Introduction
Venom of the Naja tripudians, cobra de capello, hooded snake.
Provings
1. a. Dr. STOKES, aet. 37, stout and robust, made a paste of the Ix trit. with some (soft) water, and introduced on a clean vaccine point some of this preparation into 3 punctures made by a lancet in front of left forearm; also rubbed some of the trit. into one of the wounds. (This was on Nov. 7th, 1852, at 9:30 a. m.) There followed indefinable sensation of “all – overishness” with lightness in head, slight, lasting about 1/2 hours 11:15, slight aching in ring and little finger of right hand, followed by peculiar sensation as of thumbing in middle of triceps of left arm. 12:30, inoculated poison into a new wound in upper left arm. There followed, fine tingling in legs and feet while standing; slight aching in backs of thighs; burning pressure at a point in back of throat, for several hours in afternoon; pressive and drawing sensation at points on lower limbs and feet, several times. There was tired feeling in cervical and dorsal vertebra, with the peculiar burning often attendant on exhaustion, all day 8th. – Hard pressure on chest just above right nipple, p. m. 9th. – Rheumatic drawing in left shoulder, m. At 10 a. m. inoculated well a puncture in left upper arm with the poison paste, and felt immediately the all – overishness as at first, lasting 1/2 hours; then dull shoots up occiput and very fine pricking in left eyebrow. Since 7th and till 14th easily affected by alcohol, and sleep broken and disturbed.
1b. 14th. – Mixed 6 dr. of 2nd dil. in of water, and took in forenoon without effect. 15th. – Took 2 doses. In evening felt momentary pain dart from left ilium forward into abdominal muscles. In right chest, dull warm pricking at a great multitude of points, over lower anterior half from 5th rib downward, with heat extending up bronchi to larynx; a hard cough came on immediately, lasting for 1/2 hours, ending in expectoration of a little thick mucus. 16th. – Sadness or serious disposition this day and two following ones. 17th. – Took. 18th. – Mixed 6 dr. of 3rd dil. in of water; took in evening, and felt pricking in stomach soon after. 19th. – Took 2 doses of each. evening, from 6 to 8, very chilly, could not stay away from fire; after that better. In m. uneasiness and pressure in bladder. Sadness and irresolution. 20th. – Pricking pain in stomach after dinner. Took to – day. 21st. – Evening, asthmatic constriction chest for 1/2 hour, ending in mucous expectoration. 1c. Feb. 24th, 1853, smelled at Ist dil. Soon after, pressure on upper part of right sterno – mastoid, extending to angle of jaw, for 5 m. Evening, melancholy; began to form images of possible wrongs and misfortunes, over which the mind broods; very wretched at times. 25th. – Feeling of large stool in rectum, which when voided was but small. 11:30 a. m., 8 glob. of 2nd potency. Very soon after, burning of ears. Evening while walking, sudden prostration of strength in limbs, for 1/4 hours 26th, 27th. – Each day 12 glob. of same; no symptoms. 28th. – One dr. of 2nd dil. March 3rd. – For 3 days sense as of something wanting about praecordia. Tried to sing, but had no power to throw out voice. Yesterday and to – day very wretched; a slight cause sets him in a perfect agony of mental suffering on another’s behalf; there is feeling of depression and lowness about heart; mind broods over imaginary troubles. Craving for stimulants, which aggravate the condition; memory confused; shoots down legs and tingling in feet. Better in e. For several day itching in cicatrix if an ulcer. 4th. 2 dr. of 2nd dil. on tongue. No symptoms., 5th. – 3 dr. Makes himself imaginary troubles, and frets over them (2 hours). A small boil like swelling on back of right little finger; fades in 3 day 6th. – Little inclination for sleep, brain appearing irritable. Great desire and power for walking yesterday; to – day reaction. For 10 m. in m. pressure and gagging in throat. Decided pressive pains in left pectoral muscles for a few m., a. m. 12th. – Yesterday and to – day right nostril is extremely sore; feels as if ulcerated. Took 6 dr. of 2nd in water. Pressure as from stones in stomach after each meal, with acidity.
In August, mark of principal puncture on arm was lived yet. (Brit. journ. of Hom., xi, 95, 596.)
2. a. ROSA, aet. 19, robust and sanguine, was inoculated by same, Nov. 8th, in right upper arm. Great aching all up arm to shoulder all day; temper quicker than usual; face flushed in evening, and burning hot. 9th. – Throat dry on waking; face red on rising, and covered with hard knots as in erysipelas; this disappeared after washing. Appeared at breakfast with small papules on inflamed base at point of nose, which was tender; they did not go away till 14th.
2b. 14th. – Took I dr. of 2nd dil. Next day a pimple appeared on upper lip, and in m. eyelids were puffy. On 18th, another pimple on left ala nasi.
2c. Jan. 17th. – Took 3 glob. of 4th three times a day for a week. After Ist dose, dragging and weariness in limbs while walking, with slight frontal headache. Nothing else save on 20th, when neck and body broke out in small white blisters on an inflamed base, very itchy; passed off in an h. From 27th took 6th dil. for a week, but without effect. (Ibid., p. 96, 598.)
3. J. McS -, aet. 38, commenced taking cobra poison, Aug. 4th. Dose, gtt. of 2nd potency in aquae. In evening felt tired and sleepy, had to retire at 9 p. m. Slept directly after going to bed. 5th. – Thermometer at 62. Awoke with troublesome tickling in larynx with nausea, sneezing and coughing. 2 p. m., took gtt. as before. Continuance of tickling with scanty expectoration of tasteless mucus. 6th. – Thermometer 69. Gasping for breath all this day, yesterday, and the day before, but particularly; so to – day, with several deep – drawn inspirations. At 10 p. m. took gtt. as before. 7th. – Awoke early with hawking of viscid mucus. 2 p. m., took gt. Tickling continues, but less. 8th. – At i p. m. took gtt. iv, and felt immediately afterwards increased tenderness over trachea. Gasping for breath both yesterday and to-d. (them. 66); for several hours feeling as if there were a hair in trachea. 9th. – Theridion 66. 2 p. m., took gtt. v, and soon afterwards felt increased tenderness of throat and over sternum, lasting all day 10th. – Therm. 66. To-d. an ulcer on frenum of tongue. This m., on awaking, expectorated freely a whitish viscid mucus. Soon after noon took 12 dr. Almost while taking med. felt all above symptoms greatly increased, added to which, feeling of hollowness over entire head, which continued several days, and caused him to leave off further provings. (M. Hom. Rev., iii, 162.)
4. a. Dr. RUTHERFORD RUSSELL, Jan. 31st, 1853, in bed at 6 a. m. took in a little water I gr. of Ist trit. In 6 m. uneasiness of stomach soon passing off. While dozing was roused by sudden sense of choking, a sort of grasping at throat; a few m. later felt sudden jerking of left masseter. In about 3/4 hours had unusual beating of heart, audible to himself. No other effect that d. Feb. Ist. – At 7 a. m. took same dose. Soon after, slight palpitation of heart, and uneasy dryness of fauces. 2nd. – Took same at 6 a. m. In 20 m. uneasy constriction of irritation of larynx, giving rise to desire to cough; this returned several times. On previous day had felt rather dull in spirits, without obvious cause, and to-d. had great depression; also occasional whizzing in left ear, with insipid, almost nauseous, taste in mouth, a nd now and then tearing pain in abdomen. 3rd. – At 6:30 a. m. took same dose dry on tongue. Soon felt sharpish prick in larynx, with desire to cough. In about 1/2 hours drawing painful sensation in right jaw; at spot of tongue where power fell there is sense of rawness, as if it would rise to a blister; occasional pains in bowels during day; very low spirits. On next 2 day took same dose, but no effect was observed. A catarrh here supervened, which caused discontinuance of proving.
4b. May 3rd, resumed daily morning doses of I gr. of Ist trit., continuing them till the 7th. Soon after dose of 3rd, griping in left abdomen for about 10 m., and a few stitches in left temporal region. During 6th and 7th, especially latter, had considerable pain in forehead, waking him at n., and he awoke with this on m. of 8th. Pain was attended by fluttering of heart; was dull, with occasional stitches in frontal eminences. Tongue was coated with thick yellow fur. On 8th, while walking in country, was suddenly seized with most urgent desire to evacuate bowels; matter discharged was of light colour, and rather watery, coming with great force, as if he had taken a strong cathartic. On 9th again loose stool, with slight pain. On 10th diarrhoeic condition continued, and on 11th he was still uneasy. For last few day he had felt languid and indifferent. On 12th and 13th he had no stool; and felt great languor and loss of appetite. On 14th and 15th motions were partly costive, partly loose, and attended with slight pain in abdomen. Was told he looked pale and ill, and felt out of sorts, without any special complaint.
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.