By DR. Rocco Rubini, Naples.

This cactus is of great importance on account of its beauty, its great size, and the sweet perfume of its flowers. The flower appears to be inimical to light, so that it opens as the evening advances and in the course of the night withers, closes, and dies before dawn of day. In having hid it from the sun and from the sight of man nature seems to have indicated some peculiar qualities. In having acted, just as man himself does when he hides precious objects for fear of losing them, she seems as though she would say, that this plant was a precious treasure for man himself. Still no one in ancient or modern times, as far as I know, has ever thought of interrogating her, and pressing her as it were to reveal her secrets. This was reserved for Homoeopathy. She can boast of having succeeded in displaying the wonderful antiphlogistic virtues, and proposing to science another means of rapidly curing inflammatory diseases, without blood-letting. If my colleagues and brothers in Aesculapius, for whom I entertain the highest esteem, will give it a fair trial, they will certainly save those blood-lettings which have hitherto been deemed of such ordinary necessity, and they will not debilitate the systems of their unfortunate patients. In which case I shall esteem myself fortunate if I have contributed to the preservation of those vital forces which are so necessary to sick humanity for the organic reaction requisite to overcome disease. If my colleagues will make use of it, in order to obtain its full effects, they should take care that its action should not be interfered with, or indeed destroyed, by any other medicine. The preparation of this sovereign remedy is so simple, as I shall presently show, that any druggist and indeed any person may prepare it for himself, and have it ready for use and at the service of the doctor.

The characteristic feature of this Cactus consists in this, that while it develops its action specially in the heart and its, blood-vessels, dissipating their congestions and removing their irritations, it does not weaken the nervous system like Aconite. Hence it is preferable to the latter in all cases of inflammation, especially in patients of lymphatic and nervous temperaments.

The small pathogenesic which I subjoin, is but a tithe of what this medicine can produce in the healthy subject. My wife and I, when we saw that it acted so fearfully on the heart and circulating system as to produce weeping and fright (sym. 67,74), had not courage to push our experiments further and thereby endanger our lives. I trust that others, endowed with more courage and less timidity than we, may be able to complete and to correct the pathogenesis where I may have erroneously described the symptoms. Everyone is aware that repeated proofs are necessary, first on the healthy subject, afterwards on the sick, in order to acquire full conviction and certainty respecting the constant mode of action of any medicine.

This Cactus has cylindrical stems, furnished with five or six branches that are not very prominent, and beset with small spines arranged in a ray-like manner. Usually the flowers appear one by one, they are white, of considerable size, and of a very sweet odor of benzoic acid and vanilla. These flowers open in the morning and shut up at the rising of the sun and do not re-open. The fruit is of an oval shape, covered with scaly tubercles. fleshy, of an orange or fire red color, full of very small seeds, and of a slightly acid taste. In Naples it flowers in July, and though originally from Jamaica and the coasts of Mexico, it thrives well in the open air, in the mild climate of this enchanting country.

To prepare the tincture of Cactus, in the manner required by Homoeopathy for all fresh vegetable substances, the youngest and tenderest branches and the flowers should be gathered in July; they should be cut into very small pieces and put to macerate in rectified spirits of wine, so that there shall be one part of the plant to ten parts of alcohol. It should be allowed to stand in maceration for a month, occasionally shaking the bottle which should be well closed, the tincture when decanted is ready for use.

It acts efficaciously in the dose of mother tincture, but it also acts well in doses of the 6th, 30th and 100th dilution. I have not given higher than this in my practice; but I believe that in still higher dilutions it will not fail to prove itself an active and energetic remedy. The herpetic eruption which it caused in the last days of its action (sym. 173 to 176) in a healthy man who never was affected with a similar rash, makes me think that it is a most powerful antipsoric medicine. Its action lasts 50 days and longer. Antidotes - Aconite, Camphor, China.

Clinical Observation. - It is a specific remedy for diseases of the heart, in which it acts quickly. In such diseases therefore it must be regarded as a sovereign remedy, to which none other is comparable. In organic diseases of the heart the dose of from 1 to 10 drops of the mother tincture mixed with a little water and taken at intervals during the day rapidly relieves the most severe sufferings even if it does not cure them permanently. In the severe acute affections of this organ the same dose cures them quickly without the aid of any other remedy. In nervous diseases of the heart, globules of the 6th, 30th and 100th dilutions are specially efficacious. It may be used with reliance in the following diseases:

Sanguineous congestions in plethoric individuals; the injurious consequences of catching cold, from suppressed perspiration or from a draught of air; various kinds of inflammation; rheumatic inflammation with swelling of the parts and pain; catarrhal fevers; simple rheumatic fevers; inflammatory fevers; gastric fevers; cerebral congestions; headache from sanguineous congestion, or rheumatic pulsating aching pain in the head; tensive pain in the vertex; sanguineous apoplexy; profuse epistaxis; dry or fluent coryza; acute rheumatic ophthalmia; rheumatic otitis; rheumatism of the heart; rheumatism of the chest; stenocardia; hypertrophy of the heart; aneurism of the heart and of the large arteries; acute and chronic carditis; organic and nervous palpitation of the heart; hepatization of the lungs; sanguineous congestions of the chest; bronchitis; pleuritis; peripneumonia; hemoptysis; pnenmorrhagia; congestive asthma; chronic oppression of the breathing; catarrhal cough; pulmonary tuberculosis in the first stage; nausea; anorexia; hematemesis; hepatitis; hemorrhoidal constipation; fluent hemorrhoids; painful menstruations; hematuria; strangury; paralysis of the bladder; dry scaly herpes on the ankles and elbows.

Note by Dr. J. R. Russell. - - So small a number of the multitude of medicines fulfill the expectations raised by the terms employed by those who introduce them to our notice, that busy practitioners may well be pardoned if they inquire somewhat suspiciously for the credentials of any new candidate for their attention; and as the name of Dr. Rubini may probably not be familiar to most of the readers of this Journal, some account of the way in which this proving of Cactus came over to us may satisfy the legitimate curiosity of our colleagues, and perhaps induce them to receive the new comer with more cordiality than if he presented himself as a stranger without any introduction. About two years and a half ago I was consulted by a patient, of whose case the following account may enable the reader to form an opinion: - Between twenty and thirty years of age, tall, slender and active; remarkable for intellectual endowment and culture; very clear, exact and truthful in her description both of her own feelings and of what she observed. As a girl she had suffered from attacks of acute rheumatism, which, however, did not prevent her taking much severe exercise both on foot and horseback after they were past. Some four years ago after stooping while packing, she became suddenly affected with pain in the lumbar region; and she suffered excruciating agony (no other words are strong enough to express her sufferings,) for two days at the beginning of the menstrual period. The action of the heart was very peculiar; it beat with great force and irregularity. There was no displacement nor valvular disease. She described it as if grasped with an iron hand. The palpitation was excited by any strong mental emotion or bodily exertion. It affected both the lungs and head, producing dyspnea and violent throbbing head-ache. My impression is that she must have had pericarditis with the rheumatism, and that the heart must have been bound by bands of lymph, hence that concentric hypertrophy of the ventricles ensued. She was under my care, latterly assisted by Mr. Leadam, who found ulceration of the os and congestion of the cervix uteri, for about two years and a half - partly in this country where I visited her, partly in Italy where I sent her medicines. Although somewhat relieved chiefly by Belladonna and Naja, she derived no permanent good from the medicines I administered or the local treatment adopted by Mr. Leadam; on the contrary the last winter spent at Rome was by much the worst. She was confined constantly to the house, and was almost never free from pain; she wasted and her friends were apprehensive of her vital powers sinking under her long sufferings. The following extracts from the letters of this patient will put the reader in possession of all the knowledge I have of this matter, and I can answer for all that comes from her pen being absolutely trustworthy, if within the sphere of her own consciousness or personal observation.

“17th July, 1864.

“When I sent you from Naples the pamphlets of Dr. Rubini about the new medicine, the Cactus grandiflorus, I had not time to tell you what I knew of Dr. R. and his experiments. During the winter at Rome I had several times heard him spoken of and of the wonderful power of the new medicine. An English lady who left Rome suffering from bronchitis and all affection of the heart of long standing, derived so much benefit from it, that she could not praise it enough, and carried home a large supply with her. Dr. Rubini is a man past middle life, and has been ever since 1848 occupied in observing the effect of this medicine. In his pamphlet he speaks very modestly of his experiments on himself; but the fact is that he has suffered most severely in health from his perseverance in the cause of science. He holds quite the first place as homoeopathic physician in Naples, and having private means has been able to do much good, which otherwise would not have been in his power. It was he who immediately, on the change of government, took advantage of the newly acquired liberty to found the Homoeopathic Hospital, which had not been permitted under the Bourbons. His well-known liberal principles of course had kept him in bad odor, and every project of his was immediately quashed by the government. With regard to myself I have told you so often how horribly I have suffered that there is no need to repeat that, but I can say with a real satisfaction that the last time has been quite bearable; that I have faith when Dr. Rubini says that in a few months the pain will not return at all. I no longer look forward with dismay to certain days, and I have a hope that I may even get strong when this great suffering is so calm that I do not constantly lose the little strength I may have regained in the interval. Besides this, it certainly has done my heart and chest good.”

Although there is more promise than fulfillment in this statement, yet to one acquainted with the case - the severest of the kind and least amenable to treatment I ever saw — even this amount of improvement is a great achievement for any medicine to have effected.

It remains only to say that the translation of the pamphlet having been made by Dr. Dudgeon is a sufficient authentication of its accuracy-and that the supply of the Cactus sent me by Dr. Rubini is in the hands of Leath and Ross, Homoeopathic Chemists, who have made all the usual preparations of it. J. R. R.

Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Employment :

1. Vertigo from sanguineous congestion to the head; after ten days.
2. Discoloration of the face and emaciation; first six days.
3. Face inflamed and red, with pulsating pains in the head; the twelfth day.
4. Great heat in the head and inflamed face, as if he had stood before a strong fire, which causes madness and horrible suffocation; the first day.
5. Feeling of emptiness in the head; second day.
6.Very great and intolerable pain in the head, from congestion to the head; fourth day.
7. Heavy pain in the head as if a great weight lay on the vertex.
8. Pain in the head with general prostration and weariness.
9. Excessive pain in the head which causes such a sense of suffocation he cannot rest in bed; first day.
10. Pulsating pain with feeling of weight in the right side of the head, lasting day and night, so severe as to make him cry out; after four days.
11. Most severe pain in the right side of the head, which increases to such a degree as to lift the head from the pillow, for many successive days; after three days.
12. Violent pain in the right half of the head, increased by the sound of talking, and by strong light; in the first five days.
13. Tensive pain in the vertex which returns every two days; in the first twenty days.
14. Heavy pain like a weight on the vertex, diminished by pressure.
15. Sensation of weight on the vertex, with dull pain increased by the sound of talking or any other noise.
16. Heavy pain in the forehead lasting day and night for two successive days.
17. Heavy pain in the forehead increased by strong light and by the sound of loud voices or noises.
18. Pulsating pain in the temples, getting intolerable at night; second day.
19. Sensation of great weight in the right temple and right eyebrow, diminished by pressure.
20. Constant and tiresome pulsation in the temples and ears, which gives much annoyance and causes hypochondriasis; the first eight days.
21. Such violent pulsation in the temples, it seems as though the skull would burst; first day.
22. Pain and drawing in the occiput, increased by moving the head.
23. Painful drawing in the aponeurotic covering of the occiput, relieved by bending the head backwards.
24. Momentary dazzling of the sight; first day.
25. Dazzling of vision; then appear before the eyes circles of red light which obscure the sight; sixth day.
26. Dimness of sight, at a few paces distance he cannot recognize his friends.
27. At a short distance he cannot recognize anyone, not even friends.
28. Weakness of sight for many successive days, objects appear as if clouded; the first four day.
29. Weakness of vision periodically recurring, objects appear to be obscured.
30. Rheumatic ophthalmia, produced by cold air, which soon goes off.
31. Troublesome dry coryza; at night he must breathe with his mouth open.
32. Fluent and very acrid coryza which irritates the nostrils.
33. Profuse epistaxis, which soon goes off.
34. Pulsation in the ears, constant day and night; the first six days.
35. Noise in the ears like the rushing of a river lasting all night; first day.
36. Hearing diminished by noises in the ears; one must talk in a loud voice to make him hear; first day.
37. Very painful otitis, from checked perspiration, which gets well in four days.
38. Sleeplessness at night, without apparent cause; first night.
39. Sleeplessness at night from arterial pulsation in the scrobiculus and in the right ear; second night.
40. Sleeplessness for forty-eight hours with pulsation in both ears; third day.
41. He cannot sleep in the early part of the night, and when he then falls asleep he wakes suddenly; first eight days.
42. Interrupted sleep at night; the next morning he feels weary as if he had not slept at all; twentieth day.
43. Talking nonsense while at sleep at night, on awaking he talks unconnectedly; tenth day.
44. Slight delirium at night; on rousing up the delirium ceases a while, but recommences as soon as he falls asleep again; seventh day.
45. Hypochondriasis and insuperable sadness; first six days.
46. Unusual melancholy for which he cannot account; first four days.
47. Profound hypochondriasis, is unwilling to speak a word; fourth day.
48. Continual taciturnity, he will not answer though repeatedly spoken to; third day;
49. Sadness, taciturnity and irresistible inclination to weep; the first six days.
50. Fear of death extreme and lasting; he believes his disease to be incurable; seventh day.
51. Love of solitude, he always avoids those about him who try to comfort him; ninth day.
52. Extraordinary irritability, the smallest contrariety puts him in a passion; fifteenth day.
53. Feeling of constriction of the throat which prevents free speech, and on forcing himself to speak, the voice is low and hoarse; tenth day.
54. Constriction in the upper part of the chest which hinders respiration; the first fifteen days.
55. Sensation of great constriction in the middle of the sternum, as if a hoop of iron constricted the part; this feeling produces oppression of the respiration, aggravated by motion; the first ten days. * [corrected according to Dr. Lippe's translation, see his notes below]
56. Sensation of constriction of the chest as if bound; fourth day.
57. Sensation of painful constriction in the lower part of the chest, as if a cord were tightly tied round the false ribs, with obstruction of the breathing; sixth day.
58. Sensation in the chest as if someone were pressing and holding it tightly, under the delusion that this was the case he cried out, ” Leave me alone;“ third day.
59. Sensation of great constriction in the shoulders so that he could not move; fifth day.
60. Sharp wandering pains in the thoracic cavity, very annoying, especially in the scapular region; first fifteen days.
61. Painful drawings in the muscles of the left side of the chest, which extend to the shoulder joint and impede respiration and the free motion of the arm.
62. Pain in the left breast which is increased by touching and relieved by gently raising it; the first twelve days.
63. Sensation of very annoying movement from before backwards in the cardiac region, as if a reptile were moving about in the interior, worse by day than by night; the first ten days.
64. Sensation of constriction in the heart, as if an iron hand prevented its ordinary movements; the first ten days.
65. Heavy dull pains in the region of the heart, increased on pressure; second day.
66. Acute pain in the heart, impeding respiration and motion of the body; fourth day.
67. Most acute pain, and such painful stitches in the heart as to cause him to weep and cry out loudly, with obstruction of the respiration; the first eight days.
68. Oppression in the left subclavian region, as if a great weight prevented the free dilation of the thorax; 4th day.
69. Prolonged oppression of the respiration with great anxiety; the first eight days.
70. Oppression of the chest with loss of breath; first four days.
71. Oppression of the breathing, as if a great weight on the chest, third day.
72. Chronic oppression of the breathing increased in the open air, and soon goes off again.
73. Difficulty of breathing, constant oppression and anxiety, as if the chest were constricted with an iron hoop, and could not dilate itself for normal respiration; the first eight days.
74. Periodical attacks of suffocation with faintness, cold sweats on the face and loss of pulse; the first eight days.
75. Anxiety recurring in the evening; the first fifteen days.
76. Congestive asthma, quickly going off.
77. Palpitation of the heart, constant day and night, worse when walking and at night when lying on the left side; the first six days.
78. Nervous palpitation of the heart much augmented on the occurrence of the menses.
79. Nervous palpitation of the heart produced by mental exertion is immediately claimed.
80. Nervous palpitation of the heart existing for several years, in consequence of an unfortunate love affair, is rapidly relieved.
81. Chronic palpitation of the heart in a youth of 12, which for years had resisted all the appliances of art was almost completely cured.
82. Acute carditis, with slight cyanosis of the face, oppression of the breathing, dry cough, sharp pain at the heart, impossibility of lying on the left side, pulse throbbing, quick, tense and hard, these symptoms were removed in four days.
83. Chronic carditis, edematous and cyanotic face, suffocating respiration, constant dull pain at the heart, hydro pericardium, hydrothorax, ascites, edema of the hands, the legs and the feet, impossibility of lying in bed, of speaking or oven of drinking, hands and feet cold, pulse intermitting, cured in fifteen days.
84. Rheumatic carditis, with dry convulsive cough, which is cured in four days.
85. Hypertrophy of the heart that had lasted three years; the patient is pulseless, extremely prostrated, short-breathed, cannot lie down, cannot speak, has had no sleep for fifteen days, weak, dull, feet edematous; he soon gets relief, lies down and sleeps quietly twelve hours.
86. Sanguineous congestion in the chest, which prevents him lying down in bed; third day.
87. Bronchitis rapidly cured.
88. Chronic bronchitis with mucous rattle, which, getting acute in consequence of a chill, causes great anxiety and suffocation; it is rapidly relieved and the acute stage soon passes off.
89. Chronic bronchitis of many years duration, with mucous rattle, lasting day and night, with short breath ongoing upstairs, and impossibility of lying horizontally in bed, which is rapidly cured.
90. Many pleurisies which are all cured in from two to four days.
91. Hepatization of the lungs which is resolved in a few days.
92. Most severe peripneumonia, with great oppression of the respiration, acute stitching pain, intense cough, sanguinolent sputa, hard, thrilling pulse of 120, which is cured in four days.
93. Hemoptysis soon ceases.
94. Frightful pneumorrhagia, which is arrested and stops entirely in a few hours.
95. Pneumorrhagia, which occurs every four, six, seven or eight hours, accompanied with convulsive cough, and causing the loss of two or three pounds of blood, is soon diminished and ceases entirely in four days.
96. Obstinate stertorous cough, worst at night.
97. Catarrhal cough with much viscid expectoration.
98. Convulsive cough with copious mucous expectoration.
99. Cough with thick expectoration like boiled starch and very yellow.
100. Dry cough from pricking in the throat; the first fifteen days.
101. Dry cough from itching in the larynx; first night.
102. Constriction in the esophagus, which prevents swallowing; he must drink a large quantity of water to get it down into the stomach; sixth day.
103. Constriction in the throat, which causes him to swallow his saliva frequently; eighth day.
104. Fetid breath in the morning; third day.
105. Nausea in the morning, and all day long; seventh day.
106. Acrid acid in the stomach, which comes up into the throat and month and makes everything taste acid that he eats; fourth day.
107. Sensation of great burning in the stomach; first five days.
108. Great thirst which causes him to drink much water; first day.
109. Sensation of great constriction in the scrobiculus, which extending to the hypochondria, constricts them and impedes respiration; fourth day.
110. Strong pulsation in the scrobiculus; first eight days.
111. Constant and annoying pulsation in the stomach.
112. Very troublesome pulsation of the coeliac artery after dinner, which lasts three hours, and corresponds with the pulsation of the right temporal artery.
113. Heavy feeling in the stomach.
114. Sensation of a great weight on the stomach which lasts many days; first eight days.
115. Sensation of weight in the stomach which soon goes off, but recurs every time the medicine is taken; first fifteen days.
116. Oppression and weight in the stomach; fourth day.
117. Want of appetite and loss of the taste of food, which goes off after some hours; second day.
118. Complete loss of appetite, he cannot take the least morsel of food; third day.
119. Loss of appetite and nausea for many days, it is only by an effort that he can swallow a few mouthfuls; the first fourteen days.
120. Great appetite, but weak and slow digestion; twentieth day.
121. Very slow digestion, even after eight or ten hours the taste of the food rises up in the throat.
122. Bad digestion, all food causes weight in the stomach, and so much suffering that he prefers to remain without eating.
123. Copious vomiting of blood.
124. Very severe gastro-enteritis, cured in five days.
125. Severe hepatitis, cured in two days.
126. Chronic hepatitis and hepatic engorgement, speedily cured.
127. Borborygmus in the bowels, preceding the alvine evacuation.
128. Distressing sensation in the bowels which annoys him much, as if a serpent were twisting about inside of him; fourth day.
129. Very violent pains in the bowels almost causing him to faint, which last more or less all day; seventh day.
130. Wandering pains in the umbilical region, which cease and recur periodically; fifth day.
131. Insupportable heat in the abdomen, as though something burnt him internally; after, two days.
132. The abdominal parieties when touched with the hand feel burning and are much hotter than the other parts of the body; third day.
133. Constipation the first six days.
134. Constipation as it from hemorrhoidal congestion, .
135. Evacuation of hard black feces immediately after taking the remedy in a man who had been constipated for two days; the following day bilious evacuations; first day.
136. Bilious diarrhea with four or five evacuations in the day, always preceded by pain; third day.
137. Bilious diarrhea, with pain in the abdomen, eight evacuations in one day; third day.
138. Diarrhea in the morning of very loose feces, preceded by great pain, eight motions from six to twelve, a. m.; no motions in the afternoon; seventh day.
139. Watery diarrhea, very abundant each time, the motions in the morning always preceded by pains and borborygmus; ninth day.
140. Mucous diarrhea preceded by drawing pains, three motions in the day; twelfth day.
141. Sensation of great weight in the anus and desire to evacuate, however nothing passes; fifteenth day.
142. Swollen varices outside the anus which cause much pain.
143. Great itching in the anus which causes him to smart often.
144. Pricks in the anus as with sharp pins, which cease on rubbing.
145. Copious hemorrhage from the anus which soon ceases.
146. Constriction in the neck of the bladder, which at first prevents the passage of the urine, but when he strains much he succeeds in urinating as usual; tenth day.
147. Great desire to pass water, and though he passes a long time trying to do it he cannot pass a drop; first day.
148. Desire to make water, and after having in vain tried to do so for a long while, he at lasts succeeds in passing water abundantly; first day.
149. Insupportable irritation in the urethra as if he should make water constantly.
150. Frequent desire to make water with a large flow of urine each time, at night; the first six days.
151. Heat in the urethra, which increases gradually and becomes insupportable; fifth day.
152. Urine passed by drops with much heat; fourth day.
153. Involuntary escape of urine in bed, whilst asleep at five, a. m.; first night.
154. Urine much more copious than usual; first four days. * [corrected according to Dr. Lippe's translation, see his notes below]
155. Very copious urine of a straw-color; first day.
156. Urine very much increased, he must pass water very frequently, and each time he discharges a great quantity.
157. Urine reddish, turbid, very abundant.
158. Urine on cooling, deposits red sand.
159. Frightful hematuria from hemorrhoidal congestion in the bladder, retention of urine, paralysis of the bladder; the catheter with difficulty breaks through the sanguineous clots which with difficulty pass into the catheter in order to escape with the urine; the patient who for forty-seven days had in vain tried all other remedies, was cured completely in a few days.
160. Sensation of painful constriction in the groins, extending round the pelvis .
161. Painful sensation of constriction in the uterine region, which gradually rises upwards, and in a quarter of an hour reaches the stomach and causes the sensation of a great blow in the back that makes her call out, after which it rapidly goes off; first day after taking a globule of the 100th.
162. Pain in the uterus and its ligaments, recurring every evening, and increasing gradually till eleven. p.m., when it is worst; it then ceases until the following evening, for many successive days; after fourteen days.
163. Pulsating pain in the uterus and ovarian regions, like an internal tumor suppurating; the pain extends to the thighs and becomes unsupportable; it then ceases completely and occurs at the same time the next day and so on for many successive days; after fifteen days.
164. Very painful menstruation accompanied by great prostration of strength so that she must remain in bed three days; after eight days.
165. Menstruation with most horrible pains causing her to cry out and weep; fifth day.
166. Menstruation which was usually preceded by pretty strong pains comes this time without any pain and very copiously.
167. Menstruation eight days too soon in a woman it was usually seven days too late; third day.
168. Menstruation scanty, which stops when she lies down.
169. Menstruation of black pitchy blood, rather copious.
170. Labor suppressed for ten days, recommences the first day after the administration of the remedy.
171. Formication and weight in the arms which cannot be raised freely, worst in the left arm.
172. Edema of the hands, worst in the left.
173. Dry scaly herpes at the outside of the right elbow, without itching, of about an inch and a half in breadth; after thirty days.
174. A similar dry scaly herpetic eruption at the outside of left elbow; after forty-eight hours.
175. Dry scaly herpes, two inches broad, on the left internal malleolus, without itching after twenty-four days.
176. A similar dry scaly herpes on the right internal malleolus; after thirty-eight days.
177. Great itching in the ankles; twentieth day.
178. Very violent itching, causing him to scratch, on the lower part of the tibia; after twenty-one days.
179. Edema of the legs up to the knees; the skin is shining, and pressure with the finger leaves a depression for a long time.
180. Edema of the feet up to the inferior third of the legs, which soon goes off.
181. He cannot rest still when sitting, he most throw his legs about hither and thither involuntarily.
182. General weakness with sadness and bad humor.
183. General weakness so that he cannot venture to speak.
184. Weakness so great that he cannot venture to do anything, not even to walk &cross the room.
185. Great weakness for many successive days, he cannot venture to walk at all.
186. Great corporeal depression, he cannot trust himself to stand.
187. Great prostration of forces, so that he must remain in bed, not feeling able to use his legs.
188. General malaise, and such weakness as to be unable to rise from the seat.
189. Depression and languor all day.
190. Great coldness at night which lasts half an hour; first day.
191. Slight rigor towards ten, p. m.; first day.
192. Slight coldness which passes off quickly towards two p.m.; first day.
193. General rigor so severe as to make the teeth chatter which lasts three hours and does not go off although he lies down and covers himself over with many blankets; first day.
194. Burning heat which causes suffocation and restlessness, so that he cannot remain quiet in bed; this heat succeeds to the rigor of three hours duration, and lass twenty hours; first day.
195. Burning heat in the course of the night with great pain in the head, great dyspnea, and inability to remain lying; first day.
196. Copious sweat, which follows the hot stage; first day.
197. Slight fever with pain in the head, which develops itself after a very short rigor; it lasts but a short time and terminates with a slight sweat at four, p. m.: first day.
198. Quotidian intermittent fever, which recurs every day at the same hour for many successive days. At one, p. m. slight rigor, then burning heat, dyspnea and great pulsating pains in the uterine region, terminating in slight sweat. From eleven, p. m. till twelve, a. m. the next day, complete apyrexia; after thirteen days.
199. Quotidian intermittent fever not subdued by Sulphate of Quinine, is immediately checked. At eleven, a. m. some rigor for two hours, then burning heat with great dyspnea, thirst, extreme pain in the head, coma, stupefaction, insensibility till twelve, midnight; terminating in inextinguishable thirst, and very copious sweat. At four, a. m. of the following day complete apyrexia and feeling of perfect state of health which lasts seven hours. Then at eleven, a. m. the paroxysm returns and it recurs constantly for five successive days, unmodified by the Quinine.
200. Pulse completely lost for several days in a man affected with chronic hypertrophy of the heart; immediately after taking the remedy the pulsation returns with an irregular rhythm and intermitting as before. - British Journal of Homoeopathy.

In numbers eight and nine of the current Volume of the Review we republished from the British Journal of Homoeopathy, Dr. Dudgeon's translation of Rubini's proving of Cactus Grandiflorus.

We had not then been able to procure a copy of the original Italian publication whereby to satisfy ourselves of the correctness of Dr. Dudgeon's translation. Nor indeed did this seem to us a necessary precaution. Dr. Dudgeon's high reputation for exact and elegant scholarship we thought a sufficient guarantee of the faithfulness of this piece of work.

But while the last sheets of our republication were still in press, we were informed by a colleague in Philadelphia that he had in his possession a copy of Rubini's original pamphlet, an examination of which had revealed to him the fact that Dr. Dudgeon's translation contained defects and errors. We arrested our press and earnestly besought the loan, for a few hours, of the original Italian pamphlet of Rubini, or at least an indication of the nature and extent of the defects and errors. Our wishes were not gratified. The publication of the Review could not be longer delayed, and thus we were constrained to lay before our readers a translation that had been objected to as imperfect, without having had an opportunity to estimate the validity of the objection.

We now hasten to call attention to a publication which is a retranslation, by Dr. Lippe, from the original pamphlet of Dr. Rubini. It claims to correct the errors and to supply the deficiences of Dr. Dudgeon's translation.

We give the Preface of Dr. Lippe, and his translation of the Notes, which Dr. Dudgeon omitted. The title is as follows:

Cactus Grandiflorus: Translated from the original by Dr. A. Lippe, professor of Materia Medica at the Homoeopathic College of Pennsylvania. With a Preface and Notes, and the notes or Dr. Russell. Preface by the Translator. - “By comparing the original Pathogenesis of the Cactus Grandiflorus with the translations into the English language, by Dr. Dudgeon as published in the 'British Journal or Homoeopathy,' No. XC. October 1st, 1864, and from it, again, into the German language, by Dr. C. Meyer, as published in the 'Allgemeine Homoeopathische Zeitung,' Vol. lxix, Nos. 18-23, it appears that liberties have been taken by the translator which are not admissible.

“That Dr. Meyer translated from Dr. Dudgeon is very evident, although, at first, the additional headings in the German translation might deceive one into the belief that the translation is an original production. Dr. Meyer has omitted, as well as Dr. Dudgeon, the Symptom 137; he has with Dudgeon, in Symptom 139, the ten passages; and, with Dudgeon, omitted all the foot notes in the introduction. Symptom 55, Drs. Meyer and Dudgeon have it, 'the 15th day,' While it is 'the 10th day,' etc. The notes left out stamp Dr. Rubini to be a true Hahnemannian; by omitting them, he may be claimed by the 'other side.' Again, this imperfect translation is republished, in good faith, in the American Homoeopathic Review, and the errors are in this manner perpetuated. It is assuredly an error if, in all these translations and republications, as in Symptom 154, when 'piu' is rendered with 'less', while it means 'much more.' In the homoeopathic literature, and especially in the Materia Medica, such liberties have been so often taken, that, in order to keep our records pure and unadulterated, it has been absolutely necessary to call the attention of the profession to all these facts. To accomplish this more efficiently, the work in question has been fully and carefully re-translated, and, as far as practicable, the exact meaning, sense and spirit of the author have been rendered literally. The neglect of exposing and correcting errors, of reviewing deficient works and of allowing falsehoods to go uncontradicted and uncorrected, has brought our literature into a deplorable condition. The evidence of this assertion becomes apparent when we see that 'The Hahnemannian Materia Medica,' of which only one number was published, containing the 'Caricatures of Kali bichr., Aconite and Arsenic' is now claimed as an 'authority;' and this because, since 1852, when it was published, no adverse reviews have appeared.

“It is to be hoped that, should further translations be rendered, more attention will be paid to giving them not only correctly, but full and entire, as a translator has no right to omit anything, not one word, not even a syllable, from the original, whatever may be his own personal views. He does not endorse the author, but translates his work. If, by omissions, he places the author in a false light, and leaves him without means of redress, or should he, by mistranslations, lead the profession into forming erroneous ideas of the effects of the drugs, this wrong can only be amended by placing before the Faculty a correct literal translation, and this is hereby done.

“A. Lippe”

[Rubini's Notes omitted by Dudgeon.]

Foot note page 9. - “The Cactus family being very numerous, great attention must be paid, in order to avoid mistaking one for the other, when it is the intention to prepare the true remedy, which I, myself, have obtained. Every individual possesses an innate virtue proper to himself; and, the generical action not existing in vegetable substances, it is impossible to replace, with impunity, one plant by another. Hence, the real Cactus Grandiflorus, of which I have noted expressly the characteristics, is the only one to select.

“Of this great truth Haller himself reminds us, by the words: ”Latet immense virium diversitas in iis ipsis plantis quarum facies externas dudum novimus, animas quasi, et quodcumque coelestius habent, nondum perspeximus”

Foot note page 11. - “Here it is necessary to remark how impossible it is to state precisely the dose of a medicine. It is always left to the judgment of the attendant physician to proportion, at the bedside of the patient, the strength of the medicine to that of the illness. It is, also, important to notify, that too strong a dose can, instead of ameliorating the illness, produce irritation or aggravation. And this might be made still more serious, if the doses, also, were repeated daily. The patient then would become discouraged, and would fall into the great error of believing that the remedy was not suitable, or that his organism was unable to bear it. These erroneous and false conceptions are very frequent, and so firmly established, that the physician is, at times, forced by the patient himself, to change the prescription. This change itself would be an error in practice, and perhaps there can be no greater. When, from the beginning of the action of a remedy, the patient seems to grow worse, it indicates already that its action is directly developed on the morbid centre, and that, corresponding exactly in its nature, it takes the most proper means of destroying the disease promptly. Under these circumstances, any change is dangerous. Hence it is proper to rest for a few days; to wait for the reaction of the organism, and to diminish the dose. Hahnemann in the beginning, used the mother tinctures, ( Etudes de Medicine Homoeopatique - Paris, 1855, p. 595;) but afterwards, having learned from facts, he cured with the 100th, later with the 10,000th, then the 1,000,000th, and finally the 10,000,000th part of a drop, and then he saw no more irritation or aggravations. To obtain these fractions he dissolved one drop of the mother tincture in 100 drops of very rectified spirits of wine. Of this first dilution he put one drop in one hundred more of spirits of wine; and of this second dilution he took another drop, adding it to one hundred more of the above said rectified spirits of wine; he obtained thus three bottles, of the first three attenuations; and each of these he shook with his arms one hundred times, beating one hand against the other, this dynamization producing a perfect mixture of the fluids, and the development of that medicinal power not understood by us, but possessed by all substances in nature. Of one of these dilutions, or of higher ones, always prepared in the same manner, use should be made in case of irritations or aggravations, and the remedy should never be changed.”

Note by the Translator. - “The allopathic school has applied the milky juice, which is acrid, but without smell, for the same purposes as the leaves of the Cactus opuntia, Linn.: as poultices for gouty, and other painful conditions, for inflammation of internal organs, also for corns. Paulle, Journ. de Med. 177, LI, 9, 321. Cleghorn, Diseases of Minorea pp. 268 279. n. Papen at Pyrmont, Hannov. Mag. 1790, p.1433. Wilh. Heinr. Brennecke, Hufel Journ., 1807, xxvi, 4, 136. It is stated that the Cactus Grandiflorus causes on the skin excoriations and pustules. It has been administered in doses, from two to ten grains, as an anthelminticum. If the juice be dried, then burned, the fumes will cause sneezing, coughing, inflammation of the nostrils, and even hemoptysis. It is also reported to have cured dropsies.

“The few symptoms we now possess of this new remedy, show clearly that another great curative means is added to our increasing Materia Medica. In some particulars it is similar to various remedies; while many of its great characteristic symptoms stand alone, or almost so.

“The congestions to the head are similar to those of Bellad. and Glonoine. The weight on the vertex is similar to Aloe and Alumina. Like Belladonna, it affects more the right side of the head. The sleeplessness at night is like Sulphur. The mental symptoms like those of Lachesis.

“The constrictions in so many parts of the body are similar to those or Belladonna, Stramonium and Alumina. The constriction in middle or the sternum like that which we find under Bovista. The constriction about the heart is similar to that of Lachesis. The effect on the heart is, in many respects, similar to that or Crotalus, Lachesis, Spigelia and Kalmia. The edema of the hands in chronic carditis, especially that of the left hand, is under no other remedy, and is a very weighty symptom. The diarrhea seems to be worse in the morning; but, unlike Sulphur, is preceded by pain. Symptoms 141, 146, 147, 148, 149, are frequently the consequences of diseases of the prostate gland. The cessation or menstruation, when lying down, is similar to Causticum. The constriction in the uterine region is similar to Murex pur. The intermittent fever symptoms find a similarity under Arsenic, Bryonia, Calcarea, Lachesis, Pulsatilla, Rhus and Sulphur; but Arsenic has, as a difference; the recurrence of the paroxysms very rarely at the same hour.

“The direction (from one side to the other) in which the symptoms develop themselves, is only found under the skin symptoms, and under them they appear on the upper extremities, first on the right, and then extend to the left side; while on the lower extremities they appear at first on the left side, and then extend to the right side.

“The thanks of the profession are due to Dr. Russell, who first called the attention or the English-reading Homoeopathists to this valuable remedy. By this translation the Germans were also benefited; for they again, from Dr. Dudgeon's version or the original, re-produced it into the German language.”

Symptom 137, omitted by Dr. Dudgeon. - “Bilious diarrhea, with pain in the abdomen, eight evacuations in one day; third day.”

On comparing the respective translations by Drs. Dudgeon and Lippe with the original, we find that wherever Dr. Lippe affirms an error in the former, Dr. Lippe is correct and Dr. Dudgeon in fault, except in one single instance in which Dr. Lippe (p. 17) says, “Dr. Dudgeon writes 'fifteen days' when the original has it ten 'days.'” This is a mistake. Dr. Dudgeon's translation is ”eighteen days. “We feel justified in accounting for this, as for several other of Dudgeon's errors, by ascribing it to carelessness of the printer and proof-reader, Dudgeon probably used the Arabic numerals “10” and the printer read it “18.” It is none the less a blunder and likely to mislead the student. The same theory will explain the ridiculous error of seeming to translate ”qualche” by ”seven.” No doubt in the manuscript of Dudgeon it was ”some.”

But this theory will not account for the translation of “piu” by “less,” nor for the omission of symptom 137, nor for other errors to which Dr. Lippe refers.

The whole affair may serve to impress upon us again, the great importance of scrupulous attention to the translation and also to the printing of provings to the end that absolute accuracy may be ensured. We thank Dr. Lippe for correcting these errors.

As regards the merits of these two translations in other respects than those already considered, a fastidious scholar might easily find fault with them both. Both present a fair and intelligible rendering of the author's meaning in his Introduction, and therefore answer the purposes of a translation. Dr. Lippe evidently aims at literal accuracy, but we incline to regard Dr. Dudgeon's as perhaps the clearer and more satisfactory to the English reader. Perhaps this is because Dr. Dudgeon has over Dr. Lippe the advantage of that intimate knowledge of the English language which only a native Anglo-Saxon can possess, and in addition, an uncommon ease and sweetness of style. [EDS.

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