Introduction
Sanguinaria canadensis, L. Blood-root, red-root, puccoon. Nat. Ord. Papaveraceae.
Provings
I. a. Dr. DOWNEY took, 2 hours after breakfast, 20 gr. of fresh root. 10 m., burning in stomach; 25 m., considerable nausea, which recurred at intervals for an hour, face very pale with it (40 m.). Pulse was 76 before experiment; 10 m., 78, full and strong; 15 m., 80; 20 m., 84; 25 m., 86, very irregular and not so full; 35 m., 87. It then fell gradually, varying in character according to nausea, till in 80 m. it was 72; 90 m.,
74. 1 b. Same took 8 gr. of the “saponaceous or extractive matter.” 20 m., slight nausea; 40 m. disposition to vomit, short – lasting; 50 m., nausea nearly gone. Pulse, 76 before experiment, after 20 m. was 79, diminished in fullness and force; 30 m., same, very small; 50 m., 81, considerably fuller. It thence fell, showing only a little irregularity, till at 75 m. it had reached its initial point.
1 c. Same took 8 gr. of resin. No symptoms. Pulse, 74 before experiment, rose to 77 in 20 m., and was a little fuller. After 30 m. it declined again.
1 d. Same took 8 gr. of leaves made into pills. 15 m., warmth at stomach. 25 m., fullness of head, with slight vertigo. 30 m., wrists cold, and profuse sweat on forehead. 40 m., slight nausea. 55 m., slight involuntary motion of muscles; still fullness of head and vertigo, which in 80 m. merged into dull headache, with extreme languor, pain lasting some h. Pulse rose from 76 to 84 in 40 m., and was then small; it fell in 45 m., more to starting – point. 1 e. Same took 4 gr. of aqueous extract. 25 m., pleasant warmth at stomach; slight involuntary motion of muscles. 75 m., dull pain directly over eyes; extreme languor. 95 m., disagreeable sensation at stomach, which continued for remainder of d. Pulse rose from 76 to 86 in 35 m., and was then small, but with considerable tension. At 95 m. it was 73, and smaller than usual. 1 f. Same took 3 doses of a concentrated decoction of seed – vessels and seed at 20 and 45 m. intervals. 35 m., glow of warmth over body; 50 m., perspired freely 70 m., torpor of whole system, with very frequent yawning. He was not entirely free from effects of 2 h. Pulse rose from 76 to 83 in 30 – 35 m., thence sinking; at 70 m. it was 76 and extremely irregular; at 90 m. same, nearly as full as usual, but not as strong, and fluctuating. (ALLEN’s Encyclopaedia, viii, 481.) The next 5 experiments are also reported by Dr.Downey.
2. a. Mr. YOUNG took 23 gr. of powdered root made into pills with honey. 15 m., burning in stomach; pulse very quick, without much fullness. 30 m., great nausea; 35 m., 6 or 7 full vomitings.
2 b. Same took 8 gr. of aqueous extract. 40 m., much nausea, shortly after relieved by free emesis. In both experiments there was some ardor urine. (Ibid.)
3. Mr. REES took 8 gr. of alcoholic extract of dry root. No symptoms. Pulse, 80 before experiment, rose to 89 during 65 m. (Ibid.)
4. Mr. BARTRAM took 8 gr. of gummy extract. No symptoms. Pulse rose from 78 to 83 in 30 – 35 m., thence declining. (Ibid.)
5. Mr. PRENDERGAST took 4 gr. of powdered leaves. 15 m., slight warmth at stomach. 40 m., great debility. 60 m., slight nausea, continuing several hours, slight tremors, and very frequent yawning. Pulse rose from 76 to 82 in 30 m., thence declining. (Ibid.)
6. Mr. WOOLTON took 3v doses of decoction. 45 m., vision somewhat affected; pale face. 55 m., great languor, with irresistible propensity to yawn, lasting some little time. Pulse, 80 before experiment, at 15 m. was 84, very strong and full; at 20 m., 87, smaller but tense; then gradually but variably falling, and at 90 m. 78, nearly of natural fullness, but very irregular. (Ibid.)
7. Dr. JEANES, after decanting tinct. of root, and preparing Ist and 2nd dils., observing that he was affected by the drug, noted the following symptoms: – Nausea, as if vomiting was about to take place, and feeling as diarrhoea would ensue; slowly shooting pain in left ear, forehead, sternum, left chest near axilla, and right chest about 7th rib; cramp and pain in left calf; transitory and slight but peculiar sensation in fauces, as if something acrid had been swallowed. Discharge of flatus, and then of faeces, abated nausea, &c; but there followed prickling sensation in tongue and root of mouth; pain in one or more incisor teeth and in a decayed molar, – in latter slowly shooting and thrilling, passing off as a “grumbling pain.” (Mat. Medorrhinum of Amer. Provings.)
8. Dr. HUSEMANN gave to J. H – (woman) and F. H – (man) some globules of 6th dil. in evening and following m.
8 a. J. H – on waking in m. had crawling feeling at tip of tongue and acrid sensation extending over whole tongue; rheumatic pain came on in right shoulder, worse in forenoon, when she had retained arm long in same position, drawing down into elbow. Next m. woke with pain in carious tooth of right upper jaw and in right forehead extending to ear; toothache aggravated by cold or hot drink, but relieved by warm. She had frequent hacking cough while eating and when lying down at n. for several days; and on 7th day menses, right to time, were much more copious than usual, and with them there was pain in right forehead and head with feeling as if eyes (especially r.) would press out of head.
8 b. F. H – felt prickling at tip of tongue 15 m. after dose. Next m., on waking (earlier than usual), feeling of dryness and rawness, as after acrid things, extending from right side of tongue over whole organ; two stools during day; in evening, while walking in open air, sense of extreme weakness in lower extremities; transient pressive pain in right forehead, only when standing still, and therewith pain deep in left ear. Next m. and the following, pain in a lower right carious molar after cold drink; in afternoons pain in forepart of head as from fullness; pressure on head at vertex, disappearing while walking; drawing in calves into instep, worse in right than in left; pain in top of right shoulder. On 2nd day great weakness in lower limbs, and pain in loins, relieved by bending forward. On 3rd day he remarked that by drawing tips of fingers lightly over right cheek, crackling was felt in ear of that side (it was not so with the l.); about 2 p. m. feeling in eyes as if exposed to acrid vapour; hiccup while smoking; very weak in lower limbs while walking; sticking on left side of tongue; heat in throat, inspiration of cold air pleasant and alleviating (e.); boring pain above in forepart of head; p. m., hot burning streaming from right clavicle and axilla towards hepatic region. On 4th day stiffness and drawing in bend and sides of knees; acute stitches in right breast, in region of nipple. On Ist day soft stool, later in day rather costive. The 8th day, p. m., twisting pain above left groin at mid-point, worse while sitting, standing, or bending to right side, increased by pressure, better whilst walking erect; after a time pain went from this spot round to left hip, and then upwards to back on short ribs. (Ibid.)
9. Dr. BUTE proved Ist dil., manner unknown. Extreme moroseness. Vertigo, with singing in ears (immediately); confused and dull feeling in head, relieved by flatulent eructation (soon); heaviness of brain; determination of blood to head, with whizzing in ears, and transitory feeling of heat, then sensation as if vomiting was about to take place, instead of which followed slight cutting – drawings in abdomen, and then a stool; dull pain in head; headache while lying down; -, with chill; -, beating, worse from stooping and motion; -, beating, with vomiting of bitter water; – with nausea and chill, then flying heat from head to stomach, lasting 6 hours; paroxysmal headache in evening, with tickling in throat and cough; sensation as if head were drawn forward; pain in all upper part of head; severe, quick, darting pain in right forehead and temple at 5 p. m., lasting about 5 m., repeated at 7, and at 11 sudden pain through forehead like a brief electric shock; pressive drawing in forehead; periodic stitches in left temple; pain in vertex enlarged veins on head; scalp on one side seems loose; soreness of scalp to touch. Dimness of eyes, p. m., with feeling as if there were hairs in them; pain and tenderness in right eye, with burning and profuse lachrymation, soon followed by fluent coryza, with flow of clear water from right nostril,-two diarrhoeic stools in evening, with cessation of all symptoms (5 h.). Pains in ears, with headache; every stroke of a hammer in a neighbouring blacksmith’s shop is painful in right ear; beating under ears at irregular intervals, often only two strokes; beating whizzing in left ear. Fluent coryza, with frequent sneezing; -, watery, acrid, making nose sore; alternations of fluent and stuffy coryza; heat in nose; smell in nose as of roasted onions; loss of smell and taste. Redness of face; distension of veins of face, with excessive redness and feeling of stiffness; feeling of fullness in face; violent burning heat and redness of face. (Sensation of dryness of lips (in 3 provers); stiffness of jaws; jerking in both maxillary bones, extending towards eyes; looseness of teeth, with salivation; toothache when picking teeth; pain in upper teeth; pain in a hollow tooth, especially when touched by food; tongue white coated, with loss of appetite; a piece of sugar-cake tastes bitter, thereupon burning in fauces; slimy taste in mouth; in evening, pain, with feeling of swelling in throat, worse on right side, and most perceptible when swallowing; for 1 hours feeling in throat as if it were swollen up and would suffocate him, with pain on swallowing, and aphonia (3 h.); dryness in throat, not relieved by drinking; burning in oesophagus; craving for he knows not what, with loss of appetite; craving for piquant food; disinclination for butter, which leaves a disagreeable after- taste; frequent malodorous eructations, with disposition to vomit and paleness of face; spasmodic eructations; eructations of gas, followed by tickling in throat, producing cough (immediately); regurgitation and disposition to vomit; extreme nausea with great salivation; nausea after eating; -, not relieved by vomiting; -, on stooping;-periodic, with loss of appetite; -, long continued, with chill; qualmish nausea, obliging to vomit, followed by headache, with rheumatic pain and stiffness of limbs and nucha; vomiting and diarrhoea; vomiting, with craving to eat in order to quiet the nausea; soon after eating feeling of emptiness in stomach; pressing in stomach; jerking in region of stomach, as from something alive; great weakness of digestion; severe and continual pain in hypochondria, with vertigo and debility; all n. abdominal pain, like the menstrual; paroxysmal pain in abdomen; in m. colicky pain in upper abdomen, and then diarrhoeic stool; in n. digging colic, with pain in sacrum; cramp in abdomen, passing from place to place; violent pains like thrusts of a knife in abdomen, followed by diarrhoeic stools as thin as water; beating in abdomen; repeated ineffectual desire for stool, with sensation as of a thick mass in rectum; p. m., frequent pressure for stool, but flatus only passed; diarrhoeic stools, with great flatulence; single watery stool after severe cutting pain in bowels (1 h.); 5 natural stools in a day; food passes undigested in stool. Frequent micturition, also at night; abdominal pains, as if menses would appear; menses a week too early, with black blood. Dry cough woke him from sleep, and did not cease till he sat up and discharged flatus upwards and downwards; cough, slight or hacking; pressive pain in chest and back; simple pain in thorax; sharp stitches in right chest; stitches from left chest to shoulder; stitches in left short ribs on moving and turning body; nipples sore and painful; severe soreness under right nipple, aggravated by touching; stitches in both breast. Pain in left nucha; soreness of nucha to touch; burning in soles and palms; pain in both shoulders; violent pain in left shoulder, evening, on every motion; sudden rheumatic pains in shoulder- joint; rheumatic pains in arms and hands; -, in right forearm and left foot, evening; redness of hands and severe burning; violent pain, as from a boil, in right palm close to index; numb pain in ball of right thumb; pain as from a boil at root of right thumb- nail, then in left, and from these to all fingers in succession; rheumatic pain in right ring-finger just above 2nd joint; cutting pain in 2nd joint of left middle finger; stitches in tip of right little finger; pain as from a bruise in left hip-joint, while walking, but worse when rising from a seat; rheumatic pain in left hip; continual stitches under right outer malleolus as from a bee-sting; sticking pain in right ankle; needle-like stitches in instep, m., in bed, and p. m. coldness of feet. Great weakness; pain in parts where bones are least covered by flesh, but not in joints, on touching painful spot pain shifted elsewhere; pulsation through whole body. Sleeplessness at night; he wakes at n. with affright, as if he would fall; dreams of frightful and disagreeable character; of a sea voyage which he had undertaken. E., in bed, chill and shivering in bed; shaking chill with pain under scapula on motion. (Ibid., and N. Archiv, ii, 2, 114. For the references of the symptoms the N.Archiv has been used; for their rendering the American version.–EDs )
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.