Introduction
Xanthoxylum fraxineum, Willd. Prickly ash. Nat. Ord., Xanthoxylaceae.
Provings
1. a. Mr. S -, aet. 29, light air, nervous temperament, took at 10 p. m. 4 dr. of tint. Immediately a smart peppery taste in mouth and fauces. Slept well all n. 2nd day – Took 10 dr. in m., followed by same sensation in mouth and throat, which soon extended to stomach, followed by increased pulse and slight heat all over body. In 5 m. a dull ache at root of nose: in 15 m. sharp shooting pains in right side, like pains of pleurisy, occasionally extending through to scapula, which increased in severity and lasted 1/2 hour; during this time there was constant desire to take a long breath. In 1 hours dull pain in right ear and articulation of inferior maxilla of indefinite character, lasting 2 hours and gradually ceasing. 3rd day – No symptoms recorded. 4th day – Took 12 dr. at 8 p. m., followed by dryness in both nostrils; constant desire to take a long breath; gaping; flatulence; 1/2 hour later throbbing headache over right eye, with nausea; sharp pains in right side; severe pain in right arm, beginning above bend of elbow; severe pain in wrist, extending to thumb; in 3/4 hour ringing in ears, right particularly; throbbing headache; pulse 100. Slept hard all n., and woke languid and depressed, without appetite. 5th day – No symptoms recorded. 6th day – Took 20 dr. at 3 p. m. In 5 m. severe frontal headache, with dizziness; continual desire to take long and deep inspirations; nervous feeling of fear; head feels full; pain over right eye and in right side, sharp and shooting; watering of eyes and nose; constriction of head, with increasing pain over eyes. In 15 m. increased desire for long inspiration; flatulence; pain in right arm and right knee. Drowsy all e. Urine at n. and next m. scanty and high-coloured.
1 b. Six weeks later, 8 p. m., took 25 dr.; almost immediately felt same desire for deep and long inspirations; in 5 m. pulse 100; frontal headache; nausea; 25 m., pulse still 100, but more feeble; 1 hours later pulse 82, feeble and irregular. (HALE, New Remedies, 2nd ed.)
2. Mrs. A – a, aet. 27, dark brown hair, fair complexion, phlegmatic temperament. 1st day – Took 3 dr. at bedtime. Slept hard and heavy, dreamed of flying about over tops of houses. 2nd day – In m. felt pain in right leg; bowels constipated; took 3 dr., felt sleepy all m.; great depression; after dinner felt a bunch in left side of throat when swallowing; after supper discharge from bowels; on going to bed the bunch shifted to right side. 3rd day – At 6:30 a. m. took 5 dr.; in 15 m. discharge from bowels, – also after breakfast; sleepy feeling all day, with headache. 6 p. m., another discharge from bowels; flatulence; slight hacking cough. 4th day – Took 12 dr. at 8:30 a. m. Strong peppery sensation in mouth and throat; 5 m. after had darting pain under and behind right ear; right nostril seems filled up; sensation of soreness in right side of throat; 15 m. after, dragging pain in left temple, recurring again and again; aching in upper half of head, accompanied by flashes of throbbing pain as if top of skull were about to be lifted off; flatulence; slight pain above inner condyle of right arm; 1 hours after, sense of constriction about chest, with inclination to gape. At 10:30 p. m. pain in right side below ribs; continued gaping; head dull and aching; a flash of pain in right thumb, extending to hand; another in calf of right leg; legs and feet feel tired. 5th day – Discharge from bowels before and after breakfast; soreness of throat, and expectoration of tough mucus. (Ibid.)
3. Man, aet. 33, light complexion, sanguine – nervous temperament, active habit, uniform health. 1st day – Took 2 dr. tinct. Burning and dry feeling in mouth and tongue; diffused pain in upper part of forehead, worse on right side; pain extends to base of brain, with soreness; shaking the head produces a feeling of looseness or quivering of the brain, followed by dizziness; rumbling of abdomen, with soreness on pressure; discharge of mucus from more and feeling of congestion as if it were about to bleed; dull, heavy, grinding pain in left eye; feeling of fulness nd pressure at epigastrium; empty eructations with slight taste of ingesta. 2nd day – Slept soundly without dreaming. Soon after waking at 7 a. m. and severe griping abdominal pains; thin brown diarrhoeic discharge, mixed with some mucus; anorexia, could eat but a few mouthfuls at breakfast, and could drink only a half – cup of coffee, which was vomited soon after. Griping pain continued at intervals, with general feeling of indifference and malaise; discharge of dry and bloody scales of mucus from noise. Hoarseness, with husky feeling in throat; obliged to clear the throat frequently. The hoarseness and obstruction of throat continued some day after other symptoms had subsided. (Ibid.)
4. Miss D -, aet. 26, black hair, active habit, good health. 1st day – Took 12 dr. of tinct. In 5 m. felt pressure in head, with fulness of veins. In 10 m. dull pain in right knee. In 15 m. pain in both elbows and back of head, with bewildered sensation; pain in lid of right eye. 30 m., sense of heat all through veins, with desire to be bled; flash of heat from head to foot. 1 hours, pain in ankle; flash of heat; pain in left heel; feeling of enlargement of throat; pain in right side of throat; dull pain in left elbow, passing to palm of hand, thence to shoulder; pain in left side; heavy feeling in top of head; pain in left leg between hip and knee, and in various other parts; feeling of numbness through whole of left side of body from head to foot, the division very perceptible in head, where it affected half the nose – this feeling last 2 or 3 m. 2 hours after, pain in left knee, very severe, lasting more than 1/2 hour; slight pain in left side, under scapula, and in left hip; pain in lower jaw; whole left arm and shoulder numb; pain in both feet, shooting up to knees. (Ibid.)
5. Mrs. H -, aet. 30 took 10 dr. tinct. at 6:20 p. m., pulse 80. Soon after, feeling of weakness and depression; weakness of lower limbs, with pain in knees. At 8:30 p. m. pulse 74, soft; slight nausea with sense of oppression at stomach. Nausea and pains in limbs increased, accompanied by frequent chills. 2nd day – In evening took 20 dr.; did not experience so much depression as before, but same amount of weakness of limbs and pain in knees; pain in left side; menses appeared next m., a week before usual time, attended by a good deal of pain. (Ibid.)
6. Mrs. J -, aet. 28, light complexion, sanguine temperament, good health. Took 20 dr. tinct. at 8 p. m. In 20 m. tightening of scalp and heavy pains in temples, with twitching in left knee and trembling in right 2nd day – Took 20 dr. at 11 a. m.; same sensations in head; did not notice lower limbs. 2 p. m., took 22 dr.; same headache, or severe pain and constriction. 3 p. m., took 25 dr.; increase of head trouble, and a quiet menstrual flow, being 2 day in advance of usual time. 8 p. m., took 20 dr.; some headache; all the system quiet, with an unnatural forcing of nature; went to sleep as usual, and awoke in dreadful distress and pain, baffling description; profuse flowing; pain (or agony) continued until noon of next day, when it gradually subsided. (Ibid.)
7. a. Myra de NORMANDIE, Oct. 19th, 1884, being in perfect health, at 7 p. m. took 20 dr. Immediately intense burning and stinging in oesophagus, with slight nausea. In 20 m. decided dyspnoea, with slightly increased action of heart. Slept as usual during n., but was waked at 4 a. m. by intense frontal headache. 20th. – Took 30 dr. Headache increased, of a burning, pressing nature, worse from moving head suddenly; extending into vertex and orbits, with feeling of heaviness in eyelids and bright spots before eyes. Dyspnoea again noticed, with feeling of heaviness in eyelids and bright spots before eyes. Dyspnoea again noticed, with occasional hot flushes over face and head. 12 m. – Headache intense; no appetite; face much flushed. Temperature and pulse normal. 4 p. m., pain and stiffness in nape of neck, somewhat relieved by hard pressure or throwing head back. 9 p. m., 60 dr. Dyspnoea again marked almost immediately on taking the drug, only lasting 8 or 10 m., during which time it was almost impossible to get a satisfactory inspiration. Noticed faintness at stomach, as if I had been factory inspiration. Noticed faintness at stomach, as if I had been fasting, but when food was brought cared to eat only a few mouthfuls, which nauseated me. 21st. – Had restless n., and although very sleepy, continually twisted and turned; when I did sleep dreamed of being chased, and when overtaken, about to be scalped; could not make a sound to call help. Woke at 5 a. m. Frontal headache, which had disappeared during evening, returned with increased violence. This, with a perfectly exhausted feeling as if I had no rest for a long time, made it an effort to dress, but afterwards I felt better, although I could ear but little breakfast, as even odour or sight of food nauseated me. 11 a. m., severe pain in region of heart, lasting but a moment, and recurring at irregular intervals of 5 m. – 1/2 hours, making me catch my breath, and turn pale even to lips; pain cutting in character, worse during inspiration, and passing directly through thorax in region of heart. This recurred 11 times; immediately after each attack very thirsty, flushed, and exhausted. Pulse irregularly intermittent and 72. Temp. normal. 4 p. m., taken suddenly with cramp – like pains in wrists and knees; wrists especially somewhat sensitive to touch; cramp and sharp pain soon settled down into steady ache like rheumatism. At same time deep dull boring pan in right hypochondriac region, which was quite severe, and only relief was from constant pressure and motion, as lying down or sitting aggravated. This lasted nearly 2 hours; and then gradually disappeared, while pain in knees and wrists persisted. Temp 98.4; pulse 82. During evening headache and pain in back of neck returned. Headache relieved by cool water, and in open air. 9, urgent call to stool; large movement of dark – brown, rather loose and offensive matter, causing much excoriation and pain. 10, 90 dr. Felt very sleepy, and went to bed immediately, but headache kept me awake for an hours, and on shutting eyes there appeared bright spots, star – shaped, dancing up and down. 1 a. m., startled out of deep sleep by severe pain in region of heart, and then violent action of heart set in; apex – beat to be felt and seen over large area, accompanied with suffocating feeling and almost inability to breathe. Had to sit up in bed, and turn first one way and then another, almost as in a severe case of asthma, even accompanied by several spasmodic coughing spells. This was repeated 3 times during n., and at one time (4 a. m.) I became almost unconscious from agitated tumultuous beating of heart. Temp. at this time 101; pulse 110. 22nd. – Slept hardly at all; felt weak and exhausted, and had almost constant hawking, without expectoration, sometimes arising from tickling in larynx, and again from sort of oppressed feeling in lungs. Headache also continued, frontal, extending into orbits; eye bloodshot, with red margins, and feeling as if full of sand. Very thirsty, but no appetite; craved coffee and lemonade. 9 a. m., temp, one degree below normal; pulse only 70. I had now taken drug 4 times, and in all 200 dr., and, being somewhat frightened at action on heart, decided to wait a week before continuing proving. Headache lasted 4 day, gradually decreasing; pain in back of neck lasted 3 day, although amounting only to stiffness last d. Cough lasted all the week, although, excepting this, I had not the slightest symptom of a cold; cough however, amounted only to a hack, with now and then – perhaps 3 times a day – a coughing spell, which I noticed came on only in open air; slight hoarseness wa also noticed at same time. Bowels regular, but rather loose, and stools caused some burning and pressure for an hours or two after. Otherwise was feeling as usual. On 5th day menses appeared, anticipating 8 d. Flow increased, bright red, and lasted 5 d. Dysmenorrhoea, with bearing – down feeling and pain in right ovarian region. Very nervous, easily startled, and hysterical.
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.