Introduction
Lobelia inflata, L., Indian tobacco; L. cardinalis, L., cardinal flower; and L. syphilitica, L., great blue lobelia. Nat. Ord., Lobeliaceae.
Provings
1. Dr. S. R. DUBS took 10 dr. of concentrated tinct. of cardinalis in water at 10:10 a. m. Local burning caused by it lasted till n. In 20 m., sticking, like pricking of needles, in left sole, shooting inwards; for few m. 30 m., same sensation above right knee. 11.30, dryness of nose, with fulness, followed by sneezing. 12, severe stitch in left chest, compelling him to press with hand to moderate it, as it nearly took his breath, and lasting about 10 m. 12:15, same pain in left hypochondrium, so sudden and violent as to make him cry out, relieved by pressure, lasted 5 m. 3 p. m., j tongue raw and sore, very red, especially at tip. where a blister formed; throat sore and dry, with disposition to swallow, as also to hawk up phlegm; headache, dull and distressing, with fulness in forehead and base of occiput – later peculiarly painful; pain increased by motion or shaking head. 5, severe pricking pain with itching in left heel, so great as scarcely to be borne; headache increased; throbbing and weakness in lower extremities, so great as to induce him to lie down; hot sweat on forehead, with throbbing in that part and at base of occiput; stiffness of nape; dull pains in both upper maxillary bones, with aching in molar teeth; whilst lying down, great sleeping, with difficulty in falling asleep; constant dreaming, with extreme tightness of head; starting in sleep, with jerkings of hands. 7:30, unpleasant sticking pain in epigastrium, which lasted 5 m. 9, very little pain in forehead, but pain is still throbbing and almost insupportable in occiput and nucha; soreness in eyes, with smarting and slight watering; great repugnance to light of lamps. 10, oppression of breathing, with dull distressing pain across base of chest, relieved by beating lightly on part with hand; dull heavy pain in and near epigastrium, with sensation of weight or load; languor of whole frame, with weakness as from sprain across kidneys. 11.30, slight shooting pain in forehead, with eruption of small vesicular pimples in its centre and upper part, they feel sore on passing hand over them; pain in occiput now very slight; disposition to sing, which he was continually doing whilst walking up and down room. 12, thirst for cold water, loss of which much relieved tongue and fauces, and also chest. Next day (6 a. m.) head feels light, with dull pain in forehead and occiput. 8, eyes burning and watery, with dread of light, they feel fore on closing them;l mouth and fauces dry, with raw and distressed feeling extending down to epigastrium; some nausea, no appetite for breakfast. Throughout day great debility of whole frame. especially of lower extremities, which are so much fatigued by any excretion that it is with difficulty they can be dragged along, knees bending under him in walking. On 3rd day, still local effect and weakness of legs; also, oppression of breathing throughout day, with sticking pains on taking a long breath, and pricking pain in left lung, coming on several times in day and letting several m. each time, pricking also in left calf and heel. Most of above symptoms continued, through with less intensity, for 2 weeks, and it was at least 3 weeks are stomach recovered its usual tone and good appetite returned. (Mat. Medorrhinum of Amer. Provings.)
2. Dr. JEANES proved left inflata (The remaining provings, to No. 17, were all made with this species.) on self and 3 following persons, manner not stated. Symptoms accredited by self are, -vertigo, with nausea; pain in occiput; dull heavy pain passing round forehead from temple to temple immediately above eyebrows; pain in left parietal protuberance; severe and frequent itching in angles of lids; aching in left ear; shooting into left ear from painful spot in throat about I in. to left of larynx on level of lowest cartilage; soreness of throat; drawing pain in right throat, extending upwards to ear; flatulent eructation, with sense of heat and acidity in stomach; feeling of weakness in stomach; pain in right hypochondrium, -in loins, -about 3rd-5th dorsal vertebrae; chills down back, with heat in stomach; prostration of strength; pulse smaller and weaker. (Ibid.)
3. GEIST. Dull feeling in occiput; outward pressing in both temples, at same time dull pressing pain in flesh just above left elbow, and hand feels as if paralysed; chilliness of left head; with feeling as if hair would rise on end; pressing pain in eyeballs; itching in angles of left lids; smarting of inside of lids; peculiar drawing feeling from right side of mouth to right eye chilly feeling in left cheek, extending to ear; drawings in lower jaw; dull pressing pain in left molar teeth and temple; drawing pain from right throat upwards to ear; flatulent eructation, with sense of acidity and heat of stomach; some in pain in hypogastrium; sticking pain in right renal region; frequent short dry cough; tightness of chest, with heat in forehead; inclination to sigh, deep inspiration; short inspiration, slow expiration; peculiar feeling between tickling and smarting in larynx, like irritation to cough, which, however, seldom occurred, and then was accompanied by feeling of oppression; pain in chest; burning feeling in chest, passing upwards; slight deep-seated pain in region of heart; pain under mid-sternum; pressing pain at left of lower sternum; feeling of drawing from left nipple to axilla; rheumatic pains between scapulae; slight drawing pain between scapulae, following slight muscular twitches over left ribs near spine; pain, only when touched, in muscles of right arm, in space of width of hand, preceded by slight rheumatic feeling in shoulder; fine crawling stitches within right deltoid; paralytic feeling in right arm; pain in right elbow-joint; pressing pain on outer middle part of thigh, and at same time constrictive feeling pain on outer middle part of thigh, and at same time constrictive feeling in head; pain in left leg while sitting; feeling about knees of pain and stiffness, as from fatigue; cramp-lime feeling in left gastrocnemius and in hollow of left foot. (Ibid.)
4. LINK. Pain in head; flow of clammy saliva; hiccup; sense of oppression at epigastrium, as if stomach were too full, worse on pressure; dull pain in abdomen; oppression of chest; pain under mid-sternum; sleep disturbed by numerous dreams and frequent wakings. (Ibid.)
5. WILLIAMSON. Vertigo, with nausea, -with pain in head and trembling agitation of whole body; pains through head in sudden shocks; pain and soreness in right eye; pungent taste in mouth; dryness of mouth and throat; burning in throat; eructation of acid fluid with burning sensation; burning in stomach; sensation in abdomen, as if diarrhoea was about to occur; whitish soft; scraping sensation as from passage of a rough hard body during stools; discharge of black blood after stool; aching pain in urethra; smarting of prepuce; sense as of lump in throat-pit, impeding respiration and deglutition; severe rheumatic pain in right elbow-joint; prickling sensation through whole body extending even to fingers and toes. (Ibid.)
6. Z-s, a physician, took tinct. it teaspoonful doses every 15 m. till nearly 3j had been consumed, without producing vomiting. He had-general tightness of chest, with sort and somewhat laborious breathing, and disposition involuntarily to keep mouth open to breathe; with this indescribable feeling about stomach, compounded of nausea, pain, heat, oppression and excessive uneasiness. After 24 hours weakness of stomach and disagreeable taste in mouth, somewhat similar to that of a solution of corrosive sublimate. (Ibid.)
7. N. N. KERMES, aet. 26, dispenser to the homoeopathic pharmacy at Leipzig, and of lymphatico-venous temperament. When a youth, had an obstinate attack of ophthalmia, and 4 years ago had pneumonia. He communicated to me the following account of his proving of lobelia, commenced on the 14th of February, 1839, At 9:30 a. m. took 30 dr. of tinct. in 2 or 3 oz. of water, which was immediately followed by scraping pain in throat, passing off in 3 or 4 m. After 10 m. headache with slight vertigo, occasional transitory stitches in temples, distension of abdomen accompanied with quickened breathing (lasting about 15-20 m.), and increased secretion of urine. The headache lasted until nearly midday. At 4 p. m. took 20 dr. in 3j of water. The scraping in the throat came on at once, but not so severely as last time; after 1/4 hours distension of abdomen and shortness of breath set in; after I hours irritation to cough, soon passing off. An unusual frequency of micturition was noticed during day, and also in n. and next day (NOACK’S PROVINGS, HYGEA, xv, 45.)
8. DR. ALPHONS NOACK, of Leipzig, began his proving March 4th, 1839, being in sound health. At 7 a. m. passed 12 loths “(loth = 1/2 oz.) urine of moderate acidity and specific gravity. At 7:15 took 10 dr. of tinct. on an empty stomach, pulse being 70. Immediately after, scraping feeling in throat on swallowing, as tongue touched hard palate, passing off in about 6 m. At 11 a. m. pulse 50, 7 “loths” of urine voided, like that passed in early m. Took 20 dr. on sugar, causing immediately burning in throat, which developed into a scraping and lasted about 12 m. At 12:30 pulse 60. At 3:15 p. m., having noticed nothing striking in his condition, took 50 dr. on sugar, pulse being 63. The scraping in throat came on more severely than before; 5 m. after dose pressure in pit of stomach was felt, like a weight; after 5 m. more scrapping seemed as if it would change into nausea, but there was merely by threatening of this; 13 “loths” of urine were passed, a trifle lighter in colour than before. By this time there was a sort of pressure as from a foreign body passing down length of oesophagus; in places it was more severe, for instance, just below the larynx. From this spot a twisting sensation like peristaltic movement extended down to epigastrium, and pit of stomach and spot below larynx were, throughout, the most sensitive regions. At same time two easy eructations of gas; no distension of stomach or abdomen, but slight rumbling in bowels. Swallowing did not affect the pressive pain in pit of stomach, which gradually decreased, and seemed as if it would end in a sensation as if a plug extended from epigastrium back to spine at same level. This pain disappeared at times, but soon returned with twisting sensation which started from pit of stomach and the spot near spinal column, and proceeded right and left through mediastinum, missing oesophagus altogether; deep inspiration gave relief. By 5 there remained only trifling pain in back, hypochondria, and epigastrium, felt on turning trunk; as if central tendon of diaphragm were put on the stretch. This all gradually disappeared. At 3:45, pulses 62, and at 7, 68. No action of bowels; urine was passed four times (one of which was before first dose), making a total of 45 “loths,” only 32 which were voided after proving began, the average for a healthy adult being 60-80 “loths” per diem. On going to bed at 10 no inclination to urinate; the morning’s urine, under a temp, of 110 right, had deposited a bright red sediment on the vessel, and by next m. small brown crystals were found. Under a magnifying power of 200 diameters they looked in size and shape like large currants, and resembled a conglomerate gland. 5th. -Nothing remarkable noticed; pulse, 9 a. m. and 5 p. m., 75, usual stool 11 a. m.,; urinated six times and passed 70 “loths;” urine as a whole was of paler colour than before (except that of early m.), and it yielded no sediment by next day 6th. -7 a. m., passed 20 “loths” of urine. 9th, took 80 dr. without sugar; p. 63; first burning, then scraping in throat, and flow of saliva, due to disagreeable taste of tinct.; also nausea and slight eructations, tasting of medicine (after 5 m.) After 10 m. scraping in throat passed into pressive sensation; p. 63. 9:30 a. m., slight heaviness in occiput, spreading in 1/2 hours to forehead with same intensity and soon disappearing. 9:45, normal stool, and 8 “loths” of urine. In addition to above symptoms slight pain in abdomen and rumbling set in, with discharge of very offensive gas. Pulse at 9:30, 53; at 10:45, 55; at 1, 63; and 2:15, 61. Midday meal taken with usual appetite. 2, 12 “loths” of urine of high specific gravity, continued discharge of flatus. 3:15, took 102 dr. of tinct., followed by usual burning and scraping, by increased secretion of viscid saliva (1/4 hours), and by nausea and eructations, pulse being 58. 5 m. later pressure in oesophagus and epigastrium returned slightly, much less, than day before. Some oppression, necessitating deep breathing, slight abdominal pain and rumbling, offensive flatus, eructations (sometimes forcible) and nausea, lasting until bedtime, were all that was felt after this dose. P. 58 at 5 p. m., 72 at 8. Urine, 5 p. m., 9 “loths”; 9:30, 10 “loths”, of pale yellow; in the 24 hours 69 “loths” passed in five times; it had not deposited a sediment by next m. After next day condition normal in all respects. (Dr. Noack examined for albumen with perchloride of mercury, and found a precipitate resembling that substance, but it was not confirmed when tested subsequently with other reagents.) (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.