Finally, W. repeats the observations that the symptoms of Thuja came on almost exclusively during rest, remained but a little while, and were either rendered worse or caused to break but afresh by the use of spirituous liquors, except the customary beer. (Ibid.)
16. WATZKE instituted four experiments with Thuja; and of all the drugs which he has assisted in proving, Thuja seems to have found the least sensibility to its specific effect in him. He experienced no regular drug sickness, although isolated Thuja symptoms were clearly developed.
16 a. 1844, Nov. 26th and 27th. – “I took,” says W., “on these days, twice in the forenoon, 6 dr. of the 12th dil., and during the two following day the same dose in like manner of 9th, and observed a strict diet. When the symptoms which then appeared were certainly produced by the Thuja or not, I do not know; but of this I am confident, that they were such as I had never before experienced, and such as almost constantly returned when I subsequently experimented with larger doses of the drug. There appeared, especially during the time of proving, repeated, short, dry cough without throat symptoms or pain in the chest. The hypogastrium appeared the whole time somewhat inflated and sensitive to pressure, and keen to the jar of the foot on the ground. It seemed to me as if I perceived the vesica to be larger, and I was obliged to urinate oftener than usual; but neither had I pains in the urethra, nor was the urine at all changed. From 2nd to 14th Dec. I took nearly every day a dose of Thuja; until the 6th, 6 dr. of the 9th; until the 10th, 6 dr. of the 6th; and on the 13th and 14th, 6 dr. of the 3rd dil. Although during this time I did not altogether observe a strict diet, still some certain symptoms of Thuja manifested the working of the drug; certain because they were renewed with renewed intensity under the larger doses These symptoms were dry cough; pain in the patellae, frequently returning whether sitting or walking, a twitching as if a tendon were slowly drawn out and then suffered to return; a similar pain in temples; outer malleolus of right foot was painful while walking, as if after a false step; circumscribed pain in inner side of the thigh, as if after a long walk, swelling in region of hypogastrium, with frequent urgency to urinate.
“16 b. From 19th Dec., 1844, to 2nd Jan., 1845, without changing my ordinary mode of life, which was not confined to a very severe diet, I took, at about noon of every other day, a dose of the tinct., beginning with 10 dr., and increasing in each time by 10, until, on the last – named day, I arrived at 80 dr. The abnormal sensations which I experienced during the duration of this experiment were the following: Contractive pain in right temple, pretty severe, often returning and always lasting several seconds; pressure in right eyeball; biting in corner of right eye. Once at about 5 p. m. (without any cause affecting the eyes) the surrounding objects, which I wished to regard, suddenly swam before my eyes; I could not see clearly, much less read. This lasted nearly 1/4 h. Sensitiveness of isolated spots on thorax, feeling of weight and frequent ramp – like constriction in chest; dry cough, increasing in direct ratio with duration of experiment, becoming constantly more troublesome, and finally obliging me to lay aside the proving for a while; sensitiveness and feeling of inflation in region of vesica with frequent urgency to urinate; violent itching in distinct points on inner side of thigh and on parts of genitals covered with hair; sensibility of glans and darting stitches through it; remarkable indifference to the opposite sex; several times, on awaking, drawing pain in great toe; feeling in little toe as if skin were lacerated in spots; weariness of lower limb, especially remarked in the lower part of the thigh.constantly returned when I subsequently experimented with larger doses of the drug. There appeared, especially during the time of proving, repeated, short, dry cough without throat symptoms or pain in the chest. The hypogastrium appeared the whole time somewhat inflated and sensitive to pressure, and keen to the jar of the foot on the ground. It seemed to me as if I perceived the vesica to be larger, and I was obliged to urinate oftener than usual; but neither had I pains in the urethra, nor was the urine at all changed. From 2nd to 14th Dec. I took nearly every day a dose of Thuja; until the 6th, 6 dr. of the 9th; until the 10th, 6 dr. of the 6th; and on the 13th and 14th, 6 dr. of the 3rd dil. Although during this time I did not altogether observe a strict diet, still some certain symptoms of Thuja manifested the working of the drug; certain because they were renewed with renewed intensity under the larger doses These symptoms were dry cough; pain in the patellae, frequently returning whether sitting or walking, a twitching as if a tendon were slowly drawn out and then suffered to return; a similar pain in temples; outer malleolus of right foot was painful while walking, as if after a false step; circumscribed pain in inner side of the thigh, as if after a long walk, swelling in region of hypogastrium, with frequent urgency to urinate.
“16 b. From 19th Dec., 1844, to 2nd Jan., 1845, without changing my ordinary mode of life, which was not confined to a very severe diet, I took, at about noon of every other day, a dose of the tinct., beginning with 10 dr., and increasing in each time by 10, until, on the last – named day, I arrived at 80 dr. The abnormal sensations which I experienced during the duration of this experiment were the following: Contractive pain in right temple, pretty severe, often returning and always lasting several seconds; pressure in right eyeball; biting in corner of right eye. Once at about 5 p. m. (without any cause affecting the eyes) the surrounding objects, which I wished to regard, suddenly swam before my eyes; I could not see clearly, much less read. This lasted nearly 1/4 h. Sensitiveness of isolated spots on thorax, feeling of weight and frequent ramp – like constriction in chest; dry cough, increasing in direct ratio with duration of experiment, becoming constantly more troublesome, and finally obliging me to lay aside the proving for a while; sensitiveness and feeling of inflation in region of vesica with frequent urgency to urinate; violent itching in distinct points on inner side of thigh and on parts of genitals covered with hair; sensibility of glans and darting stitches through it; remarkable indifference to the opposite sex; several times, on awaking, drawing pain in great toe; feeling in little toe as if skin were lacerated in spots; weariness of lower limb, especially remarked in the lower part of the thigh.
“16 c. From the 16th to and including the 20th January, I took daily 100 drops of the tincture without noticing any new symptoms; those developed under the previous proving again appeared with less violence, except the dry, frequently returning cough, which rendered me so anxious about my health that I was induced to discontinue the experiment.
” day Feb 5th. – I took 150 dr. of tinct. on 6th, 300; on 7th, 450; on 8th, 600; on 9th, 700; on 10th, 900: each time between 10 and 11 a. m. These doses produced nothing new; they simply caused most of the symptoms developed by the second experiment to return more markedly, and with greater force. The last dose of 900 dr. was followed, during whole afternoon, by frequent eructations of food with taste of drug, and several times by violent, nearly watery, but painless diarrhoea.
” evening On Feb. 25th I took in the forenoon two, and on the 27th three table – spoonfuls (about 1350 dr.) of the tinct., at the same time observing a strict diet. the somewhat numerous symptoms that constitute my last proving began to appear for the most part some hours after the doses, and confined themselves principally to the first 24 or 48 hours; but, nevertheless, they did not run an acute course, nor vanish, like meteors, after a single appearance, but returned separately during a period of from 8 to 14 d. They seemed to have a chronic character, and a marked though irregular periodicity. It was more especially upon the thoracic organs, as in the former provings, on the muscles, head, especially occiput, and upon the organs of generation, that Thuja exerted its influence. The peculiarity of the muscular pains was that they generally affected the middle instead of the tendinous portion of the muscle. Most of the symptoms came on during rest, many of them on waking in m. To prevent a tedious and unnecessary repetition, I confine myself to a description of one day, the 27th of Feb., which was one of the richest in symptoms. At 11 a. m. I had taken 3 tablespoonfuls of tinct. Immediately after dose head felt cloudy, I felt my spirits excited and became lively and loquacious (effect of the alcohol?). Soon I perceived a slow – drawing, sometimes darting pain in right half of chest, from temple to teeth; then the whole became sensitive, and increased to sensitiveness with the subsequent symptoms in course of afternoon. Occiput was externally warm to touch in a particular spot, corresponding with which I felt heat and pressure in brain. At times dull stitches ran through brain, generally in direction of eyebrows, and from eyeball to occiput. Chest smarted internally, as if sore, especially during the dry cough which appeared from time to time. In some spots I had a feeling as if thorax from without, and corresponding portions of lungs from within, were strongly and continuously constricted; a feeling which returned frequently and strongly on the following days, especially during rest, induced frequent deep sighing, and annoyed me not a little. There were spots here and there on thorax and extremities painful as if from a thrust, especially during movement. In other spots I perceived a stitch, leaving behind an itching, as if they had been bitten by fleas or ants; in forearm several times a coursing and gurgling, as of single drops of blood rolling one after another. I had frequently, for a m at a time, a pain which in axilla, in dorsum of foot, and on various points of external chest, was pinching and pressing, in patellae and heels was stinging, and in external ear compressing. Violent twitching came on in isolated muscular parts, which was strongest in the middle of upper part of right thigh and of left arm. In ends of fingers and toes, twitching was finer and more transient. This muscular twitching was finer and more transient. This muscular twitching was frequently repeated on the following days in different parts, and was one of the most troublesome symptoms: for example, it still came on 13th March, and lasted for almost 10 m. in chin. The stinging pain in heel often returned, and was especially troublesome in walking (for 1/4 h.). Inner side of upper thigh and parts of genital organs covered with hair were very unpleasantly affected with itching and scraping, frequently lasting from 5 to 10 m. Frequent stitches darted through glans, and whole member, especially glans, was constantly sensitive. An uncomfortable sensation of fulness in region of bladder forced me to frequent urination; quantity of urine did not seem increased, and quality was perfectly normal. My digestion and evacuations seem to have been left nearly or quite undisturbed. The most lasting and most troublesome symptoms in my case, as may be gathered from foregoing account, were those which affected muscles and chest. The dry cough, the constriction in spots on thorax and in corresponding parts of lungs (frequently returning, very irritating and annoying, compelling frequent deep inspirations, and ameliorated by wine and beer), only entirely disappeared in course of about 8 weeks. The striking indifference to sexual intercourse, by no means customary to me, continued during the whole experiment, and, in fact, still longer.” (Ibid.)
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.