Introduction
Inspissated juice of Papaver somniferum, l, white poppy. Nat. Ord., Papaveraceae.
Provings
1. HAHNEMANN, Mat. Medorrhinum Pura, vol. i of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 144 symptoms from self and 4 fellow provers, and 518 from authors.
2. a. BARD counted his pulse every hours for a day, and found it kept to 70 – 73, rising to 79 – 84 after meals. Next m. at 7, finding it 71, he took 1 1/2 gr. of O. 8, B – now began to feel distinct effect of O., neither disagreeably nor pleasantly, in head and stomach; had a sense of lassitude difficult to describe, and occupation began to be irksome and even impracticable; pulse was 69. During next 3/4 hours pulse fell to 64, and he had strong desire to sleep; there was dizziness in head but no pain, and sense of fulness in face without obvious turgor of vessels. 9, pulse 64 still, fuller than usual. 9:30, pulse 66; took a light breakfast, not without some repugnance. 10, pulse 65; he was thirsty, and his mouth was filled with an unpleasant taste. At 10:30 pulse was 61, at 11,60, at 11:30, 59. At 12 it was 57, and he could hardly keep awake any longer. Up to this time he had (as on previous d.) abstained from any exertion, but at 1, having walked two or three times about his room, pulse rose to 65. On sitting down again, by 1:30 it was 63; at 2, 61; at 2:30, 58; at 3, 60. After dinner it now rose to 70, and thence after a walk to 75; nor did it fall again below 69. By 6 p. m. he felt no effects of O. save a slight pain in head. Next m. he woke with a most unpleasant taste in mouth, saliva thicker than usual, and yellowish, and tongue much coated. B – repeated this experiment on himself 4 times, and always with same results. When he took 2 1/2 gr. he had nausea and vomiting for 2 – 3 hours, and with this pulse was quickened.
b. On another occasion B – took same dose in 6 portions. Pulse, which on previous day was found as before, was 70 at 7:30 a. m., when he began to take the 6 doses at half – hourly intervals. It was unchanged till after breakfast, when it rose to 76. By 11 it had fallen to 66; slight vertigo had followed 5th dose at 10, and now desire for sleep came on. Pulse continued to fall slightly, till at 2 it was 62. After dinner it rose to 71, and remained thereabouts for rest of d.
c. On day following all his experiments, respiration (undisturbed during action of drug) was anxious and oppressed with frequent sighings and mucous expectoration, and this lasting some 3 day (Tent. de Vir. Opii, Edinb., 1765.)
3. a. One whom I well knew took before bedtime 1 gr. of crude O. He slept at first as if anxious, and plagued with many, mostly sad, dreams, so that he seemed to be in a somnolent state, a prey to constant delirium. At this time the breathing was hurried, tight, and anxious, with quicker and feebler pulse than in the normal state. Later he slept more soundly. After about 8 hours he perspired all over the body, and was next day quite well save for a slight diarrhoea, very foetid; a puffy face, especially in lower eyelids, with bluish and earthy – pale complexion, a white tongue, and weakness and torpor of the legs.
b. On another occasion he took, about 3 p. m., 3 gr. In the Ist hours he noticed only sadness and mental weakness. Towards 5 p. m., feeling faint, he went to bed. He lay there moderately warm, tortured with praecordial anxiety, constantly inclined to sleep, which yet he could not do; his pulse was slower. There then arose gradually in both hypochondria, but especially the right, a pain which seemed to seize the region of the colon. As it grew more violent, it produced such tension in the abdominal integuments that a finger could be introduced under the margin of the false ribs towards the diaphragm. At last, between 7 and 8, it increased to an incredible degree of severity, and the rhythm of the respiration was at the same time so completely disturbed that he dreaded suffocation, and hastily got out of bed in the greatest anxiety. In utmost distress, and gasping with open mouth, he wandered with trembling limbs several times across the room. He felt ravenously hungry, and yet shuddered at food; he passed much lemon yellow urine with copious sediment. Retaining his sound senses, he noticed that his pulse was slower and weaker. His pale skin, papillated with cold, secreted abundant perspiration. At 9 he took a lemon and drank some cups of tea. Now the cramp in muscles of chest and abdomen began to abate, and so did the pains; his cold hands became a little warm, and some eructation followed. (With the dyspnoea there had been hoarseness the glottis seeming to be tightly contracted and the gullet dried, while only a little phlegm would be detached by hawking.) Most of the torments were now over. The bitter taste of the mouth was succeeded by nausea, and this again by vomiting of the tea and lemon, and of gastric mucus. To slake his thirst he took several more cups of tea by sips, and lay down again in bed; within 2 hours his feet got warm, and between 11 and 12 he began to sleep, at first anxiously and as overwhelmed by dreams, afterwards softly and quietly. At 5 a. m. slight general perspiration. Upon this he left his bed, little refreshed by sleep. He directed the business of the following day with all his powers save those of his intelligence. Before midday there occurred an evacuation of frothy fluid mucous faeces, with itching, burning, and extreme starting, which last continued many hours, and caused much discomfort. Then everything returned to the healthy state, except that during this day the tongue was dry and white, and the whole body pale and livid. (GRIMM, Nov. Actea Nat. Cur., iii.)
4. a. Having breakfasted lightly at 9 a. m., I took at 12 1 gr. O. diffused in a teaspoonful of warm water. Pulse was 70 – its natural standard. After 5 m. it was 74, after 10 m. 76, at 15 m. the same, at 20, 25, and 30 m. 74, at 35 and 40 m. 72, and hence forward 70 again. I could scarcely perceive any variation in its strength or fulness, nor was the dose succeeded by drowsiness or any similar affection.
b. At 1 p. m. I gave to a robust, healthy young man, whose pulse beat but 44 in a m., 1 gr. as above. His pulse, remaining stationary for 20 m., at the 25th had reached 50, at the 30th 52, at the 35th 54. It then fell gradually till at the 90th m. it had gone down to 42, and at the 110 the 40. It was not till the 135th that it had attained its normal rate again. Coincidently, after 25 m. there was manifest increase in strength and fulness also; which in an hours began to diminish, and continued to do so till near the end of the experiment. A slight heaviness, which came on at 55 m., was the only other effect experienced from it.
c. At 12:45 p. m., my pulse beating 70 as usual, I took 2 1/2 gr. in 3j of water. Already in 5 m. pulse had risen to 74, and by 30 m. it had reached 80. During the next 15 m. it fell to 64, and after another 1/4 hours had returned to its normal rate. In 20 m. I perceived a slight, warmth, and soon after a degree of moisture on my skin, fulness of pulse increasing as well as frequency. In 1/2 h. I found myself, or at least imagined myself, more alert and sprightly than before. In 40 m. I perceived a pleasing kind of languor, gradually increasing; in 90 m. a dull headache, which in 2 hours time was much increased, and attended with drowsiness and nausea. In 2 1/2 hours every disagreeable symptom was increased. I took a spoonful of vinegar, which somewhat relieved the nausea. In 2 3/4 hours all symptoms still increasing, with slight vertigo and tremors in hands. In 3 1/2 hours nausea increased to vomiting, and I threw up contents of stomach. The headache and vertigo were soon after relieved; but I continued in a stupid state for rest of day (CRUMPE, Nature and Properties of Opium, 1793.)
5. a. GUNTZ took 4 dr. of a tincture prepared by dissolving one part of purified O. in three of rectified spirit and three of distilled water; within a few m. noticed slight pain over whole head, bordering on congested feeling, lasting only 10 m.; at same time face and hairy scalp became warm. Six dr. of same tincture taken in 1/2 oz. water caused some headache after 5 m., and lasting several h. Later, a diarrhoeic stool was passed. After 9 dr. same headache came on, but no other symptoms. Repeated experiments, beginning with 1 dr. After a few m. noticed slight pressing pain in region of glabella, lasting a few m. Two dr. produced same effect. After 3 dr. felt slight nausea, and for 5 m. increases secretion of saliva, followed immediately by pressing pain in frontal region, spreading after 5 m. towards root and later tip of nose, when it changed into colic, lasting only 15 m.; head was quite clear in 1/2 hours from taking dose. Faeces somewhat softer than usual. Four dr. produced same effect. After 6 dr. neither nausea nor salivation occurred, and in place of headache confusion of forehead came on, lasting 2 h. During succeeding n. dreamt unusually vividly, but only awoke once, soon after midnight. Next m. 6:30 had some cutting pain in abdomen, soon followed by loose evacuation. On August 4th, at 8:30 a. m., took 8 dr. in 1 oz. water; same nausea and flow of saliva followed. After 10 m. oppression of forehead came on, accompanied by heat and sweating of face; after 20 m. this moderated, leaving only emptiness of head, lasting 3 h. Did not enjoy midday meal; during after had cutting pain in umbilical region and at 7 p. m. loose stool. Next day took 12 dr.; after 5 m. oppression of forehead came on, interrupted at times by stabbing pains over eyebrows, which spread 1 hours later over whole head. This morbid condition of head improved towards midday, so that throughout p. m. only emptiness and dulness of head remained behind, although stabbing pains were still felt at times. Transient heat occurred at times in face, and kept whole body in a continual state of perspiration till towards e. At 3 p. m. had feeling of constriction of chest, with dyspnoea, lasting 1/2 h. At 8 p. m. passed loose stool, preceded by few cutting pains in abdomen. On 6th at 8 a. m., took 18 dr. After 10 m. head became so heavy and stupid that he was obliged to support it, and could almost feel rush of blood towards head. At 10 a. m. was so sleepy that it needed all his efforts to keep awake, and he could hardly speak collectedly; coupled with this there was heat of face and perspiration. The stupor, which passed off towards midday, was interrupted at times by feeling as of tight band round neck, with occasional fleeting stitches, apparently from within to without. During p. m. head remained dull, sleepy, and empty, and intellect clouded. Cutting pains and loose stool followed as before. During n. sleep was restless, and at midnight he was awoke with feelings of constriction of chest, which came on suddenly every 3 m., and after 1 m. vanished. Wild dreams disturbed his sleep during remainder of n. Next m. at 6 a. m. loose stool and cutting as before. Towards 8 a. m. head, which was clearly on awaking, became as dull as during previous afternoon, but this soon passed off. Next day bowels remained constipated.
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.