Introduction
Valeriana officinalis, L. Wild valerian, heal-all. Nat. Ord., Valerianaceae.
Provings
1. (No information.) Coldness; nausea and inclination to vomit, as from a thread hanging in throat, – sensation seems to mount rom umbilicus, and causes copious flow of saliva; toothache; wandering pricking pains in teeth and external neck, over orbits, in scrob. cordis, and in umbilicus; sparks before eyes; palpitation; vomiting and purging; fever (“synochus” in type); pressing pain in abdomen; cutting pain in abdomen; strong feeling of expansion in abdomen, as if almost to bursting; abdomen hard (observed at 4th h.); paralytic torpor in limbs; contusive pain in limbs; shooting headache; shooting-pressive headache for 8 hours; rheumatic pains in shoulder blades and in limbs; drawing pain in back, tearing pain in chest; increased heat; sleeplessness; tossing about. (HAHNEMANN, Fragm. de Viribus.)
2. Dr. PIPER took, Feb. 11th, 1838, m., fasting, iv tinct. Taste not disagreeable, cooling like peppermint. After a few m. slight nausea and constriction on tongue like what occurs before vomiting. After 1/4 hours rumbling and increased heat in stomach, occasional tasteless eructation for 1 1/2 hours, relieve by breakfast. All day great gaiety and sparkling eyes. Towards noon full feeling in stomach, with moderate distension of bowels. Restless n. These symptoms, which did not recur next day, were probably due rather to the unaccustomed dose of spirit than to the drug. 13th. m., fasting, took a knife-point of the powder of V. Nausea or 1/2 hours, then warm feeling in stomach. Little appetite at noon, none e. At n. distension of abdomen, causing restlessness. – 14th. M., after rising nausea and inclination to vomit, better after eating, when he went into open air. At noon constant rumbling in upper part of abdomen, appetite improved. P. m., some pain in sciatic region from right trochanter to knee, making walking difficult. Chilliness off and on till evening, when he had 2 loose motions with tickling in anus. 11 p. m., when half asleep, feeling as if beaten with a hammer from within in occiput, must throw his head from one side to the other, which woke him up completely. Soon fell asleep, and passed a good n. – 15th, m., great diarrhoea and unusual thirst till noon. (Allg. h. Ztg., xix, 201.)
3. FRANZ. No information as to this and 3 following provings, save that experiments were mostly instituted on themselves and other healthy persons.–EDs. – After 1/2 hours, pupils somewhat dilated (9 a. m.). After 3/4 hours, in m., dryness for 1/4 hours of tip of tongue, without thirst; in region of soft palate stitches gradually increasing, finally with bitter taste in mouth and salivation causing cough (from fumes); when putting left arm on table (writing), drawing pain from deltoid muscle downwards, also in bend of elbow,-on letting arm hang down drawing through whole of it finally heaviness in fingers as if gorged with blood; pulse 78, with weak almost imperceptible beat of heart (86 beats). After 1 hours, pressure (almost twitching) at right side of lower lip and in gums of right canine tooth; drawing pressure below right inguinal ring (in glands) with tenderness on separating thighs, and pain on touching spot; stitch in rectum, standing. For first 3 hours frequent urination. After 1 1/4 hours, tremulous, restless, as from anticipating some great joy; stitches on vertex (10 p. m.). After 2 hours, generating pressive drawing from nape of neck to occiput; on bending head backwards (11 a. m.), pressing and drawing into side of occiput (from fumes); tearing in right eyeball (do.); eructations before dinner; drawing downwards on outer side of thighs in m., only when stretching lower limbs outwards; sudden stitch in region of heart when sitting upright or standing, lessened from stooping, only when inspiring; pulse 90, during first 1/4 hours full and strong, in second 1/4 hours diastole shortened, with pleasant warmth all over body and a tremulous anxious feeling as if from abdomen; pulse irregular, 60 to 90 in successive minutes, weak and small (forenoon); tremulousness and transient chilliness (11 a. m.); pleasantly increased internal and external warmth of body. After 2 1/2 hours stitches in region of kidneys, sitting down. After 3 hours, midday, pressive feeling in right eye, as if from a stye; cheeks become red and hot in open air, without sweat, 1/4h. after sweat over whole body, especially face (noon); 1/4 hours after dinner (meat and vegetables) bitter taste in tip of tongue when licking lips; violent ravenous hunger at midday, causing a sort of nausea,- though thoughts of food are indifferent to him, still he eats with relish and a great deal; during dinner heat in whole body and face, with sweat in hair of forehead. After 4 hours, headache 1 hours after dinner, pressure over eyes as if eyes were forced out, especially when moving them. After 6 hours, biting in eyes as from smoke (3 p. m.). After 6-8 hours, pain while driving in middle of thigh down to below knee along outer side, as if bruised, also in left ankle-joint, especially when carriage jolts. After 7 hours, eructation of a rancid fluid (heartburn), to reaching mouth. After 13 hours, shining before eyes in the dark (10 p. m.), the dark room appeared to him as if lit up by dawn, so that he fancied he could discern the objects in it,- therewith a sort of fineness of touch, by which he could feel proximity of objects without looking at them. After 14 hours, 11 p. m. in bed, ringing in ears and hallucinations of hearing, thought he heard striking of bell. First day, stool regular; after 24 hours, greenish pappy stool with some blood. Pain in heel, especially right, sitting; bellyache, with pinching (e. in bed); drawing across sacrum (do.); after walking, stiffness and painful fatigue in bends of arms and knees (5 p. m.); eruption, at first red and confluent, then abundant small white hard nodules on arm and over chest; increased warmth all day, especially when moving, with breaking out of sweat on face and forehead, and frequent strong pulse of 80-90; when walking all at once heat and sweat of whole body, especially face; apprehensive, evening, in dark (fearing somebody might hurt him); mood more cheerful than before, could perceive and understand everything better, a sort of hilarity, as after coffee. On first n. sleep with confused dreams and great exhaustion in m. On 2nd day, at 9 a. m., oppression and anxiety on chest, after usual breakfast, and bubbling pressure above anus, about and on coccyx. At 10 a. m. burning smarting in eyes. Forenoon, morbid irritability of nerves; though he seems cheerful, and stronger than before, still exhausted feeling in eyes, arms, and knee-joints. At noon taste and smell as of stinking tallow (before dinner). Sweat at forehead, and, after eating, exhaustion of eyes after a debauch. At 1 p. m. tensive pain from bend of knee through calf, sitting; boring pain in left side of rectum as if in sphincter, standing. At 2 p. m. drawing bruised pain in left hypogastrium, sitting, extending to middle of abdomen, and soon after rumbling in bowels. At 4 p. m., when beginning to walk, especially on making a false step, pinching pain above bend of right knee; when putting right leg over left tearing in left calf; drawing in ankle-joint, sitting; heaviness with drawing pain in tips of 3 middle toes, with chilled feeling as if wind was blowing through soles into calves. At 5 p. m. a draught causes immediately drawing pain in right side of head; tensive pain in right testicle, sitting; pinching pain in external side of calf. sitting. At 6. p. m., stitches below point of elbow. At 7 p. m., in left hypogastrium, sitting, as from over-stretching. At 9 p. m., dry heat in face and body, sitting. After 10 p. m., violent bellyache in left hypogastrium. From 10 to 11, painful pressing drawing in hypogastrium. At 10 pm., pinching pain in front of thigh, extending upwards. At 11 p. m., pressive headache, chiefly over orbits; gastric region and region of liver tender to touch; pressing crampy pain in left hypogastrium; painful stitches in outer border of deltoid muscle. From 11 to 12 p. m. tearing in bends of knees, sitting and standing; tearing on back of toes, especially of big toes. On 2nd day simply, pain here and there in abdomen the whole evening, once for 1 hours pressing in umbilical region; great exhaustion and sleepiness in evening; increased heat all day with quick and frequent pulse; in evening repeated flushes of heat over cheeks for 2 hours, pulse being only 60, with dry feeling of tongue but without thirst, and not preceded by chilliness, orbit, and 1 – 2 hours afterwards bellyache; sleep full of anxious (partly voluptuous) dreams on 2nd n., evening g. of riding in a carriage in deep and drawing, as if gone to sleep, in penis (m. in bed), on previous day frequent erections; on rising great lassitude in knees and ankles, with bruised pain transversely across thighs and in sacrum. 7 – 9 a. m., pain in bends of elbows while writing, as if bruised, extending upwards and drawing to biceps. At 10 a. m., while writing, tremor of hands, heat and redness of cheeks, with warmth of body; pulse 85. At 11 a. m. stitches in inner canthus; stitches in front of head of tibia. At noon, pulse 90, sweat of hair of forehead with stiffness of loins. At 1 p. m. persistent stitches in left tendo Achillis. 1 – 2 p. m., pain and swelling of eyelids. At 2 p. m. violent tearing in anus when moving on his chair; sudden stitches in chest, through to region of liver, causing him fright. At 3 p. m. disagreeable (almost painful) itching in axilla. At 4 p. m. tearing up inner side of forearm. At 5 p. m., when pressing his hat on his head, feeling of icy coldness of upper half of head; frequent stitches in chest while riding slowly. At 8 p. m. violent stitches in and pressing outward of last true left ribs, standing. At 10 p. m. pressure across lower half of chest, with oppression, walking. At 11 p. m. stitches in middle phalanges of fingers, heat of left hip, like burning, in bed. On 4th day, in m., tearing jerking pain ascending to hips. At 12, sudden jerking drawing in muscles of upper arm above bend of elbow and in outer muscles of thigh. Efflorescence on upper lip and cheek of small white vesicles on raised red margin, painful to touch; pain of patellae; stitches and pain of heel while sitting; pain in tips of toes. No note of time: – She feels sick and faint, with white lips and icy coldness of body, then vomiting of bile and mucus with strong shuddering. (STAPF’s Beitrage.)
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.