Introduction
Daphne Mezereum,. Common name mezereon, spurge olive. Nat. Ord., Thymelaceae.
Provings
1. HAHNEMANN, Fragmenta de Viribus. Contains 62 symptoms from self, and 34 from authors.
2. IBID, Chronic Diseases, part iv of original, vol. of translation. Contains 610 symptoms, including contributions from II other persons.
3a. Dr. HARTLAUB, aet. 41, phlegmatic melancholic temperament, in good health, March 30th, 1849, 5 p. m., smelt at the fresh bark and chewed a piece. Taste acrid and disgusting, then smarting burning like pepper on tongue, repeated eructation of air shuddering loathing, earache (doubtful). The burning spread from tongue all through buccal cavity, especially hard palate, with great dryness of that part, especially posteriorly, and in upper part of oesophagus; much saliva and hawking of mucus, which detached itself easily. Mucus came down from choana and was apt to get into air – passages, causing hawking and lachrymation. Rough embarrassed speech. After 1 hours the smarting has spread to the lips, which are dry and swollen; this lasted till evening; taste diminished, tongue felt scalded. Pressive pain in upper part of forehead. Evening, twisting pain about navel, with nausea and as if water – brash would come on or faint feeling, tearing pain across chest anteriorly. – 31st. Perspired profusely at n. and woke frequently, strong erections with sexual desire. In m. soft, brown, sour – smelling stool, scanty urine, tongue and palate feels scalded. A.m., coryza in eyes and nose, with increased thirst, hot skin, and quick pulse, swelling and heat of penis. All day repeated discharge of flatus, with several soft stools. evening, again chewed some bark and flowers, and was exposed for 1 hours to exhalations from bark while preparing it for medicinal use. This caused violent smarting and burning in mouth, with much watery saliva. Another soft, dark, grayish, or black stool, with much borborygmus during and after stool. – April 1st. Long sleep, perspired a little. M., scanty urine, with increased thirst; tongue as if scalded. 9 a. m., a soft, dark and light brown stool as if fermented, with much indigestible matter and very fetid. A.m., frequent discharge of much watery urine, warm hands, and cold feet and legs up to knees, hard pulse. The same kind of stools continued for several days, always in forenoon and partly light coloured, loss of appetite and discharge of fetid flatus, perspiration in m.
3b. March 4th, 1850, 4 p. m., chewed several pieces of fresh bark, and was exposed to exhalations for 5 hours while preparing the medicine, till 9 p. m. Next m. pressed out the macerated bark. When chewing the bark had but little burning or smarting in mouth, later the peculiar pain set in severely, and next m. the epithelium became detached, with swelling. After some m. burning in mouth, not on the part touched by the bark but in fauces, relieved by breathing in air, but increased; felt very weak and faint. After 1/4 hours mucus from nose and smarting and watering eyes. After 1/2 hours eructations, transient pain in fauces anteriorly, pain in middle of right eyebrow. The smarting spread gradually from fauces through whole mouth to lips. 7 p. m., fauces painful on swallowing, and as if swollen and excoriated or scraping. 7:30 p. m., prickling in oesophagus when swallowing. 8 p. m., the pain in oesophagus violent and general, very painful when swallowing, especially in uvula and soft palate, pricking pain and as if swollen in left meatus auditorius, at same time rheumatic headache on left side, a kind of tearing. 10 p. m., same pain in upper part of head and in left ear. Evening, loss of appetite and chilly, then general heat and perspiration. Transient pressive pain in eyeballs. – 5th. Yesterday on going to bed violent itching in legs, so that he must scratch. At n. vivid but not remembered dreams. Some sweat towards m. On rising scanty and slow discharge of urine, of strong smell, dark and hot. Forenoon till noon, repeated hurried discharge of urine, the water he washed in felt unusually cold, the air too felt very cold, especially to his head, and he felt when sitting in room as if cold air blew on his head. On pressing out juice, smarting in eyes. 8 a. m., stretching of body and yawning, eructations, discharge of fetid flatus, drawing – tearing pain under right knee externally and in metacarpal bones behind left thumb, also in distal phalanx or right 4th finger and right wrist, where the metacarpal bone of index joins it. Pulse accelerated a. m. To – day the mouth symptoms increased, those of fauces diminished. All day mouth very painful, the epithelium of inner surface of lips and of gums of front teeth quite detached where the bark had come in contact with it. Much toothache, the gums bleed easily, tongue much swollen, especially at its tip, with thick white coating and prominent red papillae on a white ground, tip of tongue very red, epithelium denuded, a deep fissure in middle of tongue, external lips dry, taste almost extinguished, milk tastes smoky, teeth very painful when biting and when air meets them, with constant drawing pain in them all day, the upper front teeth of left side particularly affected. P. m., painful jerking in lower left molars, cheeks very painful when pressed, and as if swollen. Evening, toothache increased, especially in left upper incisors. Also painful pressure in eyeballs, diminished appetite, pain as of dislocation in right big toe. Evening, copious, soft stool, as if fermented and not quite digested, of brownish – yellow colour, very fetid, and sour smelling. – 6th. Woke last n. at 2 a. m., fell asleep again, and towards 5 a. m. a scanty, thin emission, many unremembered dreams. On rising in m. tinnitus in right ear, can hardly move right leg, knee feels weak. 6 a. m., feeling of hunger in stomach, with borborygmus; noon and evening, diminished appetite, stomach feels uncomfortable after eating, especially fat things. Mouth better to – day and toothache gone, some hollow teeth in mouth have become sharp, tartar on teeth rough. Tongue still swollen and large ulcered papillae, not coated but very red. External lips all day very dry and shining, very painful in evening, some burning, especially near them inside. During day hurried micturition. After supper much eructation of sour rancid taste; very tiresome pressure in stomach, with very irritable temper. Distaste for everything, he would like to run away, very drowsy after supper, apt to start with palpitation thereafter, frequent yawning, stretching of limbs, itching in several parts of body, especially scrotum and nostrils. Evening, shuddering frequently all over body, also over several parts, over left leg downwards; pulse 80 to 90, rather full. Stool in evening insufficient and hard, much itching in and about houghs, scratches himself raw. – 7th, m., after rising rheumatic pain in muscles of left scapula, tongue and mouth inflamed and red, uncomfortable pressure in stomach and abdomen., jerking stitch in right side of chest about lowest ribs, then beneath right scapula. Several times during day and in evening much itching about anus. – 8th m., on rising very tired, this goes off during day 7 a. m., stool (after 33 hours) copious, soft, fetid; on urinating the last portion causes smarting – burning in fore part of urethra; soon afterwards violent itching in left inner canthus, appetite diminished, stomach easily deranged by fat food. – 9th. Painful swelling in right concha above meatus, humming and buzzing in right ear. Noon, on rising from stooping many black spots before eyes. Hollow teeth very sharp. No stool to – day.
3c. March 14. While preparing the med. was exposed to its emanations from evening till 3 a. m., also chewed bark. Immediately after chewing, nausea, loathing, burning in fore part of mouth, tongue and further in mouth, with flow of saliva; tearing drawing through right big toe; smarting in eyes; loud rumbling in bowels, flatus rushed noisily through anus. – 15th. Scanty soft stool m. Evening, again exposed to emanations. – 16th, m., noticed a large suggillation on back of right hand behind index, not caused by external violence; it is a discoloured swollen not round spot about 1″ in diameter, quite painless. At same time violent itching on this hand, especially on wrist, and intolerable transient itching on several parts of body; some liver spots more scurfy than usual. Sensitiveness of cold water, also of the teeth when drinking; tongue coated white, yawning; no stool to – day, and very little urine passed. Evening, exposed for 2 hours to emanations of plant. Soon, intoxication and constriction across chest anteriorly not deeply seated, and at same time over back about scapulae, drawing pains in rectum and anus, occasional pain in glans penis; after urinating cutting pain in front part of urethra; irresistible drowsiness; indifference to everything. – 17th. Immediately after rising, m., inflamed eyes, conjunctivae much injected, dirty red, especially about external canthus of left eye, with pressive pain as from dryness; several times urging to urinate; pain in right ear deep in meatus, a stitch still deeper, meatus of that ear more open than the other, feels swollen or relaxed; difficulty of thinking with pressive confusion of head, and here and there pressive pain in head, hair hangs down loosely. A small cut is very painful for a long time. The suggillation on right hand is paler and painless. In forenoon, smelt 16 different preparations of mezereum for 1/4 hour and again in e. In forenoon, dark, lumpy stool expelled with much pressing. After dinner, irresistible drowsiness with painful pressure in eyes, the conjunctiva of lids very inflamed. Occasional itching in anus. Afternoon, a shoot up anus. Evening, when sitting still, violent, painful, paralytic pressure in right acromion, on depressing arm the pain much increased from the weight of the arm; soon afterwards, when walking, as if dislocated in right hip – joint and outer aspect of thigh about trochanter maj. 9 p. m., an hour after supper, shudder down body, with yawning. Evening, very sleepy. – 18th. Dreamt much at n. On rising, m., incisor teeth very sensitive, especially on biting; whole head confused and heavy, chilly, general malaise; some streaks of blood in expectoration. Forenoon, tasted these 16 preparations for 1/2 h. After 1/2 to 1 hour, eructation, smarting on lips and tongue, violent burning as from pepper on front of tongue and lips; rheumatic pains in muscles of scapulae, like tension and swelling. After dinner, borborygmus in bowels and loud discharge of inodorous flatus; dull pain left side of chest behind heart, probably in lungs. Very cold hands. 3 p. m., when sitting writing, involuntary twitching of whole right lower limb on its inner side, a jerking and twisting. 5 p. m., burning on lips and tongue as if excoriated, but now really so. Some discharge from nose, thirst for cold water. When near the fire, pressive frontal headache. Evening, increased general heat, quick pulse. 7 p. m., feeling of air in and distension of right meatus externus. 8:45 p. m., gums behind upper incisors swell up in a blister and also on hard palate anteriorly, upper incisors on edge. Drowsiness, shuts eyes involuntarily, and legs jerk involuntarily. Fell asleep before 10 p. m. and awoke in a stupefied condition about 11 p. m.; on attempting to walk, violent pain in right metatarsal bones; pulse still quick. No stool to – day. – 19th. Difficulty of getting to sleep, evening, woke several times with pains in bones, especially of left wrist and knees. M., urging to urinate, got up at 4:30, having had but little sleep. After getting up, m., rheumatic pain in right knee; soon afterwards shooting behind third and fourth toes, also in left metatarsus. The eyes, especially in left canthi, stick together, with itching and pressure; some coryza and lachrymation, the upper incisors on edge, audible borborygmus in bowels with feeling of hunger, hiccough. Forenoon, quick pulse, chilliness, cold feet and hands; skin of hands dead and chapped and corrugated. 10:30 a. m., sneezing several times, increased thirst for cold water. The epithelium of front part of lips, of gums, and of tongue is quite detached to – day. There is no burning or smarting, the denuded; parts are destitute of feeling and taste, the tongue feels scalded, is white coated, and the tip excoriated. In the chin beard is a small pustule, and a couple of pimples on chest. Afternoon, hard, lumpy stool, with much pressing. 5:30 p. m., burning in right acromion; when walking, pain of left big toe as if dislocated, cold feet. Smelt the tincture while stirring it. – 20th. Felt cold during n. and in m. on waking, woke frequently with violent itching in lower limbs, nocturnal urination. The decayed teeth get sharp and decay away, the tongue is swollen and red, with white coat; sneezing, pulse slow, no stool. Smelt the tincture while stirring it. – 21st. Long of falling asleep last n. Slept later in m., some blood in expectoration. Forenoon, copious stools. Epithelium restored in mouth, anorexia, teeth much decayed away, and sharp, fluent coryza. Again exposed to emanations of the drug. – 22nd, m., blood in expectoration, chest feels weak. The pimple on the chin has become a small ulcer, with thin, oily, sticky discharge, and is very painful; the outer wall of right ala nasi inflamed, swollen, and painful; fluent coryza, alternating with stuffed nose, right nostril completely stopped with scab and very painful, the ordinary liver spots on chest and arms very dark and scaly, great itching on back of both wrists where several small, dry, dark brown scabs have come; tongue swollen and its tip feels scalded. On rising, m., teeth sensitive when pressed together, especially upper incisors, very bad appetite, stool copious, brown, firm, and lumpy. – 23rd. Again exposed to emanations. Nose as yesterday; drawing pain in right sole when treading. Occasional slight shooting and drawing pain in anus and fore part of penis. Nose and ulcer better during day – 24th. Woke at n. with vivid dreams of someone walking about in house and speaking loudly. Noon, on shutting eyes violent pressive pain in right eyeball. Nose and ulcer better, teeth decayed away down to gums. Appetite bad, after eating fulness and pressure in stomach, eructation, with taste of food and acid. No stool.
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.