3. A man, aged 45, had been treated in hospital 7 months for rheumatism of knee without benefit. He then got extract. acon. alc. in doses of 2 to 5 grains, with good effect on rheumatism. The supply being exhausted, a new extract was procured, and of this he took 5 grains. In 1/4 hour had trembling and creeping in limbs attended by shooting pain. The shooting pain increased, the trembling changed to convulsions. A taste like pepper in throat and mouth. Soon afterwards vomiting of contents of stomach. During the convulsions he lost consciousness. When his consciousness returned the eyes were dazzled. At same time a fixed headache as if a hot iron were bound round head. After the convulsions profuse sweat. Pulse unequal and slow. 5 hour after poison had been taken, pale, face, with expression of anxiety and restlessness, very mobile eyes, impatience, tosses about restlessly, and constantly changes position; speaks much and rapidly; cold tongue, feeling of burning in fauces, vomiting of slimy stuff; orthopnoea, 25 respirations per minute, pulse 54, unequal, soft and full, as though blood did into fill the arteries. Mucous rales in lungs posteriorly. Heart beat only once against thoracic wall while pulse beat thrice, but contractions of left ventricle were synchronous with pulse. R. auricle of heart seemed to be in a constant convulsed state, its movements were quick, irregular, and in no relation to motions of ventricles. The limbs began to get cold. No stool. After guaco, ammonia and rubbing in of tinct. canthar. on praecordial and dorsal region, reaction set in, and next day he was well. (PEREYRA, Gaz. des Hopitaux, 26th March, 1839.)
4. A man, aged 35, drank forty grammes of tinct. acon. Immediately heat and constriction in throat; extreme restlessness and could not remain in one place, complained of throat, and of burning down oesophagus. Extreme anxiety, tongue whitish, nausea; trembling when walking, staggering gait. Pain in fauces, extreme restlessness, fear of death. In 8 morning copious vomiting. In 2.1/2 hours cannot stand upright, attacked by a kind of convulsions; upper and lower extremities drawn inwards, fingers dead, thumbs drawn inwards, fist cannot be opened. Legs adducted. Face covered with cold clammy sweat. Eyes turned upwards, showing only whites. Radial and temporal arteries pulseless. This lasts 3 morning, then faintness. Thinks and says his last hour has come. Consciousness intact, but is quite blind. He then vomited small quantities, constant nausea. After 4.1/2 hours extreme anxiety, intermission of attacks, and nausea. An emetic caused vomiting without relief. After 5 hours returned, but fits as frequent and more violent than ever, temperature of skin sinks every movement; some shivering followed by icy-coldness; countenance Hippocratic; head drawn strongly backwards; cracking of joints during fits; breathing stertorous, mucous rales heard at a distance. Mind quite free, not the slightest pain. Palms insensible, he does not feel deep pin-pricks. Counter-irritants were freely employed and iodine internally. After 7 hours reaction commenced, heart’s beats again perceptible, pulse stronger, some vomiting, returned of warmth and general comfort. After 8 hours appears better, profuse warm sweat, pulse 125, sensibility of palms returned, respiration free. He recovered, but for days retained in his features the expression of fright. (DEVAY, Gaz. med. de Paris, 5th January, 1844, p. 12.)
5. A man got a drachm of acon. Immediately tightness of chest, pain in stomach, vertiginous obscuration of sight, unaltered pulse. He grew very weak, and thought he must die. On an antidote (bezoar caprarum) being given he felt better; there was vomiting with anxiety, which gave him hope, but he felt as if something collected in his stomach. Pain in occiput and throat, delirium, he whistled on a leaf. The delirium soon passed away. Complained of pains in stomach, head, jaws, chest, and here and there in joints. After 7 hours pains in all joints; abdomen distended as if he were dropsical; under the ribs tense, painful and hard; stitches in kidneys; retention of urine; one arm and one leg paralysed. Pulse intermittent and febrile. Some vomiting, several stools during days complained of pressure and coldness in stomach, as if a stone lay there. Then came on a severe ophthalmia with discharge, the pain of which was so great he wished to die. In 8 hours all symptoms were gone, and in the morning he was quite well. (CLAUDIUS RICHARD, Schenkii Observationes, P. 876, 1524.)
6. A man, aged 27, got one drachm acon. In 1 hour began to vomit. He got 7 grs. of bezoar. Immediately vomiting of green bile, sensation as if a ball lay on scrobiculus cordis, that rose upwards and spread a cool air over crown and occiput; then paralytic feeling in left arm and leg, impossibility of moving them, could still move hand. When left side was relieved same occurred on right side. Complained that all the vessels in his body grew stiff; vertigo, burning in head as though skull were filled with boiling water, spasms of eyes and mouth, a very severe pain in jaw as if it would fall off, congested eyes, blue face, black lips. Abdomen as if distended with water. Pulse and disposition altered with severity of symptoms; sometimes he was quite rational, sometimes talked nonsense; sometimes wept, sometimes sang. Thirst for cold water. He three times lost his sight, and three times said death was nigh. Speech unaffected. In 7 hours was all right. (MATTHIOLUS, Comm. in Discor., cap. 73, 1561.
7. A man ate in a salad an unknown quantity of acon. root. He said he first felt tingling heat not only in tongue but also in jaws, so that teeth seemed to have fallen out. He imagined his face was swollen to double its size. the tingling heat gradually increased until it involved the whole body, especially the extremities. He felt unsteadiness in joints, especially knees and feet, and a twitching in the tendons so that he could scarcely walk across the room. He though he felt a stoppage and interruption of the circulation of the blood in all his limbs; from wrists to finger tips and from ankles to toes he felt no circulation at all. Later head was giddy, mist before eyes, look wandering; he had a constant humming hissing noise in the ears till the evening came on. When seen at night lay with head propped up, eyes staring, teeth spasmodically closed, hands, feet, and forehead covered with cold sweat, pulse could not be felt, breathing scarcely perceptible, head drawn backwards. After emetics and stimulants made speedy recovery. (VINCENT BACON, Phil. Trans., xxxviii, 287.)
8. A gentleman drank at 11 a.m. 2 oz. tinct. acon. root. In a few minutes appeared strange. Went out. Returned at 2:10 p.m.; went to bed; appeared drunk. Semi-delirious; very flushed face; intense dyspnoea; bathed in icy cold sweat; pupils widely dilated. Had walked to a friend’s house, got a biscuit and wine, and returned walking. On his way felt as if his legs would give way under him, and vomited freely. Hot bricks in bed, extra blankets and brandy, and strong coffee; pulse not perceptible; heart sounds faintly heard. At 3:30 violent vomiting got zinc emetic, which brought away grumous fluid. 4 p.m. Delirium continued; great muscular prostration; no pulse at wrist; temp. 89 o. At 4:30 castor-oil, which soon acted; pupils widely dilated; great dyspnoea, almost suffocating him; rallied by sinapisms and rubbing and hot bricks. 5:30 p.m. Tonic spasm, lasting considerable time; temp. 84o; pulse imperceptible. Hands and nails slate-blue. Hot coffee and brandy and water. At 12 heart-sounds more distinct; diplopia; intense thirst; temp. 89o; no power over lower extremities; great tingling and numbness in arms; sleepy. Next day, 4 a.m., pulse perceptible at wrist; dyspnoea better; temp. 95.4o. At 9 some sleep, refreshing; conscious; saw double; pupils widely dilated. Recovered in two days; pupils remained dilated three days. (L.H. JONES, Brit. Medorrhinum Journ., 1877, i, 258.)
9. A gentleman drank some coffee. The coffee strainer had been used for preparing aconite tinct. He went out for a walk; had tingling sensation in mouth Tongue felt too large, lips and face tingled, creeping sensation down both arms and thighs, giddiness, swimming before eyes, great weakness, inability to stand, stiffness in neck and back, head felt as if in a vice and was very heavy; felt that he wanted to draw a long breath continually; when he did so the giddiness was relieved. Symptoms gradually abated. (HEADLAND, Lancet, 1856, i, 342.)
10. A cabinet-maker about 16 days ago had felt very unwell, suffering from influenza. At recommendation of friend took homoeopathic tinct. acon. (dil not stated) in 2-drop doses with benefit. Sent to chemist for more. Got strong B. P. tinct. Took 4 drops every 4 hours, then felt very excitable, with prickly sensation over skin; this went off in 2 hours. Repeated dose, and felt low-spirited and thoroughly miserable. took 5 drops with return of despondency and prickly feeling, tingling hot feeling n throat, eyes restless, could not sleep, body burned with fervent heat. On attempting to work fell back on bench from weakness. Memory much affected; strange fancies possessed him; gave away a sovereign for a shilling; object in the light seemed to grow bigger and bigger. Left off acon. for 2 days, but strange feelings remained. Sent for more acon. A friend gave him 4 drops; 2 hours later took by mistake about 55 drops, and went to bed. Soon felt choking prickly sensation, with violent pain in stomach and bowels, as if a big needle were traveling through them; body seemed dry, and he felt as if it had been wasted (?); felt wretched and inclined to destroy himself. When seem next morning was highly delirious, talking all sorts of nonsense, imagining strange figures, goblins, etc., about bed, but rational at times. mistook people, rambled incoherently. Shaking all over, but said he was warm; pulse 78; great oppression over cardiac region; fluttering in chest; headache; respiration at one time slow, then quick and shallow. Greatly exhausted; any exertion caused prostration, with quick shallow breathing, and diminished impulse of heart. Thirst, tingling in legs, arms mouth, throat, and tightness in throat below larynx, which he said wanted cutting. At night in delirium attempted to cut his throat with a razor. Tongue large, thick, tremulous; sensation not much diminished; pupils slightly dilated, but sensitive to light; conjunctiva suffused; eyes looked brighter than usual. Was blistered, and got a stimulating mixture. Next day delirium continued; complained of difficulty of urinating; catheter passed brought away a great quantity of urine. prostration and desire to commit suicide continued, always asking for a knife to cut something tight out of throat; tired to put a handkerchief and the bed hangings round his throat. Gradually recovered. (P. READ, New South Wales Medorrhinum Gaz. iv, 43.)
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.