Introduction
Thuja occidentalis, Willd. American arbor vitae. Nat. Ord., Coniferae.
Provings
1. HAHNEMANN, Reine Arzneimittellehre, vol. v of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 334 symptoms from self, and 300 from 10 fellow-observers.
2. a. BOHM, Nov. 12th, 1844, took 5 gr. of 1st trit. of dried twigs an hours before breakfast (bread and milk); in forenoon he experienced slight vertigo and dull pain at root of nose, with feeling of warmth as if a cold would set in; in evening several times fleeting stitches in heel and in ball of the right foot, a sensation which he had never before experienced. 13th. – No medicine. 14th. – In m. took 10 gr. In forenoon an increased feeling of warmth over forehead and pressing in right temple from without inward; bleeding at nose in evening 15th. – In m. took 10 gr. Drowsiness p. m. and evening; restless sleep at night, and frequent urination. 16th and 17th. – Took no medicine. 18th. – In m. took again to gr. Aching in forehead, with obstruction of nose, from which a quantity of blood was blown in evening; painful stitches in glans 19th. – No medicine. 20th. – Took 10 gr. in m. Great flow of saliva into the mouth, frequent sneezing, bleeding at nose, and remarkable drowsiness after dinner. 24th. – Took again 10 gr. in m. Unusual dryness in both nasal cavities; frequent urination, with urging at first, as though there was always more water to come away, afterwards without urging; fleeting stitches in heel and big toe of left foot. Took no medicine for seven days. Dec. 1st. – 20 gr. Dryness of palate; slight swelling of tonsils, painful, and inducing frequent deglutition; small white vesicles on tongue, resembling military rash. 4th. – Took another 20 gr. Above – mentioned vesicles on tongue, which had almost vanished, reappeared, with burning, especially after eating warm food. This was accompanied with painful compression in region of both malleoli of left foot, and slight burning during urination, urine being redder than usual. 8th. – Another 20 gr. They produced frequent eructations, as of rancid grease; desire to urinate; great drowsiness in evening 12th. – Another 20 gr. in m. They occasioned rancid eructations, violent bleeding at nose almost every time he blew it, and frequent urination, with burning in fossa navicularis.
2 b. After an interval of more than 2.1/2 months B. instituted a second proving with the tincture. He diluted to dr. with 6 oz. of distilled water, of which he took two table- spoonfuls on m. of 3rd March, 1845, before breakfast. After 2 hours he experienced frequent eructations; frequent urging to urinate in daytime. Next day obstruction of nose, which began to bleed as soon as he attempted to expel air through it. 5th. – In m., B. took four table-spoonfuls of the above-mentioned dilution. Headache in forehead with warmth, frequent urination with urging, slight burning under sternum, painful pressure at root of nose. These symptoms disappeared gradually within 3 day 10th. – Eight spoonfuls. Continued rancid eructations; oppression of chest; frequent hawking and hacking; continued burning along whole length of sternum; frequent urination followed by long – continued urging. 15th. – B. took, as a final experiment, 10 dr. of the undiluted tincture on disturbing night’s rest; weight on chest; painful stitches in big toe of left foot; frequent urination with urging. All these symptoms increased on day following, subsequently decreased, and disappeared entirely in a few day (MAYRHOFER’s proving, Oest. Zeitschr., ii, 309.)
3. FROHLICH instituted six separate provings with Thuja.
3 a. 1844, Dec. 20th. – F. began by chewing a few fresh twigs, and swallowing the juice. He experienced no change in his feelings. 21st. – In m. he repeated the vessels, with sticking in them when walking; in evening, 10 hours after swallowing juice, he felt tearing in left knee – joint, extending to middle of calf, commencing while sitting and lasting only a short while. 22nd. – In m. experiment was made a third time. Soon after he felt continuous digging and burning pain in two upper hollow molars of right side; in evening, 10 hours after swallowing juice, he experienced short but frequently returning paroxysms of lancinating pain from left acetabulum down to calf, deep in bone (while walking in the street). The toothache was removed by a dose of merc. sol. 3. No. chewing on 23rd, lest the toothache should occur again. It returned, nevertheless, whenever he entered a warm room from the street and remained there a little while. He tried nitrate of silver 6, with but temporary relief; and the troublesome toothache, for which cold water was the only palliative when the pain was very violent, disappeared gradually in some d.
3 b. The symptoms of the former proving having entirely ceased for several day, on 2nd Jan. F. took 3 dr. of 3rd dil. in a table – spoonful of water before breakfast. No result. 5th. – In m., 6 dr. of same. A painful stitch through middle of left eye, commencing in centre of brain; a few stitches in external tuberosity of left thigh when walking; the above – mentioned toothache again made its appearance, but only under similar circumstances. 12th. – 12 dr. After walking in open air for 1/2 hours, he entered a warm room, when above-described toothache again made its appearance, but soon abated, and disappeared on using cold water. The symptom returned a often as F. entered a closed apartment, even though not heated, and remained in it for a while. the toothache was immediately diminished by inhaling the air at an open window for a few moments. On same day following symptoms were observed: Drawing tension in nape of neck (more on left side), recurring several times; feeling of weakness in chest; frequent emission of flatulence which had not much smell; drawing, and fleeting deep stitches (resembling slight electric shocks) in various parts of the body.
No medicine was taken from 8th to 19th; the toothache recurred during all this time under the circumstance indicated above although several remedies, such as merc. sol., camph., sabina and nux were taken to remove it.
3 c. Jan. 22nd. – After the toothache had entirely subsided, F. took 20 dr. of tinct. in a glass of water. That same forenoon the toothache returned 10 m. after having entered a room without fire; after dinner he experienced a piercing stitch in left hypochondrium, and a continuing squeezing sticking pain in concha of left ear. 23rd. – In m. 30 dr. At noon he was unable to distinguish by the taste what sort of soup he was eating (room was dark). Nor was he able to discern the vegetables by the taste, and black coffee tasted like warm water, without aroma. 24th. – 40 dr.: stitches in region of liver when sitting. 25th. – The same dose produced slight colicky pain in small intestines and a few stitches in right thumb. 26th. – Another 40 dr.: painful stitches in inner side of left knee – joint when standing. 27th. – 60 dr. In forenoon he experienced a few deep stitches in left hypochondrium. 28th. – 80 dr. In forenoon pinching pain in stomach, and feeling of fulness and of being bruised in chest under sternum, which last symptom he had observed for several day past. No Thuja was taken from 29th of Jan. to 3rd of Feb. During this period the following symptoms were observed: Single deep stitches in hypochondria; gnawing – stinging pain in stomach (coming on in bed and going off after rising); drawing sticking pain in head of left femur; dulness of senses of taste and smell. Feb. 3rd. – F. took 100 dr. of tinct. in a tumblerful of water before breakfast. An hours after, he experienced a single stitch through lower portion of lungs from behind forward. This was accompanied by bruised sensation in the chest, with dulness of the head, sad mood and discouragement, alike in the open air and in the room. Afterwards the well – known toothache made its appearance again in the usual paroxysms, and in evening, while sitting in a crowded theater, he experienced a drawing – sticking pain in right forearm, extending from elbow to wrist – joint. 4th. – Painful stitch through occiput from above downward. 5th. – The troublesome toothache came on again as often as F. entered a closed apartment from the open air, and continued until the 23rd. During that period F. had several characteristic symptoms of Thuja, especially in the limbs, but which were not noted down because he had taken several remedies, such as sabina, rhus and mezereum against the toothache with only transitory relief.
3 d. April 4th. – Before breakfast F. took 20 dr. of the 11th dilution in 3 oz. of distilled water. While proving the attenuation he avoided every kind of spirituous beverage, and partook of the plainest food. 6th. – He felt vertigo with fulness in head, and hands became easily stiff and tired when moving them. 7th. – 12 dr. of the 11th potency produced the following result: In forenoon, while walking in the street, he felt a few deep stitches in right groin; afterwards he felt a violent drawing tearing from left elbow – joint as far as the two middle fingers; vertigo at home, with vanishing of letters when reading, and continued digging pain in two hollow upper molars of right side, relieved by cold water, but increased by warm soup and tobacco – smoke. 8th. – Feeling debilitated all over as by fatigue, and gloomy, was compelled to take a little wine, after which all the above symptoms disappeared.
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.