Introduction
Including G. Polycephalum and G. uliginosum, michx. Everlasting. Nat. Ord., compositae.
Provings
I. Dr. BANKS and General NORRIS proved it in 1st and 2nd december trit. of leaves and flowers. Their symptoms are given without indication of those belonging to each prover or of the period when they occurred. They are as follows:- Giddiness, especially after rising from recumbent position. Pain in occiput; dull, continued. Occasional shooting pains in eyeballs. Intermittent neuralgic pains in continued. neuralgic pains in both upper maxillae. Dull, heavy expression, slightly bloated face. Flat, sweetish, sickening taste; tongue covered with long white fur. Diminished appetite. Much wind in stomach, eructations of air and slight nausea. Occasionally, obstinate hiccup. Colicky pains in various parts of abdomen; abdomen sensitive to pressure, particularly about caecum. Looseness of bowels, faeces pale coloured. Borborygmus, frequent discharge of flatus. Feeling of fulness and tension of bladder, even when it has just been emptied. Larger quantity of pale, inodorous urine passed, without sediment. Pain in kidneys. Frequent slight transient pains in region of prostate gland. Increase of sexual desire. Occasional stinging in glans penis. Felling of debility in arms, as if incapable of raising lightest weights. Rheumatic pains in elbows and shoulders. Darting pain in chest from side to side. Numbness in lower part of back with lumbago. Feeling of weight in pelvis. Intense pain in sciatic nerve and its larger ramification. Numbness occasionally taking the place of sciatica, rendering walking very fatiguing. Frequent cramp in calves. Cramp in feet, especially in bed. Rheumatic pains in knee and ankle-joints. Gouty pains in big toes. (North American journal of homoeopathy, vii, 383.)
2. W. J.A. FULLER took, April 25th, 1 gr. 3rd december trit. at bedtime. – 26th. Woke at 6:30 a. m., mouth felt furry, unpleasant taste. Fulness about temples, like incipient nervous headache, to which he is subject, removed by washing head and mouth with cold water. 7 a. m., felt well, and took 1 gr.; taste like that after throat, half sour, half bitter transient. – 27th. Woke at 2:30 a. m., mouth felt perched, bad taste. Rose at 7 morning with dry mouth, furred tongue, slight pain and flatulence in bowels, relieved by washing head and mouth in cold water. 7:15 a. m., 1 gr. rumbling in bowels, stool before breakfast unusual. Woke at 6 a. m., with erection, slight bellyache, after breakfast a good stool. In afternoon another large stool. At night exhausted and uneasy. – 29th. Woke at 5:30 a. m., took 1 gr. at 6 a. m. Erection on waking. On rising, slight transient bellyache. Slight pains about right eye after rising. – 30th. Woke in morning, tired and unrefreshed, erection. Felt languid all morning. At 3 to 4 p. m., slight headache and muddiness about head, not relieved by smoking. 8 p. m., night sweat and headache, relieved by bathing head with bay-rum. – May 1st Woke with furred tongue and bad taste, removed by washing mouth with cold water; had an erection. The erections not accompanied by sexual desire. ( Ibid., 384).
3. Dr. WOODBURY, aet.29, in perfect health, took, September 10th, 1860, 1 hour after breakfast, 15 dr. of a saturated tinct. of Gn. uliginosum. Experienced during day unusual rumbling in bowels, with slight griping pains; in evening, a diarrhoeic stool, with uneasiness in bowels until falling asleep. 13th. -25 dr. on retiring for night. Diarrhoeic stool early next morning, and a second before noon, with pain and rumbling in abdomen, diminished urine, loss of appetite and taste. 15th. – No stool; otherwise right. 16th. – 50 dr. on retiring; very copious and watery stool before morning, and 2 ore before noon. Nausea and pain in abdomen all night of 16th; urine scanty as before. 18th. – Dark, liquid, offensive stool at usual hour in morning; pain in bowels nearly all day. 19th. – Bowels constipated, otherwise well. 22nd. – Took 3ss of tinct. of Gn. polycephalum at night. Three watery discharges, with great pain and nausea, before morning. 23rd. – Profuse diarrhoea, with great pain in abdomen, all day; urine scanty and red as before; great weakness and prostration. 24th. – Discharges more natural; less pain. 25th. – Well. (Publ. of Massach. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc., ii, 15.)
3. a. Mrs. S-, aet.40, took first 10, then 15, then 25 dr. of tinct. of Gn. uliginosum without perceptible effect; then took 60 dr., which caused a copious diarrhoeic discharge, preceded and attended by nausea, pain, and rumbling in bowels. Pain an borborygmus continued for 2 days.
3 b. Same gave 15 dr. to each of 3 children, aged respectively 4,6, and 8, on retiring at night. Two elder had diarrhoeic discharges in morning and several times during day following, with pain in bowels and great irascibility of temper. Youngest had violent purging and vomiting, like cholera morbus, before morning; and purging continued through next day at increasing intervals. In all constipation, lasting 2 or 3 days, succeeded the diarrhoea; during which time children were indifferent to food, almost to aversion, and very irritable. (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.