A Cyclopedia of Drug pathogenesy vol.4 by Hughes R.
Introduction
Hypophosphite of lime, Ca2PH2O2.
Provings
1. Dr. A. R. Barrett, Richmond, Virginia, and a friend, each took 1 gr. of the 2x trit. The symptoms which followed in both provers, within 1 hours and lasting 1 hours or more, were: – First a dull heavy pain, pressive, on top of head across whole space between the frontal and occipital bones; the pain gradually increased, and both grew correspondingly more depressed in feelings; then followed great fulness and sensation of oppression around heart, and a fulness throughout whole thorax and head, the veins of hands, arms, neck, and head standing out like cords; no flushing, no perceptible increase in pulse; dyspnoea, must have windows open; profuse sweat all over limbs perfectly powerless; unable to rise from chair or move either arms or legs in the least, gradually unable to speak except in a low monotone, evidently from muscular inability. Total loss of all desire and inability to move or make any muscular exertion. Symptoms were about 1/2 hours reaching this point, lasted; d about 1/2 hours, and then began gradually to pass off. As they did so, pain left vertex and passed to forehead, pain extending from right to left temple throughout whole frontal bone, a dull pressive pain; the muscles gradually recovered power; cardiac sensations passed away, leaving only sense of mental depression. No pains except above. Subjects both between 35 and 40, weigh 120 – 125 lbs.; light complexion, nervo – sanguine temperament; both in good health. When the symptoms had passed off, lips were dry and cracked as from fever, considerable thirst; pulse normal (75 – 80) or slightly weak; temp. normal. (ahn. Monthly, Sept., 1879, p. 539.)CAMPHORA BROMATA (see vol. i, p.684; vol. ii, p.730) II. 27. a. P. m. on Sept. 15th Miss X. was brought to my house, and had to be partly carried indoors. Her hair and dress were disordered; face duskily suffused and perspiring; breathing slow and shallow, with tendency to sighing; pulse rapid, small, and compressible. She was in a semi – conscious state, with eyes half closed, and if placed in a sitting posture her head and body inclined to fall forward and to the side; but if roused and spoken to loudly she attempted to sit upright, raised her eyelids for a moment, and responded rationally, but in the unformed, halting accents of a person labouring under the effects of drink. Her breath smelt of camphor. Her sister stated that they had lunched together at 1 on coffee and bread and butter, and afterwards were doing some shopping. She had a slight cold, for which she had been recommended to try camphor. She had provided herself with a piece as big as almond, which she had begun to chew and swallow in minute portions. Some 20 m. after she suddenly complained of feeling giddy and queer; and they had barely time to get into a shop they were passing when she fell down in a quasi – faint. After restoratives she rallied somewhat, but began to talk excitedly, and endeavoured to sing or hum snatches of tunes, paying but little heed to those about her. Her face was flushed and its expression peculiar; her sister said that but for knowing she never drank any wine or spirits, and for their having been together all the forenoon, she would have thought her under the influence of drink. As the hilarious excitability was gradually passing into a state of stupor, the sister became alarmed, and had her conveyed to my house.
27 b. I gave 20 gr. of zinc sulphate, which was followed by free vomiting. After waiting 15 m. I gave mxxx of sal volatile in a small cup of strong black coffee. Her breathing and circulation improved; her face, from being flushed and dusky, had become somewhat pale, expression being more natural; and she gradually sank into a light slumber. In 1/2 hours more she took another dose of coffee and ammonia, and by 4 was sufficiently recovered to be removed to her own home. She was somewhat light – headed and giddy, but only complained of a burning pain at the pit of the stomach, which had disappeared by the next day (W. R. Ray, N. Eng. Medorrhinum Gaz., xxii, 236.)
28. I was called at 10 p. m. on Feb. 23rd, 1886, to see a young gentleman, aet. 19, ” in a fit.” I found him on the floor in convulsions, his face and neck dusky, and foam flying from his mouth. The pulse was full, and the pupils dilated. The shirt was immediately loosed, and cold affusion used, with the result that the convulsions ceased, and he became quieter. After 5 m. retching began, and the small quantity of fluid that came up smelt strongly of camphor. Ten m. later I got him up, and, by dint of firmness, persuaded him to go up to his room, undressed him, and put him to bed. There he expressed himself as quite comfortable, and only sleepy. I ascertained that my patient, who is a teetotaller, had a cold in the head, for which he had sought advice of a druggist, who recommended essence of camphor. A half – ounce of Rubini’s essence was given him; and, about 7:30, he saturated a large lump of sugar, spilling a little of the camphor in the process. Not content with this he took, m at 8:30, about the same quantity in water, went to the smoke room, and smoked two pipes of tobacco. At 9:30 he began to feel giddy, and to be losing his self – control; he talked incoherently and excitedly, ran upstairs, and fell on the floor ” in a fit.” Two other members of the family had thirteen drops between them, and there remained in the bottle exactly eighty drops, so that two and a half drachms have to be accounted for; and I conclude that my patient must have taken almost two drachms, if not quite – a large dose from which to recover so rapidly. With the exception of a bad headache, my patient was quite well the next morning, and ate a good breakfast, but his cold was no better.
An interesting point in this case was that, from 9:30, when the poisonous action of the camphor began to assert itself, until 1:30, when he really first regained consciousness, he was entirely unconscious of all that he did or said; and yet resented the application of the cold water, both by speech and action; answered my questions intelligently as to pain, &c.; walked upstairs, and assisted in preparing himself for bed; and when there, said he was comfortable. In the m. he assured me that he had not been cognissant of my visit. (East, Brit. Medorrhinum Journ., 1886, i, 542.)
CANNABIS INDICA (see vol. i, p.713)
II. 7. Dr. G. A. R took 1/2 gr. of extract while suffering from hemicrania. Not long after he suddenly realised that he had become wholly oblivious of his surroundings, and knew not how long he had been so. Then he had a peculiar light feeling in head. His knees felt like frictionless hinges, and his legs a weight of lead; there was a strange feeling of numbness all over body. Next had a feeling of great satisfaction with himself and all the world, laughing without cause. Time passed slowly; 1 m. seemed like 15, intervals between words spoken in conversation seemed like a m. in length. At times he forgot the presence of his companion. In answering remarks, he forgot the beginning of a sentence before he ended it. His eyes were wide open and staring, and he had a vacant expression in his face. During these times of forgetfulness he had also violent shiverings. In driving home the horse seemed 20 feet away from him. The sides of the street seemed blocks away. Although the temperature was below 0 o F., he did not mind it as much as usual. When he retired he slept soundly. The effects of the drug lasted until noon of the following d. During the m. he found it difficult to concentrate his mind, even on the reading of the newspaper. (Monthly Hom. Rev., xxx, 429.)
8. a. A patient, who some years before had had syphilis, came to me Dec. 16th, greatly alarmed, declaring that he again had a syphilitic eruption. I discovered, on examination, that the cutaneous surface of the lower portion of the abdomen, back, hips, and thighs was covered with lesions in groups, which he could not avoid scratching, even when subjected to inspection. These lesions were hot, irritable, pea – sized, flattened, rose – coloured boutons, or urticarial papules, with scratch lines evident between them. With a half inch lens I could discover no central punctum, though here and there were minute blood – scales on the summit, the result of the wounds inflicted by the finger – nails. I suspected that the disorder had originated in the bites of the cimex lectularius; and, when questioned, the patient admitted that he had recently slept at a country inn, where he had been greatly disturbed during the night, as well as his fellow traveller who shared his bed. He then remembered that each had discovered the eruption in the morning. These accidents subsided in a few days, after an alkaline bath and the application of a lead lotion. The incident is mentioned here in order to illustrate the fact that I was dealing with a patient whose skin was peculiarly susceptible to irritation.
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.