11. Dr. WILHELM HUBER began Nov. 5th, 1843, with the 30th dec. dil. He proved on two consecutive occasions (the second time reducing by fives) the whole of the dilutions down to the first, and then began with the raw material itself; and after he had repeatedly tried the latter up to half an ounce a day, he terminated his proving Jan. 19th, 1844.
11a. The first 10 day trial, during which W. H – took the 30th, 29th, & c., according to their order, as far as the 14th dil. daily, once or twice in m., or m. and evening, produced either none at all or very few symptoms, viz.: – “Frightful dreams of people being murdered (after 30th); extreme liveliness in m. after waking unusually early (20th); cramp – like tension in inferior maxillary joint (19th); transient threadlike stitch behind sternum (26th); dryness of mouth, increased thirst, pressing heavy scraping feeling like commencement of heartburn in stomach, nausea, disposition to vomit, flatulent distention, rumbling in bowels, frequent yawning (23rd, 22nd, 19th, 16th, and 15th).” “The time of the appearance of these phenomena varied from 1/4 – 1/2 hour to half a d. Generally they rapidly disappeared in a few seconds or minutes.” “From the 14th dil. down to the 1st trit. the symptoms increased and gained, though not in exact proportion, in durability and characteristic distinctness. After 3j of the 13th there appeared (in 1/4 hours) dryness of mouth; tension and digging deep in right hypochondrium as far as back, for some m; 2 1/2 hours after, pressing in stomach as if from stone, with much yawning; an hours later painful stiffness in nape of neck, worse on moving head, with simultaneous fine stitches in first and second molar and painful drawing in a hollow of upper jaw left by a tooth. 3j of the 12th taken in evening of the same day caused (2 hours after) crawling, drawing and fine sticking in tip of right index and thumb; 2 1/2 hours after, strong distension of abdomen; 3 hours, cramp in left calf, after which, along with rumbling in abdomen, pressing and tension in region of right hypochondrium as far as back, relieved by emission of flatus; [ This last phenomenon continued 1 1/2 m, ceased several m., and frequently returned. W.H.] 3 1/2 hours, fine electric – like stitch in hepatic region, and 1/2 hour later pressure in stomach and distension of abdomen. After 3j of the 11th (Nov. 16th, m.), first a cramp – like drawing in right forearm towards joint of the radius, after which colic – like flatulent movements in region of lower ribs for 3 m. As these went off the distension diminished or became less. An hours later fine piercing stitches darted through sphincter ani. At same time hypogastrium, and particularly right inguinal region, was painfully tense. 5 m. after, 5 or 6 fine pecking stitches deep in region of right kidney. In evening of the same day, W. H – took 3j of the 10th. An hours after he felt whilst sitting as if right inguinal region was swollen. In coughing it was as if a portion of bowels pressed firmly on that part. Later there appeared pressing in stomach and frequent loud rumbling in belly. After 3j of the 9th (m of 17th) digging and crawling in tip of right thumb as with fine point of a needle (for 10 seconds, returning in a few m.); 1/2 hour, after nausea and heartburn with pressing in stomach. The pressing extended to the spinal column and was increased by inspiration. After 3j of the 8th (in evening of same d.0, drawing and tension underneath left great toe, returning several times at short intervals; 1/2 hour after, sensation of pressure and fine needle – like stitches deep in region of right kidney (as after 11th dil.); violent stitch along urethra; 3/4 hours after, stitch in tip of right index; 5 m. later extremely painful stab as if from a knife in fossa navicularis; almost simultaneous itching in inner left canthus, obliging him to rub it, and feeling of hardness in right hypogastric and inguinal regions. (This latter symptom lasted the whole e.)An hours after, stitch in right inguinal region; drawing boring pain in right half of forehead; 1 1/2 hg., slight heartburn, feeling of distension in stomach; prickling crawling in tip of right thumb; 2 1/4 hours, nausea. heartburn, pressing in stomach as if from stone, inclination to vomit, distension of belly, frequent yawning. The symptoms last named lasted 3/4 hours whilst sitting quietly, and ended with emission of flatus, to which loud ringing in ears was suddenly added. The following n. prover slept well, woke, however, contrary to his habit at 4 a. m., quite lively and as if he had slept enough. A few m. after waking, he felt a gentle sticking and digging in tip of right thumb and ring and index fingers, followed by threatening heartburn; he then slept again quietly till 7 a. m. 3j of the 7th, which he took directly after waking, remained totally inactive with the exception f a beating cramp – like pain above left external ankle towards tendo Achillis (during the siesta).
11b. At 4 p. m. took 15 gr. of 6th trit. In 1/4 hour crawling in tip of right thumb; lips and mouth became dry; 2 1/2 hours, pressing and scraping in stomach as if spoiled; then heartburn, as from a red hot cinder, lasting 1/2 hour, and a few transient tearing stitches in right index. Next m. (19th), as he repeated same dose same phenomena appeared in same order. The pressing in stomach, which oppressed the breathing, was accompanied with rumbling in epigastrium, dull pressure in back close to last dorsal vertebra, transient threadlike stitch below sternum running along its edge, and subsequently painful distention below navel (like flatulent colic), relieved in 1/4 hour by emission of flatus. On evening of same day he took 15 gr. of the 5th. Thereupon appeared in course of 6 hours these symptoms in the following order: – Distension of abdomen; hard pressing in the hypogastric region; on breathing deeply feeling as of tense band around hypogastrium; cramp in calf returning regularly at short intervals; transient stitches in right groin; painful tension of tendons on left side of popliteal space while sitting quietly; frequent fine stitches here and there in skin as if nettlerash were breaking out; bursting as of small bubbles, creaking and crepitation in right ear, lasting 1 1/2 hour; at last violent contractions of heart with intermittent pulse and feeling of oppression in lower portion of pectoral cavity, as if lung had not sufficient space to expand itself (1/4 hour) The same dose repeated on m. of following day (20th) caused only feeling of nausea as if from an empty stomach; later, pressure in stomach and pinching (aggravated at intervals) in right groin. 15 gr. of the 4th (taken on evening of 29th) produced dryness of hard palate and slight heartburn, repeated on m. of 21st, with painful pressure in stomach which at times oppressed breathing and continued 1 – 2 m., then ceasing 4 – 5 m., and again returning, was troublesome whole forenoon. This (cramp – like) affection of stomach returned in following evening after W. H – had taken in same way 15 gr. of the 3rd, only more violently. Pain extended across region of inferior right ribs as far as back and shoulders. It returned again 20 times with frequent yawning; even after he had slept quietly, on awaking next m. (22nd) it occurred again several times. W. H – again took 15 gr. of 3rd. The affection of stomach just described soon returned again, and once more 2 hours later. Besides this, yet independent of the affection of the stomach, at all events not simultaneous with it, there appeared after this dose: – Itching gnawing inclining to rub in tip of right thumb; distension of abdomen with feeling of nausea; stitch through pectoralis major in direction of shoulder – joint; transient stitches at first in inner ankle, then in right tendo Achillis; violent stitch over symphysis pubis towards right groin. The above dose was repeated at 4 p. m. The following symptoms appeared in the 3rd and 4th hours after its exhibition: – Crawling in tip of right index; pressing pain below sternum, immediately after which the stomach cramp of yesterday and early to – day (4 periodical attacks, which though longer were less violent than previous ones); transient stitch in region of right eyebrow horizontally through brain; after which again stomach cramp for a m. The following n. W. H – slept well; awoke however in m. (23rd, 4 a. m.) much too lively, and felt at once itching sticking in right great toe, then 18 painful stitches below right clavicle (from before backwards); several fine gnawing itching stitches in right heel, and at last a very sensitive stitch deep in right nostril. He tried this m. the 3rd trit. once more. Sensitiveness of right spermatic cord; sticking as if from a fine splinter in palmar surface of right thumb; transient stitch in right ankle – were the symptoms which he afterwards noticed. 3ss of the 2nd, which he took towards evening of same day, resulted only in feeling of nausea with frequent yawning, and transient stitch in right shoulder joint. After repeating same dose next day (24th) he felt pressing in stomach, with fits of nausea and loud rumbling in belly lasting 5 m,; then for 1/4 hours cooling burning in the stomach, which gradually died out; lasting cramp – like tension in tendons of back of left wrist. In this way the prover at last came to the Ist trit. he took in m. of 25th 3ss. (An hours before taking it he suddenly felt an extremely violent stitch in 2nd phalanx of right index; it seemed as if part would be torn off.) beyond a transient stitch in hepatic region (after dinner) and several extensive stitches in front and middle of right thigh and below nail of left thumb he noticed on this day no symptoms. They appeared so much the more numerous, however, on the repetition of the same trit. (26th and 27th, 3ss, 28th, 3j). They are summed up as follows: – Feeling of dryness in mouth; mouth is moister than usual whole day; mouth is suddenly filled with tasteless fluid; in evening when masticating a fine stream of clear salvia spitted out of his mouth; [ In the home of the prover the Austrian frontier of the Budweiser district in Bohemia-the country-people are in the habit of applying kitchen salt as a remedy for nausea, when accompanied by water-brash (they call it Herzwurm) and with good results. W.H- himself has once in his youth instantly removed the evil with one single dose.] pressing in stomach; rumbling in epigastrium; after dinner and a walk in the open air nausea, proceeding from stomach, lasting an hours, with frequent yawning, thirst, increased flow of salvia in the mouth and prostration of body and mind, – at same time transient stitch in tip of left thumb and cracking in left ear, with feeling as if tenacious moisture were flowing out of latter; weakness of memory; great distraction; fine stitches in right meatus auditorius; tension in left sterno – mastoid, with simultaneous roaring in ear, after a walk; in m. in bed, violent drawing tearing pain in tendons above the inner left ankle, immediately followed by a quite similar pain in tendons above wrist joints; cramp – like drawing in left arm, just above the processes anconaeous (resting) and on inner surface or radius above both wrist joints; sticking drawing in right tendo Achillis; in n. of 29th – 30th very violent drawing tearing pain in region of left ischiatic notch, and immediately afterwards similar pain below head of left fibula. The sexual inclination was throughout the entire proving unusually small.
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.