3. A man had taken for 2 mos., on account of chronic catarrh, ten drops of Ittner’s acid daily, without experiencing the slightest toxicological effect. At length he was found one morning in bed apparently labouring under the poisonous operation of the acid. He had headache, blindness, dilated insensible pupils, feeble, irregular pulse, occasional suspension of the breathing, and rapidly increasing insensibility. Cold effusion and ammonia were immediately resorted to, and at first with advantage. But in no long time spasms commenced in toes, and gradually affected rest of body, till at length violent fits of general tetanus were formed, lasting for 6 or 10 m., and alternating in the intervals with coma. Venesection was next resorted to, after which the spasms were confined to the jaws and eyes. Delirium succeeded, but was removed by a repetition of the blood-letting. At 4 p. m. he was tolerably sensible; during the night delirium returned; at 10 next morning he recovered his sight; and on subsequent morning had no complaint but headache and pain in the eyes (CHRISTISON, Poisons, 3rd ed., p. 702.)
4. A medical man, practicing in Rennes, took at 7 p. m., at a druggist’s, a teaspoonful of Vauquelin’s (3.3 per cent.) acid. As he was leaving shop he felt a disquieting confusion in head; he turned round, spoke a few words, and fell suddenly down. They gave him ammonia, but only a few drops could be taken, for the teeth were tightly closed. An ever-increasing dyspnoea set in, with noisy rattling respiration, cold extremities, distorted mouth; right pulse (naturally stronger with him) very small, left imperceptible; face red, and as if swollen, as was also neck; pupils fixed and dilated. The trismus increased, with some opisthotonos; and after an hour there followed a smart tetanic convulsion lasting several morning. The abdomen was distended. and seemed even visibly to increase in size. The applied friction with blistering fluid, ammonia, and sinapisms. With great trouble mouth was opened by means of an iron spoon, and throat tickled with a feather; by succeeding vomiting dark mucus was evacuated. Coffee was now given with oil of turpentine, and ice laid on head. During this time thumbs were frequently carried to mouth. After 2.1/2 hours, signs of returning consciousness. The patient said,” I have taken prussic acid-I commend my son to your care- give me air and let me die.” He recognised those standing around, and asked for coffee, but could not drink it, as his mouth had been much hurt by the remedies used. Intelligence gradually returned. The subsequent symptoms were those of pulmonary catarrh, traceable to the frequent and strong ammonia inhalations to which he had been subjected. (Revue Medicale, 1825, i, 265.)
5. Incidental effects of reputed medicinal doses are- irritation of throat and windpipe; increased flow of saliva; sense of heat in epigastrium, diffusing itself over whole abdomen, and even to entire surface; constriction and heaviness of head; dizziness; buzzing in ears; headache; numbness; duskiness of countenance; staggering; laborious respiration; constriction of chest; often palpitation of heart; inclination to vomit, but sometimes feeling of emptiness in stomach, and craving for food, a quick and excited or unusually slow pulse; and, for some hour after these symptoms, sense of weariness and inclination to sleep. (STILLE, op cit.) An over-dose will in every person excite nausea, vomiting, and pain and tightness at the praecordia. Even applied externally, it has caused nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and syncope. It appears therefore to act specifically on the stomach. (ELLIOTSON, Cases illustr. of efficacy of Hydrastis ac in Affections of Stomach, 1820.)
6. In peculiar constitutions the minutest quantity, even a single (bitter) almond, will cause a state resembling intoxication, succeeded by an eruption like nettle-rash. The late. Dr. Gregory was subject to be affected in this way. Other vegetable bitters had the same effect upon him, but none so remarkably as bitter almonds. They caused first sickness, generally tremors, then vomiting, next a hot fit with an eruption of urticaria, particularly on the upper part of the body. At the same time the face and head swelled very much, and there was generally a feeling like intoxication. The symptoms lasted only for a few hours. The rash did not alternately appear and disappear as in common nettle-rash. (CHRISTISON, op. cit.) this effect is due to the presence of hydrocyanic acid in the almond, as is proven by the fact that solutions containing this acid, such as bitter-almond and cherrylaurel water, very easily produce the same incidental effects. (LEWIN, op. cit.)
7. Sir B. BRODIE once happened to touch his tongue with the end of a glass rod which had been dipped in the essential oil of bitter almonds. He had hardly done so before he felt an uneasy, indescribable feeling at the pit of the stomach, great feebleness of the limbs, and loss of power to direct the muscles, so that he could hardly keep himself from falling. These sensations were quite momentary. (Philos. Trans., 1911, p. 183.)
8. A gentleman, aet. 48, swallowed of oil. A few minutes afterwards, his servant found him lying in bed, with features spasmodically contracted, eyes fixed, staring, and turned upwards, chest heaving convulsively and hurriedly. A physician, who entered room 20 m. after draught had been taken, found him quite insensible, pupils immovable, breathing stertorous and slow, pulse feeble and only 30 in m. Death sued 10 m. afterwards. (MERTZDORFF, Journ. Complem., xvii, 366.)
9. A man, aet. 20, took instead of an ordinary draught an unknown quantity of cherry-laurel water. Two m. after taking it, a rattling or gurgling was audible in stomach; in 10 m. he seemed inclined to doze; in 5 m. more he was found quite insensible, with eyes fixed upwards, teeth locked, froth running out of mouth, and great heaving at stomach and gurgling in throat. He died 1/2 hour after swallowing draught. (CHRISTISON, op. cit.) 10. Small doses (10 drops) of cherry-laurel water may excite tickling in throat and increased flow of saliva. If dose be somewhat increased, or if small doses be frequently repeated, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headache appear not infrequently; with sensation of giddiness may be associated buzzing in ears, difficulty of respiration, and great weakness. (LEWIN.)
10. A child of seven, having eaten in morning a score of almonds, with peaches and apricots, was seized in middle of day with general malaise violent headache, and buzzing in ears, formication in legs and staggering. He was taken to his relatives presenting the appearance of drunkenness. Put to bed, he was soon seized with faintings, which were prolonged, and caused much anxiety. Stimulating frictions and an antispasmodic mixture caused disappearance of symptoms in evening, and patient was well next morning. The reporter had no hesitation in ascribing the symptoms to hydrocyanic acid. (Bull. de Theridion, iv, 99.)
11. A man swallowed by mistake gr.23 of cyanide of potassium. In 2 m. he became senseless. Respiration was slow and laboured; pupils dilated and fixed; eyes open and protruding; conjunctivae slightly injected; face and neck congested and livid, veins being very prominent; skin of head hot; temperature of extremities normal; pulse full, bounding, regular, and rapid. Muscles at first relaxed, but afterwards convulsive movements of limbs took place, followed by rigidity and slight opisthotonos, pupils becoming contracted and fixed, and pulse very feeble. Whole convulsive paroxysm lasted about 1 m. By evening he had almost completely recovered, and on following day felt perfectly well. (Boston Medorrhinum, and Surg. Journ., lxxiv, 311.)
12. The p. m. appearances in cases of poisoning by H. acid are the following: – Glistening and staring expression of eyes (not constant); venous system usually gorged with blood, while arteries are empty; blood, in many cases, fluid, dark, or bluish- black, not viscid, nor oily; vessels of brain and spinal marrow frequently gorged with blood, and cerebral vessels sometimes containing a serous or sanguineous liquor; lungs in some instance natural, in others tinged with blood; internal lining of stomach sometimes red. (PEREIRA, op. cit.).
Experiments on animals
1. H. acid affects all animals indiscriminately. From the highest to the lowest in the scale of creation, all are killed by it; and all perish nearly in the same manner. Such is the result of a very extensive series of experiments by Coullon. (Christison.)
2. The best experiments with the concentrated acid are those of Magendie, who says that if a single drop be put into the throat of a dog, the animal makes two or three deep, hurried inspirations, and instantly drops down dead; that it causes death almost as instantaneously when dropped under the eyelid; and that when it is injected into the jugular vein the animal drops down dead at the very instant, as if struck with a cannon-ball or with lightning. (Ibid. In Christison’s own experiments the time of action was from 5 to 63 sec. after administration, and that of death from 30 to 105 sec.)
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.