Experiments on animals
1a. Two ounces of fresh A. were beaten up with zij of milk, and strained through linen. Of resulting mixture a tom cat (A) got at 4 p.m. ziss, a female cat (B) zj, and another (C) zss. In 5 m. cats A and B began to mew, their gait was unsteady, they staggered, fell on one side or other, but got up again and ran from place to place. After running about in this way for 1/4 hour their gait became more unsteady, they fell more frequently, mewed often; then, not being able to keep their legs, they lay on their side, mewing continuously, their limbs constantly moving as if they wished to go along. At the same time there were movements in the abdomen, sometimes it was distended, sometimes contracted, then there was retching and finally vomiting of their food mixed with mucus. Soon afterwards brown-coloured loose faeces were passed, and the cat A passed some urine. Vomiting and purging went on till 5 p.m. When the vomiting and purging ceased the limbs began to twitch, especially the hind legs, and they were often stretched out backwards. The head was bent backwards towards the spine. They often attempted to get up, but immediately fell on the other side, and after such attempt of twitching and trembling of the limbs became stronger. At 5:30 p.m. the body was often raised up without using the limbs. The mewing became less. On taking up the cat the head was bent more backwards, and it trembled and twitched more. Respiration and heart’s beats were quicker, the hair stood on end and was lusterless. At 6 p.m. they ceased to mew and lay on their side, the front limbs were stiff, the hind limbs stretched backwards and the head bent so far backwards that it touched the spine. Respiration much quicker, the thorax moved little, but the abdomen moved very strongly. At 7 p.m. they lay quiet with closed tearful eyes, occasional jerkings of the limbs and through the whole body. Respiration and heart’s beats very quick. At 8 p.m. the same state; when lifted, they started and began to mew. Thus they continued all n. Towards m. they became quieter, tried to raise themselves on their limbs, but were unable to do so as the trembling and jerking returned. If they succeeded in getting on their legs, these were wide asunder, and if they tried to walk they fell on their side. 11th. – The cat A was most affected, it lay all the forenoon on its side occasionally mewing, and could not get up. The jerkings of the limbs and the movements of the front legs as if to get along increased. The hind legs were often stiff, sometimes stretched out backwards, at others drawn up towards the belly, when the back was very much bent, and the body with the head bent back was curved like the letter S. Towards noon the movements of the forelegs became stronger, it endeavored to get along, and moved itself on its side about in its cage. It often lay exhausted with its efforts to move and mew, then the head was moved up and down, the limbs jerked and trembled, the eyes were dazed, the temperature lowered, the feet cold. Hair on end and lusterless, heart’s beats very quick. No stool since yesterday. Urine passed once. At noon it got another ounce of the mixture. At 1 p.m. it lay with the hind legs close up to the belly, extremities cold and jerking frequently. It lay as if dead, the neck stiff and stretched out forwards, eyes dazed, resp. very quick, heart’s beats trembling. At 2 p.m. a liquid black stool. At 6 p.m. lies as if dead, the body all cold, heart’s beats scarcely perceptible, rare jerks in the hind legs. All night it continued in this state. 12th. – Morning, lay as if dead, quite cold, resp. very quick and short, died at 9 a.m. P. M. 4 hours after death. Vessels of the dura mater filled with black blood, nothing observable in brain. Lungs of black-blue colour, friable, and when cut into much black frothy blood escaped. Both auricles of heart filled with black coagulated blood. Stomach considerably distended with air and digested food. The m. m. was red, very friable, and easily separated from the muscular coat. Vena portae swollen and contracted so that the smallest sound could scarcely get through it. Small intestines very vascular and contracted. Their m. m., reddened in places, contained a yellow slimy fluid. Large intestines blackish outside and inside, contained much air, the rectum full of hard faeces. Liver friable and full of blood, bladder empty, spinal cord normal, only its membranes in the lumbar region redder than elsewhere.
The eat B could scarcely keep on its feet all the forenoon, if she walks a few steps she staggers from one side to the other; the hind legs give way and she falls down on them, at the same time head and fore part of body are constantly moving from side to side as though she would fall. She does not mew, but cannot rest in one place, and tries to get along; the heart’s beats and resp. quickened, hair lusterless and on end, will neither eat nor drink. In the course of the day her gait became more steady, in the evening she ran about for some time and then suddenly fell upon her hind legs. No stool, but urinated several times. In the evening she ate meat and milk. The following day she was quite well and remained so till 18th when she got 1/2 oz. of the above mixture. Soon the left hind leg was forcibly stretched out backwards for a few minutes. Soon afterwards the left foreleg was suddenly lifted up, the flexor muscles contracted so that the toes touched the back of the foot. This lasted a few minutes. The movements of the hind legs were repeated at longer or shorter intervals for 1/2 hour, then there ensued retching and vomiting of phlegm mixed with the medicine. The vomiting was violent and repeated thrice in a short time; about a tablespoonful was thrown up. She soon began to jump about. This lasted 1/4 hour, then she fell down on her hind legs. The belly then was violently contracted and she passed a firm black-brown fetid stool. While sitting thus the left foreleg was jerked up, the paw bent inwards, then again stretched out. In the intervals the fore part of the body moved from side to side. All at once the back part of the body was jerked up, the legs twitched, and she began to run about, and then fell on her side, and with difficulty she attained again the sitting position with her legs widely separated. In this position she swayed from side to side. Whenever she attempted to rise the hind legs gave way, and she fell on her side. She mewed constantly and was very restless. The hair on end, the eyes dazed, resp. and heart’s beats quickened. So she continued till 4 p.m., when she again commenced to run about but unsteadily. She had a fluid black stool. No urine passed. She could not eat. At 8 p.m. she was lively, lapped some milk, and became quieter. She did not mew much and the night was quiet.
The cat C, which got 1/2 oz., had the same symptoms.
On the 19th, both cats were pretty lively, but their gait was unsteady, and their movements hurried; when they attempted to leap up on a stool, they jumped too high and feel off it. They ate enormously. On the 20th they were both quite well. So they remained till the 12th November, when they both got at 8 a.m. 100 drops of tincture. Soon after they retched and vomited their food mixed with much yellow mucus. Then they became quite well. At 2 p.m. they again got 100 drops. Much white foam came from their mouths. The cat B passed a considerable quantity of urine, fell on its left side, the limbs trembled, the resp. and heart’s beats became always quicker, and she was dead in 1/4 h. The P. M. after 1/2 hour showed the vessels of the dura mater full of black blood, brain normal. At apex of left lung a black spot the size of sixpence. Over the root of the lungs, especially in front, were many black points the size of pin’s heads, which exuded black fluid blood when cut into. The auricles of heart and large vessels filled with black coagulated blood. Liver friable and full of blood, gall-bladder large. Stomach distended with air, empty. The m. m. of stomach towards pylorus deep red and swollen. All the intestines distended with air. The small intestines contained slimy greenish-yellow fluid, the large intestine some pale yellow mucus; bladder empty, kidneys normal. The dura mater of spinal cord towards pelvis redder than normal. Spinal cord normal.
The cat C soon after getting the agar. sought the warm stove and sat there sad, with head hanging down, sometimes mewed for several minutes at a time. At 5 p.m. she vomited yellowish-green saliva. Gait unsteady, walks with legs wide apart and staggers first to one then to the other side, as though she would fall. The hind legs seem the weakest. Half-an-hour after vomiting, when walking she was violently thrown on the left side. She got up and had violent retching for 1/2 h. She then attempted to walk but fell forwards on her head or on one side or other. Resp. and heart’s beats very quick, hair lusterless and stands out like bristles. On 13th she was sitting sadly in a corner, with eyes gummed up and swaying from side to side. 200 drops were administered. On this she jumped forwards a few steps and fell down dead. P. M. 6 hours after death. Vessels of dura mater filled with black blood. Upper lobe of right lung blackish, much frothy black blood escaped when cut into. Rest of lungs normal. Much black coagulated blood in large vessels and auricles of heart. Stomach distended with air, its m. m. reddened; intestines contained air, yellow slime, and some thread-worms. Liver large, friable, and full of blood. No other changes observable.
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.