ON EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS, BY DR. RICHARD HUGHES CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS, BY DR. NOACK, Jr. DR. TRINKS ON THE NEW MATERIA MEDICA TREATMENT OF RHEUMATISM, EPILEPSY, AND FEVER, BY DR. J. R. RUSSELL 472 THE HOMEOPATHIC THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, BY E. E. MARCY, Esculus Hippocastanum in Hæmorrhoids, by Dr. R. Hughes, 485.-Broussais a Homœopathist, 486.-Hahnemann a Poet, 489.-On the use of Hot Water as a Remedy for Profuse Perspira- tion, by Robert Druitt, 490.-Coffee in Odontalgia, by E. M. Hale, 492.-Pterygium Crassum, cured by a Single Remedy in a High Potency, by Charles Dunham, 493.-Extraordinary case of Ovariotomy, by S. D. Jones, 497.-Destruction of Parasites, 501.-Homœopathy in India, 502.-Homœopathy in the French Senate, 509.-On the value of Chloroform in the treatment of Asthma, by Hyde Salter, 510.-On two new Specific Remedies for Gonorrhoea, by Thomas B. Henderson, 520.-Odium Medicum, 523.-Gout, 525.-Midland Homoeopathic Medical CONTENTS OF No. XCIV. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF HOMEOPATHY. PATHOGENETIC EFFECTS OF OPIUM. IN the Journal of the Austrian Homeopathic Society, Vol. i, p. 3, 1862, is a new proving of opium, conducted under the superintendence of Dr. Eidherr. The history of the symptoms observed day by day in each prover are minutely detailed, but our space will not allow us to reproduce these histories. We must, therefore, content ourselves with laying before the reader the gross results of all the provings as summed up at the end of the paper. Though Opium is one of the medicines of the first volume of Hahnemann's Pure Materia Medica,' it is one of the most imperfectly proved of the Hahnemannic medicines, and though the symptoms recorded by him are pretty numerous, amounting in all to 662, nearly four fifths of them are taken from the writings of various authors, and these sources are, in many cases, of indifferent purity, as shown by Dr. Langheinz in our last volume (p. 17 seq.). We are, therefore, much pleased that the proving labours of the Austrian Homœopathic Society should have been directed to the perfecting of our knowledge of the pathogenetic effects of this most important medicinal substance. Without further preface we proceed to transcribe the symptoms observed. VOL. XXIII, NO. XCI.-JANUARY, 1865. A Register of the Symptoms of Opium. Names of the Provers, and their abbreviations.—Alb, Ab.; Bresslauer, Br.; Duditsch, Dsch.; Eidherr, Er.; Freud, Fd. ; Jenitschek, Jen.; Jenitschek's son, Jen. s.; Schauer, Schr. ; Stern, Stn.; Szontagh, Szg.; Tedesco, Tco. All the above are medical men in the prime of life, except Duditsch, who is a medical student, and Jenitschek's son, a child of nine and a half years. Further abbreviations.-Dil., Dilution; Tr., Trituration; M. T., Mother Tincture; h., hour; s. hs., several hours; min., minute; w. t., with the; tkg., taking; aft., after; im., immediately; r., right; l., left. MIND. Every attempt to think continuously was unsuccessful. Er., h. aft. tkg. 1 dil. Nevertheless his mental powers were so dull, that he did not know what he was doing. Er., 35 min. aft. tkg. M. T. His memory had lost its clearness, he could not follow a continuous subject of thought. Er., 24 hs. aft. tkg. M. T. The mind, which was at first active, had become slightly exhausted. Er., 14 h. aft. tkg. M. T. He was overpowered by sadness, lack of thought, and inability to think, to such a degree that he felt unequal to any intellectual labour; and finally, general prostration. Schr., s. hs. aft. tkg. M. T. During his professional occupations, there occurred great forgetfulness, timidity, combined with a half-staggering excited state, so that he once ran in danger of being run over by a carriage. At another time he went right up to some horses that were coming along, and which he could have seen. Jen., s. hs. aft. tkg. 1 dil. A certain vehemence in doing his business, also his thoughts flowed more rapidly, but their quality was not altered. Szg., w. t. M. T. DISPOSITION.-Cheerful humour, and very acute hearing. Er., 25 min. aft. tkg. M. T. During the day he was very cheerful and good humoured. Jen., w. t. 1 dil. 10. Irritation.-Jen., 1 dil. Humour very bad. Jen., 1 dil. Lachrymose humour. Jen. S., M. T. Depressed spirits and indisposition to work. Schr., 8 hs. aft. tkg. M. T. Discomfort.-Stn., M. T. Slight uneasiness. Schr., hs. aft. tkg. M. T. HEAD. Confusion of head. Dsch., 10 min. aft. tkg. t. dil. The confusion of the head continues after eating, Dsch., 23 min. aft. tkg. t. dil. Confusion of the whole head. Br., 1 h. aft. tkg. t. dil. The head was confused on the 1. side; this confusion extends towards the r. temple, where it remains. Br.,h. aft. tkg. t. dil. 20. Confusion of head in r. frontal region, which is somewhat hot to the feel. Br., im. aft. tkg. t. dil. Intolerable confusion of head, especially in frontal region. Schr., 6 hs. aft. tkg. t. M. T. Confusion of head without pain. Stn., w. t. M. T. Confusion of head as after taking alcoholic drinks. Stn., 1 h. aft. tkg. t. M. T. Confusion of occiput coming on in the evening and lasting two hours. Stn., 10 min. aft. tkg. t. M. T. Some hours after dinner there occurred a certain dulness and confusion of the head, which soon changed into an aching sensation spreading forwards on the orbits and backwards to the nape. Tco., s. hs. aft. tkg. t. M. T. The head, especially in the frontal region, was much confused, with thickly furred tongue, insipid taste, redness of the conjunctiva palpebralis, increased secretion of tears, prostration and cross humonr. Jen., t. day aft. tkg. t. M. T. Slight confusion of head with vertigo on looking r. or l. (Looking straight before him and bending the heard forwards caused no vertigo.) Er., 25 min. aft. tkg. t. M. T. Heaviness of head, especially of the forehead. Er., 4 h. aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. Vertigo. Er., aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. 30. Fulness of head with singing in ears and throbbing in the blood-vessels of the head, perceptible to the hearing and touch. Jen., im. aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. The cigar to which he was accustomed, when he attempted to smoke it, caused vertigo, great nausea, inclination to vomit, cold sweat, which spread all over the body, and trembling of the limbs. A glass of water instantly removed this state of things. Er., 3 hs. aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. In the right frontal region aching stupefying pain. Dsch., 23 min. aft. tkg. t. dil. After dinner he felt unwell, then came on aching pains in the forehead and occiput, with confusion of the head, staggering feeling, alteration of the taste, disinclination for tobacco, increased flow of saliva, slight nausea, sensation of waterbrash, symptoms which lasted all the afternoon, and only gradually went off towards evening. Tco., s. hs. aft. tkg. t. 6 dil. An oppressive headache lasting several hours after smoking an Italian cigar to which he was unaccustomed. Tco., w. t. 6 dil. Aching pain in the forehead, that lasted several hours, but was followed by refreshing sleep. Tco., s. hs. aft. tkg. t. M. T. In the afternoon hours there occurred an aching, sometimes throbbing, headache, that went from behind forwards through the median line. Jen., w. t. M. T. Pressing sensation in the head. Er., 20 min. aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. The head is painful in the temples, in which he has the sensation as if it was compressed. Er., 24 hs. aft. tkg. t. M. T. In the head the feeling as if it were in a screw. Movement removes this sensation. Br.,h. aft. tkg. t. dil. 40. Intolerable headache; it was boring alternating with occasional shooting, and extended from the forehead to the vertex. Jen., 2 days aft. tkg. t. 1 dil. Very tiresome constant pain in the sagittal suture, something between boring and shooting. Schr., 6 hs. aft. tkg. t. M. T. |