Introduction
Paeonia officinalis, L. Peony. Nat. Ord., Ranunculaceae.
Provings
1. (No information of any kind). Pressing left sides headache, after dinner. Boring pain, from without inwards, in right temple. Twitching tearing in right temple into head. Gnawing headache. Itching of right upper eyelid at short intervals. Very painful shooting in right upper eyelid towards its inner canthus, not removed by rubbing. Pinching behind right ear. Very painful jerks in cartilage of ear. Burning heat in face. Formication in upper lip. Pressure from fossa of lower jaw through internal ear, eased by opening jaws for a length of time, e.g. in drinking, and aggravated by pressing the jaws together. Pressure under heart, as from great anxiety. Drawing formication below navel, relieved by scratching. Pappy diarrhoea, with sinking sensation in belly and burning in anus after stool, which recurs in 6 hours; it comes on rapidly, followed by internal chilliness; the malaise is, as a rule, greatest some afterwards. On perineum at anus a small ulcer, which constantly secretes moisture of very bad odour, it is painful for 8 d. Formication in tip of nose. Throbbing through right side of thoracic cavity, and from behind up to nape, where it ends in an intermitting pinching. Cutting pressure on left side of chest when sitting bent forward. Pressing ache near both sides of sternum at its inferior part, while eating. Obtuse stitches in thoracic cavity from before backwards, as if through heart. Pinching, now in dorsal, now in abdominal muscles. Shooting on several parts of back, going off when scratched. Fine boring pain on left scapula, going off on moving. Sharp stitches in axillae. On flexing arm the muscles are tense above elbow – joint, with feeling as if the part were pressed. Shooting pinching in left wrist – joint, behind thumb. Severe cramp in ulna, near wrist. A living crawling and working in a part of left forearm. Very transient pricking formication in fingers and sides. Weary pain in ankle – joints when sitting. Cramp – like pains in right temple, from without inwards. Strong cramp in right knee – joint when sitting. Single sharp blows on inside of knee, from within outwards. Itching of calves, removed by rubbing, and burning itching of toes, which were swollen and drawn crooked, and pain as if a sharp knife were stuck through them at short intervals. Burning heat of face, back, and chest, with cold extremities. (Prakt. Mittheil. day corresp. Ges. hom. Aerzte, No. 4, July, 1827, p.61.)
2. Dr. GEYER, aet. 23, took Nov. 10th, 10 p. m., 6 dr. tinct. After sleeping 2 hours, woke up on account of great heat all over body, as also unusual heat in gastric region, and amorous dreams, which disturbed his sleep during remainder of n. – 11th. Felt well till 5 p. m., from which time till he went to bed he had tiresome rush of blood to head, with pressure and dull pain under forehead, one ear hot, the other cold. Very irritable and dejected without cause. Sleep next n. disturbed by distressing and frightful dreams (of the death of near relations, & c.) – 12th. No symptoms all day, so he took in evening 13 dr. Next n. was undisturbed. – 13th. 6:30 a. m., 13 dr. After 1 hour violent perpendicular stitches in left half of chest, beginning under;. clavicle and going through whole chest to diaphragm, near the heart, most severe during expiration, increased by walking about; at same time pressure and stitches towards right, from ensiform cartilage. 10 a. m., shooting pains near right nipple, increased by walking and running at 1 p. m. All p. m. till evening very drowsy and tinnitus aurium. Sleep next n. refreshing and disturbed by many dreams and frequent and copious micturition. – 14th, m., considerable inflammation of eyeball, a pain in l; eye, as if a sharp grain of sand were beneath upper eyelid. P. m., recurrence of pains in chest, lasting 2 hours 8 p. m., severe pressure in middle of sternum, going off at n., but returning more severely on 15th, and lasting all m. For some day past the toes are extremely sensitive. The symptoms go off with dying away of one finger, all except the pressure in left eye. – 16th. No symptoms all day 11 p. m., 18 dr., which caused disturbed sleep from heat all over body, burning in stomach, and vivid, curious dreams. – 17th, m., full feeling in whole head and pressure in occiput. evening, increase of full feeling in head, and violent pressive pain in left eye. All day tormented by inexplicable anxiety. Next n. very distressing dreams, pain in occiput, and violent pains in left eye, the inflammation of which attains its greatest intensity on 18th. The conjunctiva is bloodshot and swollen, difficulty of opening eye on account of pain and photophobia for a short time, with copious lachrymation. The inflammation continues for 8 d. After a very restless n., on 19th m. recurrence of stitches in left side of chest, parallel to axis of body. There is, besides, periodical shooting in lowest cervical vertebrae. evening, recurrence of stitches in right side of chest. Next n. sleep worse than ever before; the distressing dreams increase to nightmare, he dreams of an extraordinary figure, which sat on his chest and affected his breathing, and is often wakened by his own groaning (Hygea, xxi, 313.)
3a. Mr. HEGER, farmer, aet. 21, took, May 8th, 11:30 a. m., 8 dr. tinct. 4.45 p. m., cutting around navel, lasting 1/4 hour, recurred at 8, and at 10 p. m. was very violent. At n. woke up frequently, dreamt much, had an amorous dream, with emission. – 9th. At noon, slight stitches down through left side of chest. At n. dreamt about quarreling. – 10th, 10 a. m., 13 dr. During day, 5 diarrhoeic stools; unusual painfulness of corns. – 11th. At noon, 20 dr. Only felt some pressure in abdomen in evening – 12th, 10 a. m., 30 dr. At n., an amorous dream, with emission. – 13th. 40 dr. were followed by anxious dreams and some colic. – 14th. 80 dr, no effect. – 17th. 50 dr. – 19th. 100 dr. only caused restless n., full of dreams.
3b. June 3rd, p. m., 100 dr. At 8 p. m., cutting in abdomen and one normal stool. 9.15 p. m., a diarrhoeic stool. At n. many unremembered dreams. Next day, 3 diarrhoeic stool, with cutting in abdomen. At n. anxious dreams and an amorous dream, with emission. On 3rd day l a slight cutting in abdomen.
3c. June 17th. 10 dr., some cutting across upper abdomen. – 18th, evening, 15 dr. – 19th, m., the urine passed in drops with constrictive sensation in neck of bladder. 3:30 p. m., shooting in left thoracic cavity parallel to axis of body, accompanying each inspiration, lasting 1 1/2 h. This recurs at 9 p. m. At n. anxious dreams; next day very cross. – 20th. 15 dr. On 21st, p. m., cutting in stomach and transverse colon, and a loose stool. Also during day periodical attacks of stitches from middle of stomach upwards. Next 2 n. many dreams. – 23rd. 15 dr. Next n. many curious and anxious dreams. The following day formication in abdomen. 3rd day, shooting in left side of chest, and, p. m., cutting in abdomen. (Ibid., 316.)
4. HELBIG made 2 provings on different persons; no information as to dose, & c.
4a. Starting in sleep, even in the daytime. Smarting at back of palate, evening (after 5 d.) Diarrhoea. Transient pain chest superiorly and anteriorly, beneath sternum, a kind of pressure, m. (5th d.). A transient, sharp, pressive pain in right side of chest interiorly, above liver, m. (after 2 d.). Pain in right upper arm to elbow when moving, for several d. Sensation in right big toe as if splinters were sticking in skin, when it is touched, evening (2nd d.).
4b. Always rough in throat, he must hawk and cough in order to clear it. The nostrils posteriorly are full of mucus, worse during sleep at n. and at noon, and when the weather is rainy. Diarrhoea. Smarting itching at orifice of anus, causing him to rub, it feels swollen, p. m. (2nd d.). Slight pains in tips of left fingers. Beneath calf, a feeling impending walking, as though the muscles and tendons and aponeurosis were stiff, or had been beaten. (Ibid., 320.).
Poisonings
1. After pressing juice out of roots and chewing a morsel, felt, on going up a gentle acclivity, fine prickling in skin, first in chest, then in axillae, on shoulders and arms and down side of back; burning smarting, as from nettles, on dazedness, and weight in head, in warm room; nausea, simmering in head, loss of, or dulness of, senses, feeling of faintness, after a short walk uphill, on coming into warm room. Nausea relieved by a glass of water, but vertigo persists. Exhaustion, heaviness of limbs, better after eating. evening, great weakness and prostration of all limbs; vertigo with every movement, constant whirling in head; vertigo, especially when walking about room, things sway to and fro. Walks unsteadily, whirling in head, the limbs totter. Burning of eyes and lids. Restless, dreamful sleep, dreams not remembered. Next day dry, smarting eyes, not easily opened. Burning in eyes, itching and dry feeling in eyes. Nose stopped up and dry in bed. m. Pressive pain in occiput and nape persistent. Very acute shooting out at right ear, a. m. In left side of head above eyebrow pressive shooting. Heat in throat, burning in fauces; feeling in throat as if something burning acidity crept up. Hawking up of viscid phlegm; when hawking the heat in throat increases, p. m. Head confused, heavy, giddy, hot. Prickling itching and pricking on skin in open air. Heat and burning, like nettles, on chest, back, and shoulders. Exhaustion, when walking so tired and heavy on chest and in limbs, that he must often stand still, in open air. Ebullition of blood to head and face, with perspiration. Vertigo, uncertain gait, staggering. Nose stopped up, evening (SCHELLING, A. h. Z., xxviii, 182.)
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.