Introduction
Apis mellifica, L. Honey-bee.
Provings
1 a. Dr. F. HUMPHREYS, 25th August, took on tongue, at 2 p.m., 1 drop of a tincture made by irritating bees in a bottle and then pouring alcohol on them. In 5 m. slight pain in left temple soon followed by contraction and gnawing in throat. 4 p.m. Whole border of tongue feels scalded, and is as painful as though it were quite raw; small papule-like elevations along border of tongue. 9 p.m. Contractive sensation in throat increased, rendering swallowing difficult. Tongue very painful, the burning raw pain increases, vesicles appear along its border with shooting pain. -26th and 27th. The feeling as if scalded in mouth and throat continues. Small elevations of the skin like ants’ bites appear over the external end of the l. eyebrow, pain as if raw and are very sensitive to pressure.
1b. 2nd Nov., 8:30 a.m., 2 dr. of Ist dil., 5 to 100. Immediately violent sneezing, then pressive pain in sinciput with vertigo. Pain in right shoulder and upper arm; pressure on chest. Transient smarting itching over right eyebrow. Pricking itching in left eye, on lids and round about eye, mostly in inner canthus. Pricking itching in throat, deep down in it, as if in root of neck at the last cervical vertebra, with contractive sensation. -3rd. Painful stitch in muscles of r. side of nape, worse when head is bent to that side, not when it is moved in any other direction, occurring on rising. Burning like fire on small well-defined spots on hands, for several m. Itching of r. eyelid in fits during d.
1c. 6th Nov. took 2 dr. 2nd dil. Soon slight pressing in occiput. Itching in l. inner canthus. Painful pressure in l. eyeball, mostly on its lower part.
1d. 19th Nov. 2 dr. 2nd dil. Fine burning pricks in finger- tips. Head confused and dull. Fine burning pricks in knee. Sharp tensive pain from nape spreading upwards behind l. ear and over l. side of head. Shooting in both little toes. Itching of eyelids. Pain in sinciput with confusion in head. Disagreeable pain in sinciput. Sticking together of lids. Pain around left eyeball. -20th. Shooting in r. eyeball. Slow pulsating boring pain above l. crista ilii, relieved by eructation. Tensive pain in l. shoulder, spreading up nape. Burning shooting and swollen feeling about l. eye in supraorbital region. -21st. Restless tossing about the latter half of n. -22nd. N. sleep full of dreams. Lids stick together, must open them in m. with finger. Sensation as if a quantity of mucus were in left eye all day – 23rd. Soft stool m. Sharp pains in chest, n. Sticking together of lids. Irritable humour all day -24th. Stitches through chest and back, n. Eructation with taste of white of egg. Soft urgent stool m. Sleep at n. full of dreams. Irritable humour, nothing is r., everything wrong. – 29th. Stool confined for several d. Copious accumulation of thick phlegm in throat, causing frequent hawking, m. Painful vesicle as tender as a boil, with red areola, suppurating in middle, on l. side of hairy part of pubes, remains painful for several d.
1e. Dec. Ist took 6 dr. 6th dil. Soon prickling in palms and back of hands, face, forehead, underneath eyes, and on body at sharply defined small spots. Tension in r. side of nape up to behind ear. Violent sharp pains over r. eye, extending down to eyeball, transient. -Dec. 2nd. Hoarseness and rough voice all day and last n.
1f. (Dose not stated.). Swelling of lips and swollen feeling for several day, followed by a slight eruption round about them and dryness and exfoliation of lower lips. Roughness and feeling of tension in lips, especially the lower. Dark stripes along the red of the lips, mostly on the upper lip; it is rough, chapped, and exfoliates. Every few m. must pass water all day, after having taken medicine the evening before. Smarting shooting sensation in r. eyeball causing flow of tears. Pain in occiput, increased by shaking head. Burning on edge of lids causing eye to water. Itching in l. inner canthus. Burning of toes with redness and heat of them, whilst the feet are cold. Nausea seems to rise up in his throat. Burning shooting as from fire on chin and cheek-bones. Burning shooting in region of l. eyebrow. Burning at upper part of l. ear.
1g. (Ibid.) Sleep at n. full of dreams. Twitching of right lid. Nausea and inclination to vomit at n. with disagreeable feeling and rumbling in belly, as though diarrhea would come on. Sticking together of lids. Soft urgent stool, m. Headache over eyes with pains through eyeball, dull, heavy, stretching, for about 1 m.; this occurred twice.
1h. Put some of the tincture on his tongue June 14th. Immediately crawling in fingers of left hand, prickling and feeling as after a blow in lips and nose. After 8 hours stiffness of tendons on left side of nape, painful when head is moved to other side. (Amer. Arzneiprufungen.) 2. A married woman whose menses had once failed to appear, which had never happened before, took, 10th April, 2 dr. 2nd dil. Ist day, pain along forehead, just above both eyes. -2nd day, some discharge of blood from vagina without pain or uneasiness. – 3rd d., slight increase of the hemorrhage. -4th d., syncope and violent metrorrhagia with weight in hypogastrium, restlessness, yawning and great anxiety. Took pulse., then bell., whereupon the restlessness ceased, but as the blood continued to gush forth took sabina, whereupon the discharge diminished, but lasted several day longer, till at length a fetus of 2 months was expelled (Ibid.) 3. Dr. C. HERING took, 28th Feb. 8 a.m., the poison of one bee. After 1 to 2 m., a distinct bitter taste at back of tongue and fauces. After 15 m., pain in abdomen, slight, followed by urging to discharge flatus; after 20 m., a loud discharge of stinking flatus. After stool, rumbling of wind. L. arm numb. Violent pressure on a small spot in upper part of left side of head (after pulling on boots). In l. half of face, especially about eye, feeling as if it would swell, very transient. 9:30 a.m. The pain in right tendo Achillis worse than usual. 10:15 a.m. Violent shooting burning pain in a small spot at left lower part of nape; also in left arm and left side of occiput, but less severe. 10:30 a.m. Violent pain on, above, and below left knee, more above to the side and front. Itching of palms, worse on left side, in small burning spots. All this before or after drinking coffee, which seems not to affect the action. -11 till 11:30 a.m. R. eye full of tears, which sometimes overflow. Noon, a kind of coryza. Burning itching here and there, especially severe on l. thigh posteriorly. Tired, bruised in all limbs, especially back, just as one feels in the m. after great exertion the day before, especially felt on rising from seat, must stretch himself even in the street. 12:30 p.m. Severe burning stitch in upper part of sacrum. Afternoon, headache in a small spot inwardly on l. anterior angle of head, above outer end of l. eyebrow, remain all day, worse on coughing (still some next m.). 1 p.m. Violent pain about first l. upper molar, seems to be in connection with headache. Desire for coitus during day, when sitting in room and driving in carriage. In lower part of l. knee in front, violent transient pains. 3 to 5 p.m. Curious inward trembling feeling, as after an illness, with a kind of shuddering (without coldness or shivering) running over back, chiefly in its upper half. 6 p.m. Dryness under tongue, going off on moving tongue much. Allium e. headache and some cough in single impulses. At n., before midnight, woke up from other causes, and had violent cough from a crawling irritation in wind-pipe, near pit of throat. At each cough increased headache, above on the l. After 1/2 h. some phlegm is detached and swallowed, and the cough ceases at once. – 21st. Headache continues, less severe, more extended. Desire to change occupation, will not remain long at anything; at same time, confusion of head. Yesterday and to-day, some pain in back under scapula, worst on r. Very fetid flatus. Burning twitching like a pricking contraction in r. thumb, chiefly from without inwards, also on other places similar sensations. Yesterday and to-day, marked increase of micturition. Stool scanty, pappy; piles remain externally. Now and then, violent pains on outer side of l. knee. Pain in interior of r. ear. Burning places here and there, especially on back, which itch also. Coryza evening, slight stoppage of nose, and now and then drops from it; dread of cold, which, however, does not aggravate, whereas warmth aggravates. E. very sleepy early. Severe cough, especially after lying and sleeping, the tickling on a small spot low down at back of windpipe wakes him. When coughing head is painful (l.), must bend head back so as to diminish the pain caused by the cough. Cough most in warmth and when at rest. As soon as the smallest portion of phlegm is detached it is relieved-22nd. M., r. eye waters. Coryza continues but is dry, only a little moisture on blowing nose. Nose feels congested as though it would swell, but no soreness. All day, the same bruised feeling in back, chest, last ribs, worst left, on a spot as broad as the hand, as though the muscles beneath were sore. For several day diminished appetite, though the tongue that was previously furred is now clean. -N. between 22nd and 23rd. Cough retard getting to sleep. Woke about midnight with same cough. Distinct tickling behind and low down, which causes irresistible violent coughs. After repeated attacks a small lump of phlegm is detached, and he gets rest. Must bend head back when coughing, never had a similar cough. -23rd. M., crawling as of an insect on inside of r. knee for several hours, frequently repeated. Nothing visible there. Always in m. small, yellow, thin stools, to-day a few drops of bright-red blood after stool not unusual. -23rd and 24th. Cough only evening not at n. -24th and 25th. Internal burning at a hang-nail on outside of right fourth finger, where there is much inward pain, but no redness. Also inward burning on tip of finger. For more than a week the stool remained thin, pappy, bright yellow, then it became darker. Also the burning at the finger-tips recurred occasionally for a week. (Ibid.) 4. Mr. LANGSTROTH, a gentleman fond of natural history, had occupied himself for 8 or 10 years in the study of bee life. During that time he was in the habit of frequent killing bees and tasting the honey they contained, in order to ascertain whence it was derived. He very often got the poison out of their poison bags on his tongue, and he noticed that its taste was aromatic bitter. On learning that the poison of the bee was capable of producing morbid symptoms, he remembered that his health had not been so good while making his bee investigations as it was previously; and this although he led a most regular and careful life, took no wine, beer, or spirits. In order to try if, perhaps, the bee-poison he had swallowed during all these years was the cause of his ill-health, he took the poison of a bee on his tongue, and that same day many of his troublesome symptoms returned, and lasted several d. The symptoms that had troubled him these 10 years were the following: often tiresome prostration; loss of all power, with trembling feeling. Occasionally disagreeable sensation in head making him unfit for mental work. The head is too full as if of blood. Weight and pressure, and often sudden rush of blood to head. Cannot bear close rooms, especially when over-heated. Head confused and dizzy, weight and fullness in top of head, dull pressure in top of forehead down to temples, as though it would burst; dull pressure in head on rising up from sitting or lying; sometimes throbbing in head, worse on moving and stooping, transiently relieved by compressing head with hands. Reading increases the headache. Pressive pain over eyes and round eyes, relieved by external pressure with hands. Pricking itching round eyes on eyebrows, lids and eyes themselves, worst on l., especially in inner canthi, with inclination to press or rub the eyes strongly; at same time a sore pain on borders of lids and in canthi and eyes, quivering of l. eyeball. All day, feeling as if there was mucus in eyes, especially in l. Full feeling in eyes and weak sight. Behind l. ear, a pain similar to that over the eyes. Violent drawing from nape to behind l. ear, spreading on l. side of head. Very tiresome pains in gums. A quantity of vesicles and small sore red places on tip of tongue and left border of tongue. Raw feeling in throat, with frequent inclination to hawk. Occasional roughness and sensitiveness in larynx, soon after smelling poison. In upper part of chest sometimes pressive pain, sometimes sharp stitches through chest. Rheumatic stitches on right side of nape. Stiff neck. Pressure under scapula, where it is painful when moving. Stiff feeling in sacrum. When drawing off boots and stockings, evening, the feet often swollen. Very disagreeable sensation in bladder with forcing down upon the sphincter, and such frequent urging to pass water, that not only must be urinate many times during day, but must rise 10 or 12 times at n. to do so. When urinating, burning and sore pain, uneasy feeling in spermatic cords. Very restless sleep, wakes often at night; constant dreaming. Nervous restlessness, especially last half of n. Has not the slightest refreshment from sleep, brain seems to have no rest day or n. Busy dreams full of care and trouble. Often felt as if flying away in the air. One n. after taking a dose for trial was plagued the whole n. with an artificial flying machine, the wings of which he tried in vain to set in motion. On 3rd day of last trial, had a very contrary, irritable and angry humour, so that nothing could be done to please him. Everything was wrong for him, though he had no cause to get out of temper. (Ibid.) 5. C. KINDERMANN, medical student, 16th April, 6:15 a.m., took 12 dried bee-poison bags at once. On the places where the bags softened the taste was narcotic, astringent, and irritating. After 2 to 3 m., there came a taste exactly like that of sweet almonds; 15 m. later a dull compression on both sides of forehead from supra-orbital border to frontal sinuses, not amounting to pain. This lasted till 8 a.m. at breakfast. After this it went off and no other symptom showed itself. (Ibid.) 6. Dr. HELMUTH took, in 2 provings, 80 drops of a tincture made with the poison of 10 bees in 100 drops of alcohol. After 1 1/2 h. raw feeling in throat, with thick viscid saliva that adhered to hard and soft palate and tongue, at same time weakness and ill-humour. This lasted 1/2 h., then a dull heavy pain in right parietal protuberance and soon afterwards violent eructation of wind. The headache was not relieved by pressing on it. Next came shootings in forehead and temples; numbness (or insensibility) of fingers especially about roots of nails; rumbling in belly, with urgent call to stool; burning in face with sensation of fullness a if blood-vessels were too full; dull pain all over head, relieved by pressure; nausea, vomiting of food and diarrhea; the fecal evacuations lumpy, not very fetid. Drowsiness; weakness; vomiting of bile; the diarrhea continues with some tenesmus; the vomiting recurs, the matter vomited is a thin, watery, very bitter fluid, with violent pains across hypogastrium; raw feeling in anus and almost incessant urging to urinate; burning in urethra while urinating, and slight feeling of stricture near the bulb of the urethra. Great desire to sleep. Very distinct numb feeling at finger-tips, and sensation as if the finger-nails were loose; dysenteric stools with much tenesmus, and after stool sensation as if the bowels were bruised; increasing weakness with diminishing headache. Sore feeling in stomach and belly. Extreme sleepiness. In n. sleep woke four times with great thirst for cold water. (Ibid.) 7. Dr. BIGELOW proved tinct., manner not stated.. Dread of death, or sensation as if he should not be able to breathe again; weight and fullness in upper head; burning and throbbing in head aggravated by motion and stooping, temporarily relieved by pressing head firmly with hands, with occasional sweat for some hours; oppressive headache when in warm room and reading; violent aching pains through temples; sensation of whirling around in sight, with difficulty of seeing at same time, lasting a moment only; hurried and difficult respiration, with fever and headache (2nd d.); short rapid breathing at night; pulse 95, full and strong (2nd proving); occasional feeling of chilliness, with disposition to yawn; slight rigor soon passing off, followed by fever at night; sweating and dryness of skin alternating. (Hom. Provings, ed. by METCALF, 1853.) 8 a. Dr. BISHOP proved tinct. Dull heavy feeling, inclining eyes to close, desire to rub and press them forcibly; yellow watery diarrhea, with griping; bearing-down pain as in early stages of parturition, in several cases; sensation of soreness in chest, pains, bruised feeling, as if jammed, bruised, or beaten in some recent accident; sensation of melting heat in region of diaphragm, as if from running violently; sudden flush of heat over back, as though sweat would break out, accompanied by pain at left sacro-iliac junction; sensation of burning heat and stinging at various portions of surface at same time. (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.