Introduction
Metallic tin (in foil); also Stannum muriaticum, stannic chloride.
Provings
I. HAHNEMANN, Mat. Medorrhinum Pura, vol. vi of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 204 symptoms from self, 451 from 7 fellow-observers, and 5 from authors.
2. IBID., Chronic Diseases, part v. A mere reproduction of the foregoing.
3. a. Dr. W. H. STONE, aet. 25, in good health. Having on Ist day taken at 6:30 a. m. 10 gr. of sacch. lact. without effect, on 2nd day, 1/2 hours before breakfast, took 10 gr. of 3rd trit. of St. A frontal headache with which he woke continued all day, quite severe about noon, worse from driving in cold air, better from warmth, rest, and pressure. (Is not subject to headaches.) On 3rd day took 10 gr. of Ist trit. at same time. Headache was gone, but dull heavy feeling continued there all d. Stool hard and dry (unusual).
3 b. On another occasion, took 10 gr. of 1x trit. 1/2 hour before breakfast. 9 a. m., head uncomfortable, but no real ache; mental depression all day, at times severe; was cross, anxious and worried. At 4:30 violent colic of short duration, relieved by passage of wind; pain afterwards increased till 7 p. m., when he had a most profuse evacuation of bowels, whitish, frothy, offensive, leaving burning sensation in anus; felt very empty afterwards. Passed restless n., sleep full of dreams about business; head clearer next day, much borborygmus. On 3rd day felt well, but had no stool. On 4th day natural stool, followed by rumbling and distress in bowels for 1/2 hours (Trans. of Amer. Inst. of Hom. for 1885, p. 161.)
4. Mrs. M. F -, aet. 40, normal pulse 85, took similar succession of powders. After first (sacch. lact.) at 8 a. m., felt drowsy for an hour, and at 10 had nausea and pain at stomach. Pulse had by this gradually fallen to 65; and at noon was 55, when she had such vertigo that she could keep no further record. The subsequent powders, taken at intervals of 2-10 days, produced same symptoms of head and stomach; pulse remained throughout at 50-52, and was thus 30 day after commencing proving, no medicine having been taken for 13 days; health otherwise good. (Ibid.)
5. CHARLES H. WELLS, Philadelphia, aet. 29, married, good health. Took 3 pellets of 30th dil. every 4 hours for 6 days without effect. (Trans. of Penns. State Hom. Medorrhinum Soc., 1889.)
6. Oliver H. PAXSON, Philadelphia, aet. 29, single, student. Height, 5 feet 7 inches; weight, 140 pounds; constitution, good; normal pulse, lying 77, sitting 83, standing 90; normal respiration, 19; normal temperature, morning 98.4, evening 98.7; urine, habitual quantity and character, 33:75 fl. oz., sp. gr. 1.023, no albumen, no sugar; stool twice a day, firm, and natural in colour. After a negative saccharum lactis test, proved 1x trit. of St. met. On Ist. d. took 1/10 gr. at 9 a. m., no effect. After an interval of 4 day, at 9:20 a. m. took 1 gr. Immediately afterward, while walking home, observed, first, slight sense of fullness in the left temple, some pain over left kidney, and feeling of nausea; did not retch or vomit. Nothing further noticed until 7 p. m., before supper, when he had an urging to stool; stool was liquid, and passed with wind, causing a sputtering noise. Nothing noticed next d. On 3rd day took I gr. at 9:30 a. m., and immediately had metallic taste in mouth. 10 a. m., slight urging to stool, with some pain in abdomen, as though it was due to gas; saliva increased, causing frequent swallowing. At noon, bowels moved, stool mushy. After an interval of one week, took 1 gr. in e. Very restless all n., waking, and then falling asleep, bed felt hard, could not get into a comfortable position. Next day, little appetite for breakfast; soreness and aching in back and limbs; seats at college seem unusually hard and uncomfortable; cannot sit still, it seeming as though the ischia were sore; dull pain in head, depression; soreness over the abdomen, and yet no pain upon pressure; little appetite for dinner; urine less in quantity, and not passed so freely. Slept from 2 until 3:30 p. m.; awakened feeling somewhat refreshed; went to lectures in afternoon; soreness still causes him to feel uncomfortable; unpleasant sensation about heart, as though it was beating too fast and irregularly, causing him to take a long breath. 6:30 p. m., pulse, sitting 92, regular and hard, 96 standing, 87 reclining; can feel heart beating through clothing; respirations, 23 sitting; temperature, 99.8; feeling of weakness and lassitude; more comfortable when lying down; pain and soreness over kidneys and in loins; seems like an attack of malaria coming on, without the chilliness usually incident to it. Slept better, not so restless; soreness and aching in the bones much better, could sit quite comfortably all day; appetite fair, but still do not have the usual relish for food; urine passed more freely. At 4:30 p. m. noticed a flush of heat coming over body generally; some depression still. 4th day, slept well last night; felt refreshed after waking, but more sleepy at 7:30 a. m.; took breakfast without relish; bowels not moved (habit to move in afternoon or evening): temp.97. (Ibid.)
7. a. Dr. EVERETT B. FINNEY, Philadelphia, aet. 21, single, practicing medicine; constitution, strong; normal pulse, lying down 80, sitting 92, standing 100; normal respiration, 16; normal temperature, m. and evening 98 2/5; urine, normal; stools usually regular, but a tendency to diarrhoea. After a negative sacch. lact. test proved 1x trit. of St. met. Took 1/10 gr. at 9:35 a. m. At 12:45 felt a sharp cramp – like pain in region of navel. At 5:45 felt weak and had a death-like feeling; limbs felt weak (has such a feeling once in a while when he gets very tired). Next day at 2:15 p. m. had the sickly feeling coming on again; brain feels tired, and it seemed as if he had not strength to go out and make his calls; trapezius near its attachment to spine of right scapula felt sore and bruised to-day, and at 3:30 p. m. felt a sharp pain running upward in the muscle. In making his calls this afternoon street seemed very strange to him, and head felt heavy on stooping; once in a while had a crampy feeling in the abdomen. (After an interval of 1 d.) Last n. had a long dream of fighting and butchering. At 6 a. m. was called out to visit a case near by, and on returning at 6:35 a. m. felt faint and sick at stomach. At 10 took 1 gr., and at 3:15 another. Off and on this afternoon had slight crampy pains in abdomen, also some tickling in throat, causing hard coughing (but have similar coughing spells). 5 p. m., full feeling in throat, as if swollen. 8:20, feeling irritable, don’t like to hear folks talk; also feels as if he must keep moving; has been coughing somewhat again; it is a hard dry cough. 9:50, sharp pain in temples on stooping; also full feeling. 10, nose is feeling quite dry, and burns-that is, on septum; it has felt so greater part of day 2nd day-Last n. dreamed of many things. At one time was aiding a thief to escape; at another was talking of the same things he had talked of during the day, and with the same persons. This morning at 8 a. m. had colicky pains in bowels, relieved by passing flatus. 4:30 p. m., feeling of distress and heaviness in region of stomach, as if digestion was retarded; also hiccup and belching once in a while ever since dinner at 12:30. At 6 the discomfort in stomach seemed to have been relieved by eating supper, but at 6:15 belching commenced again; had full swollen feeling in throat, lasting till after 8 p. m. 9:35, have been belching up much wind off and on for a good while; mouth and throat feel dry; abdomen feels uncomfortably full. 3rd day-Sleep disturbed much with dreams last night; dreamed of talking over work of day; awoke at 7:30 a. m., feeling as if he wanted more sleep. Took breakfast with usual appetite; some wind this a. m. passed from anus, but most by mouth; normal stool this a. m. at 9 o’clock. 11 a. m., on coming home from Dr. Mohr’s office, had dragging and sinking feeling in abdomen, as one has when suffering from an attack of diarrhea. About 1 p. m. began to feel a crawling, first in one part of body, then in another, as if there was something alive on him; it is still present at 2:20 p. m. 2:30 quite loud rumbling in the bowels, so that it was to be heard some way off.3:30, left elbow aches as if it was tired. 4:20, throat began to feel dry and thick or full, not an ache; also some dry cough. 5:10, aching in right shoulder, as if it was tired. 4th day-At 11:45 a. m. took 1 gr.3:45 p. m., bowels felt as if they would move, but, on going to the closet, could only pass wind. 5:50, while eating supper he had a sharp stitching pain in left iliac region, which, on deep inspiration, was quite severe; it only lasted for a. m. 10, right side of tongue feels as if there was an ulcer in about the centre of it, and there is a little whitish blister there.
7 b. Same prover, after interval of several days; on Ist day took 3 pellets saturated with 30x dil. every 3 h. No effect. 2nd day-At 11:30 a. m. felt slight pricking pain in right ear. At 1:30, 4, 7, and 10 p. m. took 3 pellets of the drug. No effect. 3rd day – At 8 and 11 a. m. and at 2:20 p. m. took 3 pellets. 5:20 p. m., 3rd day, have just returned from making calls; while on the street legs felt heavy and weak; now have just experienced an aching pain in right ankle, also muscles of thigh ache. Had pain in right knee in a few m. after pain in ankle, and there was a tender spot on pressure just internal to patella. At 10 and 11 p. m. took 3 pellets. 4th day-At 8 and 11 a. m. and at 2, 5, and 8 p. m. took 3 pellets. Felt rheumatic aching of right ankle and thigh many times to-day; head also felt bad, not an ache, but full. At 11 p. m. took 3 pellets. 5th day – Took 3 pellets repeatedly, but experienced no effects. 6th day-Last n., at 7:15, began to feel queer, and while in church felt quite restless; head was full, with some aching pain at base of skull, and eyes burned; so uneasy was he that he could hardly stay until the services were finished. Went home, and soon went to bed; began to feel feverish, and could not lie still for some time; could not bear many covers on him; after a while slept very well. This m. on rising throat was sore; slight pain in swallowing, and sensation of fullness; he blew from nose quite a quantity of mucus, white, with yellow streaks. While eating breakfast soreness of throat was not noticed, but he felt it as soon as he was through. All through day had frequent chilly feelings, and limbs ached a good deal as if he was going to have the malaria. Throat has continued sore all day, and head has ached much; nose is stopped up, but occasionally he can blow white mucus from it; eyes feel sore and heavy. R. side of throat is the side that is sore. Temperature at 8 p. m. was 100; pulse 112, sitting; cough quite hard at times; bowels are normal, and urine is scanty. 7th day-Very restless all last n., did not sleep well, awoke many times, and while he did sleep dreamed a good deal. On getting up throat was still sore on right side, head stopped up, and discharge from nose yellow and streaked with blood; temperature 99 3/5. Felt weak this m.; appetite poor for breakfast. Had some pain in the bowels when he had a passage, which was loose. 8th day-All yesterday felt very bad; had headache and pains all over body; muscles felt sore, and a feeling all the time as if he must stretch. About 2:30 p. m. headache changed from sensation of fullness to splitting pain, and the minute he would raise it head felt as if it would split; same also on moving it suddenly or on stooping. Throat was sore all day, and at n. was quite painful on swallowing. Slept very well, but was awake many times, and felt hot. Should say that last n., at 10 p. m., temperature was 100; this m. it is 99, and throat not so sore. Headache gradually “let up,” but at 2 or 3 p. m. head began aching again, aggravation on stooping. Throat not so sore as as yesterday; felt quite dry, and soreness was less on right side to-night than other days, but left side. was the worse, and also was dry; temperature 99 at 10 p. m. Felt this afternoon a sharp pain in region of liver similar to stitch. Glands at angle of left jaw sore and enlarged. Has had a sore spot at angle of right scapula, not constant, but very frequently experienced. 9th day – Got up feeling quite well; throat a little sore on left side; glands at angle of left jaw better; some soreness on swallowing, especially left side; some phlegm, thick and yellow, from posterior nares, but not so much as on previous days; but slight headache to-day; temperature 99 1/2, 8 p. m.
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.