34. A young man took from 10th to 16th April next. acon., beginning with 1/2 a grain and increasing to 3.1/4 grains, in all 13 grains. The urine passed by day and night was analysed, and it was found that while taking the acon. its watery constituent was not increased, but its salts were considerably diminished. (De Soist, Diss. de Aconito, Berol., 1854.)
35. STOERCK took on his tongue a little of the powdered stalks and leaves of acon. He felt a long continued burning on the tongue, and momentary stitches through the tongue, with flow of saliva. On another occasion he took some extract of acon. on his tongue, which caused slight prickling on the tongue. 1/3 of a grain of this extract swallowed caused general transpiration and actual sweat on the extremities and whole body. (Libellus de Stramonium, Hyoscyamus, Aconite, &etc., Vienna, 1762, p.69.)
36. Dr. POTTER took 3 drops of acon. 3 every 5 minutes for 1.1/4 hour. After the first dose became fidgety and nervous; then came great and causeless apprehension on account of his wife, who was out on a visit; headache, vertigo, and great sensitiveness to odors supervened. Became so nervous and anxious that he could not work, a voice outside his window caused him to start, and he then fell back faint, with dimness of vision. Could not sleep. (Hahn. Monthly, September, 1880, p. 532.)
37. Applied a piece of the root to the tip of the tongue. Though I did not swallow it, I had a great flow of saliva, and soon felt as if the skull were tightly constricted externally with a band. Some domestic affairs occurred, I did some calculations, wandered about the house, and did everything hurriedly. Then there occurred (what had never before taken place) that I felt as though I did not understand, know or imagine anything in my head, as usual, but to my astonishment I felt plainly, clearly, and constantly as if all these operations took place in the praecordia and round about the mouth of the stomach, and I noticed quite distinctly that, whatever I though, the head had nothing to do with it, that all the functions of the mind were in the praecordia and not in the head. This lasted a considerable time, and though I had been accustomed to have ecstasies, this was not like them. After about two hours had two slight attacks of vertigo, and then the thinking faculty occurred in the usual way. I tried to bring on the same state by taking acon. again, but it did not recur. (VAN HELMONT, Demens Idea, 1652.)
38. Dr. S. THOMPSON took 3iv of 3rd potency run up in distilled water. In 5 minutes felt tingling in fingers, with feeling as though temperature of body was falling. This continued to a sense of coldness, with dry, parchment-like skin. Then a chilliness, with occasional nervous uneasiness and anxiety, which continued 1 hour 3 morning. Then a dry heat set in, with a peculiar tenderness of the flesh to the touch, and nervous anxiety. In 13 morning from inception of this stage, a slight headache came on, with seething in ears. At end of 57 minutes this last stage closed with slight vomiting and sweat. After first 5 morning, tingling, nervousness and dry skin existed throughout. (Publ. of Mass. Hom. Soc., iv, 638.)
39a. Single-dose provings of Aconite nap. – a. 8 a.m. Health normal, pulse 65. Took 10 gtt. lx in 1/2 oz. water. 8.3. Sharp pains in left knee, afterwards in left ulnar nerve. 8.5. Sudden nausea, and sinking at stomach, soon passed off, followed by increased saliva. 8:10. Shooting pains in right foot, feeling of lump in stomach. 8.12. Eyes watery, nose stuffy. 8:15. Oppression of chest, slight cough when exercising. 8:20. Neuralgic pains in head, afterwards in lower extremities. 8.23. Numbness of left hand, with itching. 8:30. Much mucus in throat, itching of scalp. 8:45. Considerable thirst, epigastric region tender to touch, oppression of lungs after drinking, pulse normal. 9:10. Neuralgic pains in legs, occasional slight cough. 9:25. Effort of thinking causes sharp pains in head. 9:30. Similar pains in stomach and bowels, followed by discharge of flatus 99:40. Perspiration on abdominal walls, after usual stool; urine was scant. 10:30. Neuralgic headache wit fulness as if I had taken cold; back feels lame and stiff. 11. Called to stool again, scant, with tenesmus; urine scant. 12 No desire for lunch, thirst continues. Pulse normal. 2 Urgent stool, copious and watery; drawing pain in testes; backache afterwards, feel very uneasy. Pulse 72. 2:15. Chilliness in open air, thirst, coryza. Pulse 84. 4. Heat, thirst, and uneasiness, with pains in abdomen. 4:30. Urgent stool copious and watery, with colic. Pulse 90. 5. Perspiration on forehead, afterward becomes general. 7. After eating, complete relief of all symptoms. Before eating, pulse 72.
39 b. J. S.S. -, health normal, pulse 72, regular, soft and full. At 11 a.m. took 10 gtt. Ix oz. water. 11.5 Slight perspiration on left wrist, pulse weak, 65; followed by slight pain in right forearm as if in bone, with ache in wrist; perspiration on upper lip. 11:15. Fulness and oppression of stomach, with slight, drawing in left cervical region, empty eructations, pulse 67. 11:20. Perspiration around waist and lower extremities; increased saliva. 11.125. Pulse 70, weak; ache over left eye. 11:35. Pulse 62; empty eructations; slight obstruction of nose, right nostril; desire to sneeze but could not. 11:45. Oppression of stomach continues, fulness of frontal sinuses; desire to gape and stretch; occasional eructations; pulse 64. 12. Eyes watery; frontal headache; offensive taste in mouth. 12:20. Sharp pain through right eye leaving an ache afterward. 1. Coldness in upper abdomen; sweat upon chest; pulse full and strong, 58, headache lessened. 3. Dull pain in right leg; sweat all over; stiffness of right neck; tender on pressure. 3:30. Neuralgic pains in left neck and shoulder; pulse 64, full and regular. 4:30. Tongue slightly furred, whitish; dull ache in occiput. 10. Neuralgic pains in left neck and shoulder; pulse 64, full and regular. 4:30. Tongue slightly furred, whitish; dull ache in occiput. (unusual): all symptoms have subsided except heavy ache in occiput; pulse 59, regular and full. 2nd day. Dreamed of thieves; waked very nervous; pulse 62; scant urine on rising 8 p.m. Pulse 74 (I think it has been higher between 12 and 1, but I could not time it); have been feverish for 2 hours; weight in occiput continues; occasional cough; free urine, dark coloured. 9:15. Pulse 62; headache gone; first stool since taking drug, thirst afterward. 3rd day, 7:30 a.m. Urgent loose stool, copious urine; again at 9 a.m.; well afterwards. (Dr. A.W. WOODWARD, communicated.).
Poisonings
1. A young man swallowed about of tinct. acon. between 6 and 7 p.m. At 11:30 p.m. in a state of great prostration; pulse imperceptible at wrist, heart’s action scarcely audible, skin cold and clammy, eyes staring. Looked distressed, and did not wish to be interfered with; jaws firmly clenched (apparently voluntarily); pupils dilated, right nearly oval, left irregularly polygonal. Quite unconscious till death at 11:30, 5 hours after taking poison. No drowsiness. Post-mortem. – Both pupils slightly dilated. Dura mater and brain not congested, a little serum in ventricles. Dark fluid blood in both ventricles of heart. Lungs not unusually congested. Mucous membrane of pharynx redder than normal. Oesophagus pale. Some patches of congestion along large curvature of stomach. (H. SIMPSON, Lancet, 1855, p. 467.) 2. A maid-servant took a mouthful of tincture of root. When seen she lay in bed on back, eyes staring, pupils contracted, livid complexion stiff jaws, coldness and pulselessness of extremities, short, incomplete, labored breathing, weak heart’s beats, sighing, tossing about arms, rattling and vibration in trachea. A zinc emetic was followed by convulsions, eyes turned up under lids, fists pressed against chest, teeth fast closed, thick frothy saliva between lips; urine and faeces passed involuntarily. Vomiting excited by tickling fauces, after which pulse returned in wrist. Continued vomiting, after which sight improved. Bilious vomiting, pulse again imperceptible, complained of oppression of head and praecordia. Jugular vein opened; when ten ounces of blood had flowed said she was better, breathing easier. Said she felt as though she came out of narrow, dark, hot room into a well-lighted one. Vomiting again; pulse became fuller, intermitted every fourth beat; praecordial oppression less. Pulse rose to 70, and later to 100; skin hot and dry. Next day pulse small, had little sleep, tongue furred, headache, dying away of hands. Next day well. Said that at first she felt shooting and prickling in arms and fingers, numbness in shoulders, tongue, and mouth, then in legs and feet. Later feeling of swelling tongue, and mouth, then in legs and feet. Later feeling of swelling of face and constriction of throat. Face blue and distorted; wished to go to bed; legs refused their office; fell down on stairs. In this state she was found. (SHERWIN, Lancet, ii, 13.)
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.