5. I had lately under my care a gentleman of fortune and family, who so habituated himself to the use of volatile salts, in vast quantities, that at length he could eat them in a very astonishing manner, as other people eat sugar and caraway seeds. The consequence was that he brought on a hectic fever; vast hemorrhages from intestines, nose, and gums; every one of his teeth dropped out, and he could eating nothing; he wasted vastly in his flesh, and his muscles became as soft and flabby as those of a new-born infant, and he broke out all over his body in pustules. His urine was always excessively high coloured, turbid, and very fetid. He was at last persuaded to leave off this pernicious custom; but he had so effectually ruined his constitution, that, though he rubbed on in a miserable manner for several months, he died, and in the highest degree of marasmus. (HUXHAM, Essay on Fever, quoted by PEREIRA.).
Experiments on animals
1 a. The elimination of the ammonia compounds and their behaviour while in the body have frequently been the subject of elaborate investigations. The most recent researches positively refute the statement that elimination takes place by the lungs, even when ligation or removal of both kidneys has been practised. Lange has sought in vain for free ammonia in the blood of animals into which large quantities of ammonia compounds had been injected during life by the jugular vein. Lohrer and Knieriem conclude from their experiments that the whole of the ammonia introduced leaves the system in the urine, with or without transformation into urea. 1b. The local effects of ammonia on organs containing nerves are, under all circumstances, coupled with the phenomena of intense irritation of the sensitive nerves, which manifests itself not only by violent pains, but also (in the air-passages) by energetic reflex action. In other respects the local phenomena are similar in character to the effects produced by other inflammatory irritants. 1c. Of the phenomena which ensue after the absorption of poisonous quantities of ammonium compounds the most striking are the disturbances of respiration and of the voluntary movements. The former consists in an enormous increase in the frequency of respiration, succeeding a short pause in the breathing that occurs immediately after the administration of the poison. We ascribe it to a central irritation of the respiratory tract in the medulla oblongata, and it obtains even in animals whose vagi were previously severed. 1d. The tetanic convulsions provoked by the ammonium compounds proceed from the spinal cord. This is evident from the fact that they occur also in animals whose cervical marrow has been severed between atlas and axis, and which are kept alive by artificial respiration. 1e. The action which all the ammonium compounds exert on the circulation consists in an enormous increase in the blood- pressure. (BOEHM, Ziemssen’s Cyclopedia, sub voce.) 2b. The effect on the spinal cord is very analogous to the action of strychnia; with this difference, that after the first tetanoid convulsions, there is not upon every new irritation of the sensitive nerves a fresh tetanus, but only a short reflex contraction. 2b. When upon vagi are severed before the poison is injected, the primary interruption of the breathing does not occur. 2c. When injected into a vein or hypodermically ammonia produces in frogs and rabbits; Ist. A strongly excitant effect on the inhibitory centre of the heart in the brain, resulting in slowing of the cardiac movements or a stoppage of the heart in diastole. 2nd. The same influence on the spinal vaso-motor centres, thus narrowing the calibre of all the peripheral arteries and increasing the blood-pressure, which otherwise would be lowered from the inhibition of the heart. In dogs and cats there is with the increased blood-pressure an acceleration of the heart. 2d. The secretion of many glands, especially of those of the bronchial mucous membrane, and according to some of the sweat- glands, is increased by the action of ammonia and its salt. (NOTHNAGEL and ROSSBACH, Arzneimittellehre, sub voce.) 3. MITSCHERLICH injected 3ss of amm. carb. in 3j of water into a rabbit’s stomach. At first the animal became restless, but afterwards so feeble as to be unable to stand; spasmodic movements and tetanus followed, with rapid beating of heart and difficulty of breathing. In 25 m. animal died. Stomach, on dissection, showed no alteration, perhaps in consequence of its containing food, but there was vascular injection of the upper portion of the small intestine, and the epithelium of this part was dissolved. The blood was liquid, and coagulated very slowly, forming a very small clot. When the salt was introduced into the cellular tissue of the abdomen, tetanic symptoms again occurred, and animal died in 42 m. Small intestine externally was very red, and within was filled with a reddish mucus, containing very few cylindrical cells, many cell-nuclei and globules, resembling the blood-globules in form and size, but so thin and delicate as readily to be born. (STILLE, op. cit., I, 784.).
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.