4b. May 24th, at 8 a. m. gtt 1/2 of Ittner’s acid in 3j water. Scraping, tension of chest, slight quickening and irregularity of heart, and shifting pressure in head, recurred. First and last continued till evening May 25th, at 8 a. m., 1 drop. Scraping worse, combined with shooting; relieved towards 11, but left feeling as if larynx were swollen, and thereby narrowed and pressing on neighboring parts; no dysphagia. Chest, heart, and head symptoms as before; thinking rather difficult, and unsolicited thoughts come into his mind. May 26th, 8 a. m., 2 drops. Scraping and shooting were accompanied with increased mucous to pain: after these had lasted an hour, rumbling in abdomen came on, then sudden pain in right renal region, extending to epigastrium, and thence all over abdomen, with sense of heat therein. Abdominal symptoms lasted an hour; with them, copious flow of saturated urine. Felt unwell generally; had several cold chills and shivering. At noon great drowsiness. Scraping lasted till bedtime, and pressure in head recurred here and throat the day. In evening weariness and bruised feeling of whole body. (Ibid.)
5. JORG took, May 31st, at 9 a. m., gtt. 1/2 of Vauquelin’s acid in 3j, without effect. At 3 p. m., gtt. j. Pressure in head after 1 hour like that of others, lasting off and on till evening. Between 5 and 6 shooting inside chest, at spot corresponding to left nipple. Drowsy next morning. June 1st, at 9 a. m., 2 drops. Constrictive sensation immediately at root of tongue, leading on to scraping, followed by much mucus all day. Shifting pressure in head in all day, from 1/2 hour after dose. Little appetite for noonday meal, mouth dry before and after it. From 2 p. m. gloominess and ill-humour, going off in open air at 8. From 10 a. m. till 8 p. m., pulse 5 or 6 beats slower than ordinary. Slight shooting at lower sternum for 5 minutes, 3-4 p. m. At 7, while driving in a stringless carriage which shook him much, slight rigor and mist before eyes. This lasted only a few m., but he felt as if exhausted from prolonged brain exertion. This went gradually off, but frequent attacks of chilliness supervened, removed only by walking briskly. On 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, felt not as strong and well as usual, irritable, and indisposed to mental work and had several attacks of shooting headache, at various spots, lasting 1/2 hour to 1 hour. (Ibid.)
6. COULLON took, by degrees, 20,30,50,60,80, and 86 drops of tolerably concentrated acid diluted with same quantity of water. After first-named doses perceived nothing unusual; after latter salivation commenced at once, and lasted several m., with two or three feeble attempts to vomit. Pulse, previously 57, rose to 77; after an hour as before. For several m. head felt confused, and a slight pain under skin of occiput lasted more than 6 hours. He had also praecordial anxiety alternating with slight throbbing pain in part, not increased by pressure. (Researches, 1819, pp. 127, 193.)
7. PREYER, during his experiments with h. acid from 1867 to 1869, became very sensitive to it, and a single olfaction of very dilute gas produced intense scraping in soft palate, frequent headaches lasting for hours, feeling of fulness in head, and -on repeated smelling- undefinable pains in chest with constriction and great lassitude. (Die Blausaure, 1870) 8. ITTNER (1809), after breathing h. acid, noticed transient confusion and slight giddiness. the same thing showed itself if he took 4 or 5 drops of his (nearly 10 per cent.) acid dropped upon sugar. On inspiring acid from ethereal solution he immediately felt powerful constriction of chest, and respirations became difficult. After 1/4 hour smart chill alternating with heat, confusion, and vertigo. Heat lasted about 12 hours; vertigo, constriction, and lassitude nearly 8 days, which he passed in bed. During the first days it appeared to patient as if spleen were enlarged. After 14 days complete recovery. (Ibid.)
9. WEDEMEYER (1817) writes that one drop of acid (apparently 9 per cent.) placed on tip of tongue produced long-lasting feeling of numbness in spot touched, and in voluntary muscles feeling of great weakness. After experimenting with acid, while still fasting, for several successive mornings in his own bedroom, he had for whole day such severe giddiness, without headache, that he reeled about the street like a drunken man, and could see nothing clearly. (Ibid.)
10. In a pathogenesis contained in vol. i of Hartlaub and Trinks’ Arzneimittellehre, purporting to belong to Laurocerasus (Kirschlorbeer), but containing also effects of bitter almonds and hour acid, the following symptoms are ascribed to the acid by HARTLAUB.
Want of courage and of power to think. Memory weakened. Dizziness (soon after taking it). Very violent, stupefying headache; brain seemed to beat against skull on stooping head. Sunken features. Complexion earthy, grey. Fluids drunk rumble audibly throat oesophagus and bowels. Furred tongue. Tongue white and rather dry. Anorexia. Excessively weak and exhausted. Very chilly; he is cold to touch. Dry skin. Pulse weak and slow.
11. A W. WOODWARD, M. D.-8 a. m., health sound, pulse 65, regular; took one minim U. S.P., on sugar. Immediately before swallowing, stoppage of nose and constriction of throat, with difficult breathing as if glottis was closed; after swallowing, repeated eructations and feeling of lump in stomach. 8.2. Constriction of throat returns, forehead moist and clammy, pulse 74, weak, thin, irregular. 8:10. Slight vertigo, increased by motion; pulse 86, weak and thready; exercise causes oppressed breathing and slight nausea, with sweat on face and hands. 8:15. No appetite for breakfast; a few mouthfuls cause nausea and desire for stool, with renewed oppression of chest and palpitation of the heart; pulse 90. 8.22. Feels semi-intoxicated; increased vertigo; face flushed; considerable restlessness, with dyspeptic fulness of stomach; occasional sneezing at this time; pulse 96, weak. 9 Urgent call to stool, copious and mushy; felt very weak afterwards, with general perspiration; sour eructations attend stool, with faintness and oppression of chest as of a load; languor and sleepiness followed. 10:30. Neuralgic pain in right hip and thigh, afterwards in region of heart; constant perspiration; occasional sour eructations; pulse 72; frequent yawning past hour. 12:30. Sinking at stomach, but cannot eat; sexual excitement without cause; called to urinate soon after. Languor and dull headache until 3 p. m. Well as usual afterwards. (Communicated.)
12. Cherry-laurel water. Aqua Laurocerasi. -Prepared according to Pharm. Saxon, Dresden, 1820, p. 168. One pound of fresh cherry-laurel leaves cut into shreds, one ounce of highly rectified spirits of wine, and six pounds of common water are mixed, and three pounds of liquid extracted by distillation. This constitutes the preparation. [ According to the Pharm. Borussica this water is as strong again.]
ENGLER began with 5 drops on June 8th, 1822, at 8 a.m., and found after it that pulse was slower by a few beats. On 10th at 8 a.m. increased dose at once to 10 drops. Experienced all through forenoon constant taste and smell of bitter almonds, dryness of mouth, together with scraping feeling in throat, and slight headache on l. side. Pulse, previously 70 and over, beat scarcely 60 in m. All these symptoms disappeared after midday meal. 11th. – After 15 drops same effects as on previous day. 15th. – After 20 drops at 8 a.m. dryness of mouth and scraping in throat came on more moderately than on 10th, but headache lasted longer, and appetite was usually keen. Pulse retarded by a few beats, but returned to normal soon after midday. On 18th took 25 drops, and during whole day perceived nothing of above-named dryness in mouth or scraping feeling in throat; complained only of dull pressing pain spreading over whole of l. side of head, lasting obstinately for many hours. Pulse less markedly altered than after previous small doses. (JORG, op. cit.)
13. GUNTZ on June 6th at 8 a.m. took 5 drops without any effect. After 10 drops on 7th remarked to m. afterwards that pulse sank to 65, and 10 m. after dose of 15 drops on 8th to 60 beats. 11th. – Increased dose to 20 drops. Pulse slackened as before, only after this dose slight headache came on. After 25 drops on 15th pulse was again slow, headache again present, and 1 h. after taking dose hands became tremulous. All these symptoms vanished at 10 a.m. (Ibid.)
14. HAASE on March 29th took 10 drops, and on following day 15, Ap. 1st 20, April 2nd 25 drops, each time at 8 a.m. (after having previously drunk in the early morning a quantity of milk), without perceiving any alteration in his condition. On April 4th repeated dose of 25 drops, and noticed after about 10 m. that pulse was a few beats slower. Towards 2 p.m. pressing pain on l. side of forehead set in, but did not last above 15 m. On June 6th 10 drops, on 7th 15, 11th 20, 12th 25, and on 15th 30 drops were taken without any effect. On June 19th, towards 7 p.m., rose to 35 drops, and 15 m. later felt slight decrease in pulse beats, followed shortly by pressing pain in right parietal bone near vertex, increased by touching this spot. On 20th 40 drops swallowed towards 7 p.m. gave rise only to slackening of pulse by a few beats. (Ibid.)
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.