Introductions
Poison sumach, dogwood.
Provings
1. Dr. BURT, beginning with 50 dr. of 3rd dil., increased dose till 3ss was taken at once. He then took tinct., at first 10 dr. several times a day, then more and more till he reached 150 dr. Altogether 3j of tinct. was consumed in the proving. Its day – books have been lost, but the following symptoms were observed: – Skin hot and dry at n., with great restlessness; palms of hands dry and hot; cracks at end of fingers, bleeding readily; fine vesicular eruption on forearm, wrist, back of hands, and fingers, also on scrotum and ankles, seated on inflamed base, and itching intolerably, especially in evening in a warm room and in bed, worse after scratching, which nevertheless is irresistible, and which causes much serous exudation; constant itching of under lip for several day, with bright red appearance, also great burning and itching of arms; cellular tissue round eyes much swollen; a number of boils on forehead, neck and arms (after the proving). Wrists, ankles and feet ached to severely at n. that he could not sleep; great restlessness after midnight. Very weak and languid. Great sadness, no desire to live, everything seems gloomy; absence of mind, cannot concentrate it on particular subjects. Fulness of head; dull heavy frontal headache, aggravated by walking and stooping. Constant lachrymation and dull aching in eyeballs. Great dryness of nostrils on two several occasions, each time lasting about an h. Slimy, salty – slimy, or flat rough taste in mouth; tongue white – coated; scalded feeling on tongue; dryness and constant irritation of fauces; distress at root of tongue and fauces; tonsils very red and congested, with dull aching distress in them, and frequent inclination to swallow, which aggravates this; wants to drink much. Dull aching distress in stomach and whole abdomen, with occasional sharp cutting pains about umbilicus, – these especially before a stool, which relieves but does not remove them; later, severe cutting pains in umbilical and hypogastric regions for 6 days, with 3 – 4 very soft, loose, blackish stools daily, – pains worse before stools; intolerable itching and burning at anus, and neuralgic pains there. Scrotum much swollen, of deep red colour, and covered with vesicles; severe itching and burning on it. Constant dull pains whole length of spine; back very stiff; severe pain in left elbow for 1/2 hours, forbidding movement of limb; drawing pains in forearms; dull pains in wrists and fingers, which are very stiff, with occasional drawing; constant aching distress in hands, which are hard, rough, and tender; hands greatly swollen, of deep red colour, and covered with watery vesicles that itch intolerably; knees and ankles ached constantly; severe cramp in calf at n., followed by soreness there next day; dull drawing pains and distress in knees, ankles, feet and toes; great weakness of knees and ankles; ankles and feet ached so severely for 8 weeks after proving, that it was very painful to stand or walk, especially p. m., when he had to lie down daily; ankles very red and swollen, with watery vesicles and blisters all over these and the feet, itching intolerably, and exuding copious serum; trembling of all limbs, with twitching of muscles. (N. Am. Journ. of Hom., xiii, 411.)
2. Dr. BUTMAN made, in spring, 1865, a tinct. from the blossoms and adjoining leaves. While collecting these he had dull frontal headache, nausea, lassitude and diuresis. From Oct. 19th to 24th he took tinct. in increasing doses, till he was taking 180 dr. at a time. It developed the following symptoms: – Skin hot and dry; itching on various parts of body; eruption on face, head and chest resembling that of enteric fever, disappearing on pressure. Great restlessness at night; sleep disturbed by dreams. Inability at times to connect ideas; forgetfulness; dull and stupid feeling. Sensation as if brain were pressing up against skull; dull headache, with sharp darting pains in parietal bones; sensation as if head were bound. Feeling as if eyes were being pressed out of head; sharp pain in right eye, extending to supra – orbital region. Dryness of nose, which later is filled with tenacious mucus. Face flushed, feeling as if burnt. Tongue coated white; slight accumulation of viscid mucus in mouth; dryness with burning in throat; sensation as if tongue were being pulled out by roots. Loss of appetite; continual nausea; borborygmus, with pain from lumbar region to umbilicus; pain in left abdomen; faeces dark, hard, and scanty; blood from rectum after stool. Desire to micturate frequently, but small quantities only passed; burning in urethra. Pain in back; sharp pain under left scapula, going through to ribs. Sharp darting pain in both arms, from elbow to index fingers and thumbs; aching pains throughout proving from hips to knees, worst at knees, and on left side. Continual shivering down back; general feeling of lassitude. All symptoms increased on a damp d. A subsequent proving with dilutions produced no new symptoms. (N. Engl. Medorrhinum Gaz., iv. 200.)
3. Dr. WALLACE McGeorge proved a tinct. made by macerating leaves. Of sanguine temp., 28 years old, in good health, except for some catarrh in head and slight indigestion.
a. Aug. 10th, 1869, at 11:45 a. m., took 2 or 3 dr. in water. 11th. – Good spirits; quite cheerful all day 12th. – On rising, mouth and lips dry; lips sore and swollen, blistered and cracked; it is impossible to keep mouth moist; this got easier 1 hours afterward, but came on again, and lasted all day 10 a. m., took another dose. Headache of stupefying nature. 4 p. m., itching of upper lip and chin; tongue and mouth feel as if burnt with acid. 6, lips and mouth become more feverish, and, 8, breath feels like steam, it is so hot; lips painfully hot and dry, cannot get them cool, they burn constantly; headache all day, and yet does not feel in low spirits. 13th. – 6:30 a. m. On waking, uncomfortable feeling in mouth and lips; cannot speak distinctly; palate fallen, and feeling as if there was something in mouth impending speech, unchanged by hawking or clearing throat; lips painful, dry, and swollen to double their natural size; white vesicle on lower lip; tongue red on tip; mouth moist; gums swollen; on drinking anything warm, slight irritation of inner side of lips, gums, and tip of tongue; eyes dull; dull headache; feels rather languid; pulse 72, rather weak; no pain anywhere in body. 8 p. m., itching of tongue and roof of mouth; lips and tongue feel as if cracked; lips swollen, upper one the worst; itching in corner of mouth. 14th. – Upper more swollen than lower lip; lips and tongue feel as if cracked; lips peel off somewhat, they burn and itch considerably when washing; tongue feels as if scalded, and itches awfully, he has to scratch it and rub it with handkerchief; nose itches at night; face swollen; slight headache; dull – looking appearance of eyes; breath hot and feverish by spells, it smelt as if stomach was disordered; feels tired nd weary; low – spirited. 15th. – Lips worse than ever, upper most affected, black on edges, yellow vesicles on inner side, which break, discharging a thin sticky fluid, agglutinating them together (12 m.); lips hot and dry, and burning, aggravated by washing in cold water, or touching them with tongue, or when eating anything sour; tongue red, and cracked in middle; face swollen; eyes dull and heavy; languid feeling; itching of hands (fingers and palms) after washing; itching of anus; appetite and excretions normal; pulse 82; when sitting, at 3 p. m., it was normal, 68 to 70; feels worse when the weather is very hot; cream applied to lips relieves the burning sensation, but hot applications ameliorate more than all; anus itches terribly towards n. 16th. – On rising, face swollen; lips swollen and covered with a thick skin or crust that in breaking emits an offensive discharge, resembling that from a sore, thin and sticky, warm water makes them feel comfortable and pleasant; feels low – spirited, and disinclined to employ his time in any manner; stools dark, and partly undigested; itching at anus; itching in palm of left hand, and appearance of vesicles on fingers, itching terribly, aggravated by cold water; insupportable feeling at anus; nose feels sore, as if it was going to peel off; acid food hurts his lips; poor appetite in m. p. m., itching in anus, which becomes exceedingly annoying, relieved temporarily by scratching; lips are getting better, and do not smart so much; warm water relieves them still. Evening, itching of hands continues; vesicles appear on fingers of both hands; shivering for 10 m. when undressing, accompanied with chattering of teeth, followed by heat and perspiration, with drowsiness, but itching at anus becomes so unbearable that he cannot sleep; pinching and pressing affords no relief; brandy applied on a compress affords relief and abates pain in 2 to 3 m., but when first applied creates such a terrible burning that he cannot lie still, and almost goes into spasms; restless sleep afterward.17th. – 3 a. m., wakes up with the itching at anus, which yields to application of brandy as before; as soon as he feels comfortable, and when falling asleep, the hands begin to itch and prevent his sleeping for an hours; afterwards sound sleep; no dreams at any time through night; lips are better, but still smart a good deal when touching acids, relieved by hot water; tongue cracked in centre, and covered with little white vesicles; inside of lips filled with similar vesicles; appetite good; stools lighter in colour, and partly undigested; urine normal; itching of genitals, especially prepuce; increase of saliva; face less swollen; itching at anus less troublesome. 18th. – Very little itching at anus; troublesome itching and burning of hands and fingers; lips and tongues improving; face looks better, swelling almost gone; slight itching of genitals. 19th. – Intense itching of hands upon awaking and immersing them in water, showing, after rubbing, little raised streaks of a yellowish colour. (These are composed of patches of little yellowish vesicles, worst between the fingers and in the cracks or lines in the palms of the hands.) Itching worst in morning; itching on scrotum and prepuce worse; lips, tongue and anus are more comfortable; pimples on forehead. 20th. – Troublesome itching of scrotum, penis, and especially of prepuce – worse on becoming warm (weather exceedingly hot); no trouble with anus, lips, or mouth; hands smart and burn considerably after scratching and rubbing them; pimples on forehead. 21st. – Itching of hands and fingers same as yesterday, showing same yellow patches previously described; the fingers are much swollen, also palms; herpetic eruption on forehead, resembling herpes phlyctenoides; itching of scrotum, penis, and prepuce through day, unchanged by scratching. 22nd. – Wakes up during n. with itching of hands, rubs and scratches them until sore; violent burning and smarting, preventing him from sleeping a long time; lips, tongue, and mouth seem all right; no itching at anus; very slight itching on genitals. Hands itch violently through day, relieved by putting them in very hot water, as hot as can be borne without scalding; this seems to make the pain felt in the very bones, but relieves for some hours after a thorough soaking; hands and fingers swollen – cannot wear his ring, which generally is too large for him; skin appears raised in ridges of a yellow colour, puffy to the touch, the other skin on hands appearing red; hands become sore from severe rubbing, and vesicles appear between fingers. 23rd. – Itching on rising, same as for 3 or 4 day; cold water allays a little for the time being, but the itching and stinging can be felt very distinctly; yellow, puffy ridges on palms of hands; skin on forehead appears rough; profuse secretion from right nostril of a thin ichorous fluid. 24th. – Wakes up at 4 a. m., and has to rise and wash hands in order to allay the itching, rubbing only making it worse; itching of hands during day; skin on forehead not so red or so rough; secretion from right nostril slightly excoriating; no discharge from left nostril, which is stopped up. Sept. 1st. – Gradual abatement since the 25th ult., skin peeling off fingers and palms. 5th. – Skin still peeling off hands. 10th. – Skin peels off most, and began to peel, where the vesicles were on fingers and palms; stools black as pitch, and hard, no unusual smell. 12th. – Skin peeling off slowly; stools black as before, soft, and rather putrid; bowels move twice. 16th to 24th. – Skin still peeling off; nothing else unusual observed.
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.