Introduction
Lycopodium clavatum, L. Club moss. Nat. Ord., Lycopodiaceae.
Provings
1. HAHNEMANN, Chronic Diseases, part iv of original, vol. of translation. Contains 1608 symptoms from self and 7 fellow- observers.
2. A. HUBER, surgeon, aet. 31, of sanguine temperament, who had 2 years previously suffered from colicky pains and rheumatism, but was now perfectly well, took for 8 day every m. and evening 5 gr. 5th dec. trit. -1st d. Head confused as if intoxicated. -2nd d. Occasional slight frontal headache. -3rd d. Painful confusion of forehead m., mouth slimy, throat bitter, scrapy and rough. P. m., when driving in carriage frontal pain and pressure in stomach, the latter soon went off, but recurred at n. when lying on back, with difficulty of breathing, these symptoms went off on lying on side; stomach very sensitive to touch and felt swollen. -4th d. M., head stupid as from intoxication. After dinner exhaustion and drowsiness, with burning in eyes, disinclination for conversation, dimness of vision as through a veil; tongue white, papillae prominent, frequent attacks of nausea with trembling of limbs and quickened pulse. -5th d. N. very restless. After wakings, discharge of foetid flatus, constant pain about navel with diarrhoea of yellowish watery fluid. evening, after coitus violent burning in glans and prepuce; when lying he had continual urging to urinate, the urine came away in drops and burnt like fire. -6th d. N. better. M., transient but violent shooting pain in rectum. During day frequent, sudden, frontal pain with nausea and exhaustion, prostration, drowsiness and pale yellow complexion. -7th d. Sticky dryness in mouth, frequent yawning and constant nausea, accumulation of mucus in throat with inclination to swallow, heaviness in chest when going uphill, great weariness of body, crossness and irascibility. On inside of both thighs, close to scrotum, from inguinal canal backwards to perinaeum, several brown spots in skin. -8th d. M., when smoking as usual, heartburn and such extreme sickness of stomach that he had to lie down again. Walking is very painful because the above-mentioned brown spots on bend of thigh are much inflamed and cause violent burning pain. -9th d. No med. The spots on bend of thigh are fiery red, swollen, and burn painfully. especially when touched and walking. They remained for 2 day longer, then gradually went off. (Z. d. Verbascum day hom. Aerz. Oest., 1857, i, 333.)
3. ELIZAB. HUBER, aet. 24, married delicate constitution, took for 8 day, m. and evening, 5 gr. 5th dec. trit. -1st d. No symptoms worthy of notice. -2nd d. Menses came on at regular time preceded by slight abdominal pains. -3rd d. Restless sleep at n. M., pain in frontal region. Nausea, flow of water into mouth, palpitation of heart and quick pulse. -4th d. Slept well but was along time getting to sleep. M., mouth slimy, almost continued nausea and pain in umbilical region, with pressure on chest. -5th d. Slept well. During day headache with stupid feeling, flushes of heat, bitter taste, nausea, great general weakness so that she thinks she must sink down. -6th d. Sleep undisturbed. During day burning heat of body, especially palms and soles, followed by general sweat and exhaustion, at same time dazedness of head, pain in temples, and bitter, slimy, pasty taste. -7th d. Heat rising up from abdomen over chest to head, with burning of left side of face, great anxiety and cold sweat on face. She must go into open air, at same time is weak and prostrated. (Ibid., 335.)
4. OT. HUBER, aet. 1, suffered soon after birth from emaciation and foetid diarrhoea. He recovered after a few months of hom. treatment and is now a picture of perfect health. For 5 day he got, m. and evening, 2 gr. 5th dec. trit. -1st d. Nothing observed. -2nd and 3rd d. Face looks puffy and is distinctly pale yellow, repeated attacks of heat, when the forehead feels hot to touch, great exhaustion. -4th d. Very restless sleep with hurried breathing. During day burning heat on forehead, pale yellow complexion, puffy face, dull, dim eyes and white tongue, six yellow watery stools, increased urine, rapid heart- and pulse beats, very weak, cannot hold up head. Cries and is frightened when put on his feet, trembles and wants to be carried. The whole muscular system is soft and lax, he is quite out of humour, the slightest opposition causes crying and sobbing. -5th day, n. very restless, he breathes quickly, works with hands in sleep, and starts frequently. During day, in addition to the gastric symptoms there were: Increase of weakness, so that he can no longer sit, but on trying to do so sinks together; he weeps when one feels his thighs, is considerably emaciated, has fluent coryza and coughs frequently. No appetite or thirst; belly tympanitically distended and repeated diarrhoea. Passes urine of an ammoniacal odour very instant, moves his limbs about as in St. Vitus’s dance. Next n. very restless, sweat all over body, cold cheeks and forehead. -6th d. No med. Symptoms as yesterday, only the right leg near ankle is considerably bent. The choreic movements continue. During day-sleep, profuse general sweat, very quick with cold face and feet. Abdomen very distended, stools yellow and loose, he weeps often, is cross and is long of going to sleep e. Sleep quiet and perspired profusely. -7th d. M., more cheerful, left eye stuck together, tongue cleaner. Wants to drink often, and much foetid flatus is passed. All other symptoms much improved. -8th d. Quiet sleep at n., is cheerful and wants to walk alone. Is still weak and looks ill. All other symptoms went off gradually, so that after 14 day not even the bending of the leg is perceptible. (Ibid, 336.)
5. THERESA H-, nursemaid, aet. 15, not yet menstruated, in good health, took for 8 days, m. and evening, 5 gr. 5th dec. trit. -1st d. Soon pains from navel to stomach; she often felt as if a worm rose from navel to scrob. cordis; umbilical region tender to pressure. -2nd d. Unusually profound sleep at n., she wakes up once with bellyache. M., mouth as if glued up with mucus, had to spit much. During day complained much of heaviness of head, frontal pain, bellyache, and tickling in left heel. -3rd d. Stupefied feeling at n. On waking, slimy mouth, tongue adheres to palate and teeth to one another, bitter taste in throat, pain in umbilical region, navel retracted towards spine, so that her under-garments will hardly keep up. The umbilical pain rises occasionally to scrob. cordis, where it becomes a pressure; heavy as lead in left half of forehead. Umbilical pain aggravated by bending body backwards. A liquid stool. -4th d. Besides yesterday’s symptoms, stuffed coryza and single stitches in spleen. -5th d. Stupefied sleep at n., sleeps too long in m. During day leaden weight in left half of brain, frequent rising up of heat from feet over back to forehead, slimy pappy taste, the whole interior of mouth seems covered with sticky paste. Coryza, with discharge of watery secretion from nose. Pain about navel, with discharge of foetid flatus, rumbling in left side of belly, extreme weakness and prostration, with heaviness and trembling of limbs, especially hands. -6th d. Talked loud during sleep. On waking and rising m. nausea, with flow of water into mouth and inclination to vomit, so that she must sit down. During day heaviness and tearing in left side of head, fluent coryza, redness and lachrymation of eyes, frequent flushes of heat in face and yawning; little appetite. The abdomen, especially scrob. cordis, so sensitive to pressure that she cannot fasten her clothes there. Frequent bellyache, with discharge of foetid flatus, she has to crouch together to get relief, afterwards watery diarrhoea. Hands and feet weak, joints painful when moved, sacral pain. The first dorsal and sacral vertebrae painful when touched or moved. The heat in face often alternates with coldness in face. -7th d. Same symptoms as yesterday. Besides pressure in stomach, tympanitic distension of abdomen, shortness of breath, and palpitation when working. Frequent flushes of heat, great exhaustion and heaviness of limbs, with itching smarting on knees. Towards evening vertigo, with anxiety. -8th d. Profound sleep, can hardly be wakened in m., and complains thereafter of dreadful exhaustion of whole body. During day headache on stooping, flushes of heat and redness of face, pale yellow complexion, weak and emaciated. Nasty taste, for which she often rinsed her mouth with water. Distension of abdomen, constant rumbling with pain in belly, followed by diarrhoea. Stitches in cardiac region, and such an increase of the bodily weakness that she had to go to bed and would take no more Lycopodium9th d. Slept quietly and perspired all night; much foetid flatus passed. M., felt relieved. The above symptoms continued in diminishing degree for several days, were all gone in 6 days (Ibid., 337.)
6. MARIA WEBER, housemaid, aet. 23, in good health. Took for 8 day m. and evening 5 gr. 5th dec. trit. -1st d. Confusion of head, shooting in brain, nausea. -2nd d. Stupefied sleep, from which she can scarcely be awakened. M., nasty taste in, and smell from, mouth, accumulation of mucus in mouth and throat. Pressure in stomach, rising thence through esophagus to pharynx, where it causes choking sensation; transient stitches in eyebrows. In evening vertigo. In bed at n. pressure in stomach and difficulty of breathing when lying on back, going off when lying on side. – 3rd d. Profound sleep. Immediately after rising m., vertigo, frequent yawning and stretching limbs, eyes sealed up with mucus, lips dry, flow of water into mouth, pains around navel making her crouch together, pressure in scrob, cordis and choking in throat, making her often swallow, the pain around navel aggravated by coughing and talking a deep breath. Afternoon, stupefaction of head, mouth very dry, great thirst, pressure in stomach, and difficulty of breathing, scrob. cordis extremely sensitive to touch, great prostration and weariness of whole body. -4th d. Same symptoms. -5th d. Drowsiness in morning; lips adherent, on swallowing the esophagus is rough and scrapy, nausea like spasm in stomach, confusion of head. During day frequent sickness, and complains of pain in navel, stomach and head. Distension of abdomen and rumbling, relieved by discharge of flatus, tearing in muscles of upper arm, icy coldness of fingers. -6th d. M., confusion of head, weakness of memory, left eyelids swollen, sour pappy taste, frequent rising of heat from belly to head, with burning of cheeks, inclination to vomit, and trembling weakness of body, Great sensitiveness of stomach region, shooting pains above scrob. cordis in scapula and deltoid muscle, tearing in stomach and belly, complete anorexia and adipsia; two watery stools, difficulty of breathing, palpitation, pain in left hip when walking. During day constant headache, she is cross, laconic, and inclined to weep, heat in cheeks, and itching in esophagus compelling her to swallow constantly, constant nausea, with great sensitiveness of scrob. cordis; her belly sinks in, her clothes are too wide; shooting pains and great sensitiveness in right clavicle, dyspnoea and palpitation when working, great exhaustion of body. -7th d. Same symptoms as yesterday, mouth very pasty, tip of tongue looks covered with little red warts which burn when touched; near tip of tongue a small, oval, flat ulcer 3 to 4 lines long; frequent shooting in head and both upper arms here and there, coldness of fingers; several watery stools with burning in anus; so weak she can hardly speak. evening, burning soles. -8th d. Head confused and giddy; whole mouth from lips to throat is bitter, the ulcer on tongue annular; diarrhoea, shooting pain in sacral region, especially on pressure; urine burning hot; stitches in cardiac region that take away her breath; feels so weak she must go to bed. -9th d. Only a trace of the lingual ulcer visible, she looks ill and has got thin. The symptoms subsided gradually, but several day elapsed before she had completely recovered. (Ibid., 339.)
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.