Introduction
Including the metal itself, and osmic acid – osmic tetroxide, OsO4.
Provings
1. a. Being in excellent health, I took, May 12th, 1855,2 gr. of 3rd trit. of the metal at 8:30 a. m. without effect. 13th. – Repeated dose. All afternoon fulness and aching in upper and back part of head, indoors and out; worse on throwing head back. 7 p. m., took same. 14th. – Next day took same at 4 and 10 p. m. After 1st dose, dull headache like a band round head above ears, after 2nd extending from base of brain into jaws. 15th. – At noon same dose. At n. return of dull aching of previous day; irregular attacks of stabbing in tips of fingers, especially left 16th. – Arose very tired, with muddled head and aching limbs and body; and was thus all d. Stool delayed, small and costive. 10 a. m., 2 gr. In evening perceived urine to be strongly scented, somewhat like violets, very high coloured, and apparently full of bile. 17th. – No med.; urine and head the same. 18th. – 2 gr. at 11 a. m. and at n. 19th. – 2 gr. at 11 a. m. All day yesterday and to- d. uneasiness in stomach, increasing to anxiety and contraction; worse after food, and much aggravated by stimulants. Felt restless and fidgety. Bowels moved daily, but costively. Felling so poorly, took no med. till 22nd, when I repeated dose in forenoon. (Rawness in larynx now began, increasing by 24th to severe laryngeal catarrh -? medicinal. 24th to 26th. – Also aching, drawing and shooting in several joints. Felt very weak and easily tired.) On 28th took 1 gr. at 2:30 p. m. 6, weakness of stomach almost amounting to nausea, and aversion to cocoa (usually well relished). 29th. – Rose, feeling jaded, after restless tossing n. Took 1 gr. at noon. 30th and 31st. – Took 1 gr. each d. On n. of 30th restless as before.
1b. June 6th, took 1 gr. at 3 p. m. All evening had distension of stomach and bowels, though dinner was only pain roast mutton and potatoes. Restless m., and dull head all day on 7th; bowels not moved till 4 p. m., and urine brown and scanty. At 3 p. m. another dose. At n. slight griping in bowels; stool passed hastily, with burning at anus; it was bilious and partly fluid. 8th. – This m. urine scanty and strongly scented, but not so dark as before. Took 1 gr. at 11 a. m. In evening again distension of stomach and bowels, with difficult passage of flatus. 9th. – Urine scanty and dark coloured. Took 1 gr. a. m. All p. m. abdomen very sensitive and distended. Only small lump of faeces, like a marble, passed to-d. after much effort. 10th. – 1 gr. a. m. Again troubled with distension all p. m. and evening 11th. – 1 gr. Pulse 90, normally 72. Before (mid – day) dinner contractive pain and weight in epigastrium, often attended with feeling as if I had swallowed rugged stones. No appetite for dinner; bowels distended P. m.; pressure on both inguinal rings. No stool till 10 p. m., dry and full of air (sic). 12th. – Sleep restless every n., with dreams of painful events; rise jaded. In forenoon constrictive pain in stomach. Pulse 80. Stool at 10 a. m., small. Urine scanty and dark. 2 gr. at noon. 16th. – Took no more med. Bowels remain costive; urine scanty and dark, but improving. Have several times felt before – mentioned stabbing pains in tips of left thumb and fingers. Sleep haunted by weighty but unremembered dreams. In about a week from the time I left off this last trial my health resumed its usual vigour and evenness, which had been rather unpleasantly ruffled by this powerful drug. (STOKES, Monthly Hom. Rev., iii, 164)
2a. C. HERING. a. From olfaction. – Peculiar feeling in head, and great pain in upper right forehead (soon); cold jerks in left upper jaw and front teeth; in m. first hard, then thin soft stool of striking orange yellow colour (3rd d.); pain in right nostril (immediately); pain near left lower rib, a dull stitch (immediately.); sensitive pain in middle of left humerus, soon after in fingers (2 hours); violent bone – pain in left elbow (immediately.); burning pressure on outer side of right forearm; flying cutting pain in bones and joints or right foot (1st hour)
2b. After triturating. – Severe pain in left petrous bone, above and behind ear; ringing in right ear, and pain; pain in spermatic cords, especially left (soon); throbbing, sticking, pricking, pinching pain on left side of glans penis.
2c. From 1st dec. – Misplacement of words in same phrase; headache in upper left forehead, a tearing to and fro, deep in, at same time similar deep – seated pains in bones of limbs (e. of 1st d.); falling out of hair is increased and continues (12th d.); sensation as if axis of vision was moved back and forth a short distance, without moving eyes, – with closed eyes (e. of 1st d.); ringing in right ear (in 1/2 hour); tongue much coated; coffee tastes badly, – 3rd day; urging to stool but passage of flatus only (p. m., 2nd d.); mushy stools 3 times in day; unusually strong erections; pain in spermatic cords, especially left; glans penis reddened on one side; mucus hangs in larynx like a thread, irritates to hawking and cough, causing retching and almost vomiting (11th d.); burning pains in left ring finger (6th d.); violent itching on spot an in. wide and a hand long above crest of left ilium, towards abdomen, – place is red, with many small points as if tetter would appear (7th day, et seq.); fulness and restlessness in legs which becomes quite unbearable, he does not know what to do with them, and finally has to lie down (e., 5th d.); violent itching on legs and ankles; burning stitches in skin at many places, particularly in right upper eyelid, worst at inner border of nail of left fourth finger, where it burns like fire (soon); itching as from crawling insects on shoulders and back in evening when going to bed, it scarcely permits sleep and makes him very impatient (9th d.).
2d. From 1st cent. – Violent in left inner canthus, irresistible desire to rub it (2nd d.); violent pain around left eye, as if externally on bone, for 1/2 hour; earache, first in right, then in left ear (e. of 1st d.); violent yet undefined pains at tip of glans and in prepuce; violent pinching in bones of right forearm; pain in left wrist – bones, m. after stool (2nd d.); legs and feet appear as if too full; pinching pain in ankles; pinching pressing pain in head, as if in bone first l,. then right (2nd d.).
2e. Without specification of dosage. – Inward weakness, thinks he will have to give up practice on account of mental weakness (in evening while riding out); thoughts of accidents having happened to others, gradually growing upon him as if he were to do such injuries (after several weeks); pain in muscles of mastication, after eating wheat bread, for 2 – 3 hours; sensation of great weakness in both groins toward cord (soon); cough on rising, in violent short bursts without expectoration; sweat in axilla, smelling of garlic, for a week (8th d.); severe pinching pain in left upper arm, a hand’s breadth above elbow, inwardly and on inner posterior side, often repeated and very severe, for 15 m. (soon); severe pains in right forefinger, especially in 1st phalanx, stinging and twitching towards point (after a week); severe pains in right ankle, which do not prevent walking (1st hours). (Mat. Medorrhinum, vol. 1.)
3. Dr. NEIDHARD, 5 m. after olfaction twice repeated, had pressing headache in forehead, soon followed by ulcerative pain in left leg and gluteal muscles. (Ibid.)
4. Dr. RAUE, after olfaction, had pressing headache in organs of identity; pulsating dull stinging on inner side of right shoulder – joint; drawing on inside of right forearm. ( Ibid.)
5a. Dr. BOJANUS on Dec. 24th, 9 a. m., smelt at undiluted osmic acid and the 1st dec. dil while preparing it. Symptoms: Odour pungent, causing prickling in nose and increased secretion of mucus. The odour remains long in nose and changes into an odour of blood. Sensation in nose as if it were stopped up, and as if coryza were about to come on. Immediately afterwards increased secretion of saliva causing him to spit frequently. When breathed in it caused scrapy, rough, prickling sensation in larynx as if catarrh were coming on, compelling frequent hawking. Soon afterwards catarrh ensued. In afternoon after frequent inhalations of 1x at 1 p. m. nose and larynx very sensitive to cold air, constant discharge from nose, and at same time nose felt stopped up. Scraping and raw feeling in epiglottis. Has a constant smell of the acid in the nose or a sensation as if unslaked lime had penetrated into nose, along with prickling sensation in nose. Scraping in larynx exciting short dry cough; during and after cough pain in larynx and trachea to middle of sternum as if raw and sore, as if with every cough the m. m. were torn away. This feeling of rawness in chest is permanent, and causes hawking and tussiculation. At 4 p. m., dimness of vision in right eye, not relieved by wiping it, as if a veil rose before eye or the room was full of smoke. Frequent abortive sneezing. 5 p. m., the candle flame is surrounded by a bluish – green halo with bright red border; when the candle is far from eye (10 to 12 paces) the halo disappears, and the flame appears indistinct as if enveloped in smoke. The catarrhal symptoms increase, as also the pains in larynx and cough. Smelling of the 1x is very disagreeable and repugnant, and is like what one feels on smelling at strong mustard. Lachrymal secretion increased, especially when looking long at any object. Nausea with flow of saliva into mouth. 10 p. m., frequent sneezing with increased discharge from nose. The coloured halo round candle – flame continues unaltered. Towards evening the cough becomes loose with expectoration of colourless mucus, the scraping and raw feeling in larynx and under sternum continue. On blowing nose smell of the acid in nose, very marked, and feeling as if blood came from head into nose, which is very sensitive not only to cold air but to that in the room. Nausea and flow of water into mouth, as if vomiting would ensue. sudden pain in hip – joint as if dislocated, preventing walking for a few m. Tobacco scrapes the throat and causes cough and increased raw feeling in larynx. 11 p. m., the pain in left hip – joint occurs once when walking but soon goes of. Coffee does not relieve these symptoms. No symptoms during n. – 25th, 5:30 a. m., dry feeling in chest, dry shaking cough. When coughing pain under sternum and both sides of chest, burning, sore as if chest were all raw inside. After coughing a long time, expectoration of viscid, yellow lumps of mucus. Tightness of chest, dread of breathing. When breathing the air causes sore pain in bronchial tubes. Mucous rales in chest and larynx, in the latter there is some pain, but not so bad as in chest. The feeling of scraping in larynx is still there. The catarrh goes on as before. Sense of smell much impaired. Eyes the same as yesterday, the coloured halo round candle – flame still slightly observed. In abdomen rumbling and rattling as if air and water were in the bowels. Smell and taste much impaired, can hardly tell what food is eaten. – 26th. Catarrh continues, and all the chest and larynx symptoms, even the cough, though less in degree. In open air smell of lime – dust in nose. Smell and taste still impaired. On back of left hand betwixt thumb and index small, pointed vesicles with red areola and intolerable itching (6 years ago had itch here), similar vesicles appeared on ulnar border of same hand from metacarpal joint to phalanges of little finger and on dorsal aspect of wrist. No vesicles on right hand, but much itching. All the vesicles disappeared in 24 h. The catarrh continued with only slightly diminished severity till 29th; cough in m. only, the sensation before described in the chest is still present. All the symptoms were gone on the 30th December.
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.