6. a. ADALBERT HUBER, surgeon in Reichenau, Bohemia, aet. 28, sanguino – phlegmatic temperament, leading a simple life; was never seriously ill; as a child often troubled with an eruption on the head, latterly with a catarrhal affection of the throat every year, and when that omitted with inflammation of the gums; began his proving November 10th, in m., with 3j of 30x dil., after which. however. he noticed no change in his health. The following day he took of 25th dil. The same day, and particularly next m. in preparing a trituration, he noticed a sudden weariness of left wrist and right arm. [ Was this phenomenon not the natural consequence of the (perhaps unaccustomed) exertion during the operation? ] After 20th dil., taken on 13th, he was confused in his mind during whole day, and felt pressing pain in forehead. After 15th dil. (Nov. 15th in m.) there came on in n. great heat of body, followed by sweat, especially in head. 11th dil. (m of 17th) excited during whole day a kind of colic, which was relieved by emission of flatus. After 8th dil. (20th) prover observed in course of day single stitches in hepatic region, sensitiveness of liver to pressure, stitches in penis towards glans, weakness of left arm (felt particularly in shoulder – joint) so that he was not able to lift a pound weight with the outstretched arm. Weakness of arm continued during two following day 23rd. – 6th dil. was followed by pressure at praecordia, sensitiveness of latter to contact, painfulness of left arm, especially in region of deltoid muscle and shoulder – joint. On being pressed, arm pained as if, bruised, and joint would not bear least movement without pain. The phenomena disappeared gradually during 3 following d. After 4th dil. (27th) troubles occurred during urination. Urine was emitted in a weak stream and only during strong pressing. After a normal evacuation he got a troublesome dribbling of urine and pressing pain in rectum, as after a very hard knotty stool, so that he could not sit.
6b. Dec. Ist, A.H – took 15 gr. of 3rd trit. Soon after appeared inclination to vomit, weakness in evening, trembling of limbs after slightest exertion, with more frequent pulse. 2nd. – 3j of 2nd trit. caused throughout day frequent micturition and much emission of flatus. 3j of Ist trit. on 6th had same result. The frequent micturition lasted for next 2 or 3 d. The urine looked pale and clear, yet smelt strong and tasted sweetish. 10th. – A.H – tried 10 gr. of pure salt. The following n. he was troubled with frightful and anxious dreams of murder and imprisonment. On awaking he found himself bathed in profuse perspiration and felt in m. very weak. The succeeding 4 day, excepting frequent pressure above right nipple, he noticed no symptom. Repetitions of same dose on 15th and 20th remained totally without result. (Ibid.)
7. a. A. H – further proved salt on 3 girls and a boy. A scrofulous girl of 7 began with 27th dil., which was reduced 3 stages each time as far as the 2nd and ist trit. Frequent sticking and burning in forehead, tearing in canthi with darkness before eyes, and solitary stitches in hepatic region, were the few symptoms which ensued.
7b. A healthy girl of 12 was seized whilst she took 30th to 20th dil. with violent vertigo as if intoxicated and stitches in region of liver. These symptoms frightened her from any further attempts at proving.
7c. A strumous boy of 12, who frequently suffered from bellyache and diarrhoea, on taking 28th dil. got bellyache again; after 23rd dil. distension of abdomen and burning around navel; after 13 dil. sticking in hepatic region lasting for 6 to 7 m.; lastly, after 3rd dil., sticking and burning in forehead, and burning, especially in fossa navicularis, during urination.
7d. A girl of 19, sanguine, has menstruated three years, always healthy, took 30th down to 16th dils., but perceived nothing important. After 15th dil. she got pain in belly and giddiness. The later recurred every moment. She was as if drunk, and during whole day could not take a single step with certainty. The stool from that time forward was harder, rarer, and scantier. 10 gr. of 3rd trit. caused tearing in teeth up into temple, sticking in forehead (e.), pressing in stomach, a firm dry stool like sheep dung with violent stitches in the rectum, increased emission of urine (she was obliged frequently in the n. to micturate). After 10 gr. of 2nd trit. there followed next day cough with tickling in chest, pressing in forehead, burning coryza, sticking in middle of chest, a soft stool twice. 10 gr. of Ist trit. produced on Ist day heat in head, sticking in the forehead as if with needles, weakness of the stomach, nausea to fainting. On 2nd day sticking in region of sternum at each respiration, shortness of breath, stitches in praecordia, worst during motion, cough with tickling in chest. The catamenia were delayed about 5 d. During this time she felt weak and prostrate, and her feet heavy. Ultimately the catamenia appeared, accompanied by violent pain in the hypogastric region, and inclination to vomit. (Ibid.)
8. a. WENZEL HUBER, surgeon, in Kleinzell, in Upper Austria, proved salt on himself, his wife, and three children. He began his experiments on himself Nov. 11th, 1843; he took the drug always early in m., fasting, diluted with water. 30th to 25th dil. showed no noticeable influence. After 24th dil. (17th) throughout whole day there was slight pressing pain above eyebrows. 23rd and 22nd dils. (18th and 19th) were also without result. 21st, 20th, 15th, and 14th dils., which he took 20th to 23rd, made themselves noticed by a salt taste on the lips. So soon as the moist tongue touched the lips, it was as if it had touched salt water. Nov. 24th to Dec. Ist he tried a series of dils., the 13th to the 5th. The symptoms which he noticed thereupon were certainly in number but few; they, however, have distinctly the N. mur. character. The intense salt taste after the higher dils. (13th – 10th) gave place in the lower ones to a clayey, insipid taste, tongue was coated white; hard palate for some day is as if scalded, and pains on contact; sometimes he noticed an offensive smell from mouth; beer tasted bitter (in spite of this appetite remained tolerably good); stool either entirely failed or was firmer than usual and evacuated with trouble. At same time there developed itself on edges of eyelids a regular catarrhal affection. They become red, burned, especially in evening, when reading, and secreted mucus, which in m., on walking, gummed up eyes and formed into crusts. The 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st trits., which prover tried on different occasions from Dec. 2nd to Jan. 4th, commencing with 10 gr. daily and increasing each dose by 10 or 20 gr. as far as 100, produced only a few new symptoms; feeling in anus as if a small, rough, pointed plug stuck in it, or as if anus was full, which was followed by frequent, but ineffectual, urging to stool; itching in scrotum, or between scrotum and thigh, obliging him to scratch; fulness and distension of stomach and bowls; heartburn; increased secretion of salvia; uneasy nights full of dreams; late in falling asleep, early awaking. The eye affection continues. During ist trit. Stool was very irregular, sometimes hard, sometimes soft. Diarrhoea appeared a few times. The taste showed itself occasionally saltish again.
8b. Salt in substance, in doses of 10 to 40 gr., 5th to 15th Jan., did not enrich list of symptoms. Only the eye affection became worse, edges of eyelids and canthi (specially external) burned violently throughout whole day and secreted much acrid fluid. he felt pressing pains in eyes as if they were inflamed. In reading he sees as it were through a fog. Was not disposed to work, especially to study. A drachm, on 16th, excited, soon after taking it, nausea and burning and fulness in stomach, subsequently offensive smell from mouth, and offensive flatus, hard inefficient stool, itching in scrotum and prepuce, unquiet sleep. After 1 1/2 dr. there came feeling of burning heat and fulness in stomach, nausea, and inclination to vomit with accumulation of water in mouth. Nausea recurred frequently during d. He had moreover the whole day pain in forehead. He felt himself weak. At the thought of the saline solution a shoulder ran through him, with loathing and inclination to vomit. The burning, lachrymation, and secretion of mucus in eyes increased. he was frequently seized with contractive (spasmodic) pain about navel. After first dose of 1 1/2 drachms (Jan. 17th) anus was swollen; the feeling of a plug sticking in it caused constant desire to stool; after 2nd dose on 19th diarrhoea came on twice. The majority of these symptoms appeared, although less intensely, throughout the subsequent 8 – 10 dr. The most obstinate symptom was the affection of the eyes. In the m. he perspired generally profusely; the sweat smelt sour. Throughout the whole duration of proving the sexual desire was remarkably diminished. (Wzl. H – is 43 years old, powerfully built, melancholic – phlegmatic temperament. Except the usual diseases of childhood, he was never seriously ill. he led, as country surgeon, a very active life, and exposed himself at all seasons of the year to every change of weather with impunity. His mode of living is very moderate. he takes nothing but soup at breakfast. His dinner consists of soup, veal or smoked meat, and vegetables. In the evening takes soup and potatoes. He drinks neither coffee nor wine nor beer. He smokes tobacco, however, almost the whole d.) (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.