye (2nd d.). Much saliva in mouth (4th d.). Throat slightly sore, disposition to cough (1st d.); quite sore and inflamed, cough and frequent, and expectoration more than usual (2nd d.); left tonsil inflamed and swollen, velum elongated, which seems to cause coughing (3rd d.); both tonsils swollen and inflamed, and velum the same (4th d.); not so much, but headache very severe, on 5th day; lessening on 6th d. Occasionally pain in chest or heat, most on left side (5th d.); constriction across chest (6th d.); stricture across chest, most painful left side (4th d.); pressing pain across chest (5th d.); sharp cutting pain in chest, and sticking pain in heart (8th d.). Feels weary, and a sort of aching as if bruised in whole body (4th d.). Could not sleep well, very restless, headache. (Ibid.)
12. Same proved on a woman. Pain in head, and slight pain in throat and left eye (10th to 12th d.); pressure in head, and pain in chest (most on 9th d.). pressive pain in head, all day; dull pressing pain in forehead and left side at 9 p. m., drawing and sticking at 10 p. m. (1st d.); dull pressing pain in forehead, most severe in right side, continuing at intervals from 7 to 10 p. m.; (2nd d.), with sticking pain in heart till 9 p. m. (3rd d.), slightly, 3 p. m (4th d.); pain in forehead and heart (6th d.); pressing – stitching pain in forehead, throat, left eye and left cheek (7th d.); pressing – stitching pain at sides of head, just above ears (4 p. m., 4th d.); right eye much inflamed, blood vessels injected (2nd d.); both eyes, right eye weeps greatly (4th d.); still inflamed, and weeping, while both eyes pain (6th d.); aching pain left cheek and eye, which appears slightly inflamed (6th d.); albuginea considerably inflamed, and same pains (8th d.). Sticking pain in throat (6th d.). In the waist, left side, sore feeling on bending. Aching pain across chest (10th to 12th d.). Dull aching pain in heart (10th to 12th d.); shooting pain in heart (all 7th d.); sticking pains with or without headache (2nd, 3rd, and 5th d.). Sticking pain along left side of neck and in heart, continuing till she fell asleep (7 to 10:50 p. m., 4th d.); severe pain in back of neck, as if she had been struck (7 p. m., 5th d.). (Ibid.)
13. Dr. SIEMERS made five provings. Good – humoured, even merry, though head is worse (12th day.), ill – humour about little things in m. of 2nd day, not on 4th day, again on 5th d. Dullness in head, occurring often in course of proving, in afternoon; dullness of head, and slight pressing pain on left side, as during a coryza (8th d.), relieved by walking in air (10th d.); dull pain in left half of brain, with sensation in anus as of piles (4th d.); every day some headache; in., headache, disappearing with a coryza which ceases at noon (10th d.); on 6th day, headache at n., continues in m., later only right side, congestion as with a cold, in afternoon changing sides, next day still more congestive, during evening right side only, of unusual continuance till late, towards m. of 8th day same in bed, less after rising, better 9th day; headache while sitting still, after sleeping during day (2nd d.); slight pressing pain in left brain (6 to 7 p. m.,3rd and 4th d.); pressing aching in head and ear (7th d.); headache, left side (1st d.); headache, after awhile one sided, goes from right to left, disappears after dinner (5th d.); on waking, pressing headache left side, disappearing in e (11th d.); several small pimples on hairy scalp, without itching, containing some pus, and forming crusts (7th to 9th d.); small pustules on head (15th and 16th d.). A pain in left supra – orbital bone he had once before returns (2nd d.); eyelids affected by the catarrh (8th d.). (This prover (and he only) had a series of symptoms referable to hearing, but as one of them is “hearing as usual dull in the morning,” he would seem to have been labouring under (probably catarrhal) deafness, which would explain – and vitiate – his singular experiences.) Much nasal catarrh throughout proving; also toothache, to which he states he is liable. On point of tongue a small blister (2nd and 3rd d.); scalded sensation of tongue I hours after breakfast (1st, 7th, and 12th day); sensation in mouth as if there were fibres in it (10th day); soreness inside left cheek (2nd d.); sensation of being burned in mouth (forenoon, 14th d.); taste right, but flabby (6th d.); pappy taste, but a good appetite (5th and 7th d.). Phlegm in throat; much phlegm in throat and nose (8th d.), hawking it out of throat (10th d.); throat and nostrils dry. Inclination to have the food more salted (12th d.); heartburn after dinner (15th d.); squeamishness during meals several d. Pain in stomach (10 a. m., 4th d.) Pain in right hypochondrium (yesterday in 1.) with drawing sensation in anus as if haemorrhoids were coming (I hours after dose), continued somewhat till 6th day; transient drawing pains in left hypochondrium, afterwards a lame sensation there (m., 8th d.); sprain – like pain in right hypochondrium, near pelvis (13th and 14th d.); sudden cutting pain in region of liver (14th d.); rumbling in abdomen (10th d.); pain in abdomen as before a stool (e., 7th and 9th d.); in m. after good night’s rest, pain as if sprained in right pelvic region, towards back, it disappeared while walking (5th d.). Diarrhoea in morning; soft stool 6th and 8th day; 4 firm stools in 24 hours, more at n. (10th d.). Pressing bearing down on bladder (3rd d.); sensation in urethra as if the urine were hot, during normal stool in m. (5th d.). Sensitiveness of right testicle and spermatic cord (towards 2 p. m., 3rd d.). Voice veiled and rough (8th d.); hoarse, with coryza (7th d.); spells of cough during day (5th to 7th d.); profuse yellowish expectoration (10th d.). During a walk, sudden sticking in muscles of chest, 1. side, exactly on spot where, 2 years before, he had commencement of acute rheumatism (8th d.); sticking pain in muscles of ribs, 1 side, after walking out during thawing weather (9th day, somewhat the same 10th d.). Rheumatic pain, for short time, in muscles of neck and back of neck (6th d.); pain in os coccyges, 1st, 3rd, and 8th day, like a pain he had before proving. Stiffness of limbs, better after walking (9th d.). Rheumatic pain in right knee and hip, during forepart of day, disappeared latter part of day (19th d.); pain in left hip – joint as if sprained (9th d.); feet are painful (6th d.), particularly soles (7th d.); pain in ball of foot and large toe, relieved by walking (10th d.), towards., pain in right big toe, like podagra, but without swelling and redness, it disappeared after rising (3rd day, returned 6th and 9th d.); sore pain between toes of right foot (19th d.). Painful itching on several parts of skin of r, forearm (9th to 12th d.). Deep sleep, afternoon, several day in succession; quarrelsome dreams (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.