Poisonings
1 a. H. W-, a man, age 25, convalescent from an attack of acute mania, was taken suddenly ill, at 11 p.m., on Jan. 22nd, 1868, with sickness, pain in the bowels, instantaneous delirium, fancying enemies were hiding under his bed and accosting him; that a sword was hanging over his head; and that flames were surrounding him. He then had a convulsive paroxysm, which lasted a few minutes, leaving the hands firmly flexed upon the forearms. The pupils were normal, pulse feeble, 100; skin cold and moist, the extremities of a bluish tinge; eyes tremulous; with sobbing respiration as of hysteria. After general stimulation, mental tranquillity returned, he was free from pain and began to talk, saying that he had taken poison in large quantity in the afternoon. This was subsequently proved to be chloride of ammonium, but how much had been taken could not be ascertained. Patient stated that he felt no inconvenience on first taking it, but in the evening he felt giddy, as if half drunk, staggered, had pain in his stomach, singing in his ears and sensation of dazzling before his eyes.
2b. Patient recovered during the night, and at 6 a.m. insisted on getting up, but had so much shivering, thirst, faintness, and giddiness, that he was obliged to return to bed and have some warm drink. At 7 a.m. an attendant, who had left the ward, returned and found the man, as he thought, dead. Breathing had ceased, the jaw dropped, the face was of an ashy paleness, the eyes were open and dull, looked filmy, the pupils dilated and insensible to light, no response was made to pricking, pinching, or shaking; the muscles were relaxed and flaccid, the extremities cold, trunk cool; a faint beat of the pulse was felt at the wrist. Prompt general stimulation with electricity was resorted to for several m., when there occurred a short, broken, gasping respiration, with a tetanic action of the muscles. Then there was agitation with stiffness and rigidity of the muscles of the thorax and arms, which increased and spread to complete opisthotonos. This lasted 1 minute, was followed by relaxation, and a return of the spasm. In 1/2 hours a feeble irregular respiration was fully established, sensibility gradually returned, and patient began to cry out, at first faintly and afterwards stronger. In 15 minutes more, consciousness partially returned and patient began to look wildly about him, and to resist the treatment. The mental powers returned rapidly, respiration became deeper, the heart’s action stronger, and the surface of the body warmer. In an hours from the commencement of the treatment patient had delusions that he had committed murder, that he was suffering the pains of purgatory, that his bowels went on fire, and he cried out lustily. On attempting to rise from bed the muscular system was still powerless; he could not pass water, and three pints of pale urine were drawn off. Throughout the day there was considerable drowsiness, with paroxysms of delirious excitement, much pain in the bowels, and a copious evacuation of dark bilious matter of thin consistence (a purgative had been given). Towards evening the pulse became full, bounding, 120, the head hot, conjunctiva engorged, pupils somewhat contracted, temp. 97.4. With this reaction the mind cleared up and patient recovered in the course of the next day (CRICHTON BROWNE, Lancet, 1868, I, 720.).
Experiments on animals
1 a. The study of the phenomena which ensue after the absorption of poisonous quantities of ammonium compounds establishes beyond question that all the salts of this base exert the same action- varying only in intensity-on the organs of the nervous system and of the circulation. Lange and the writer have proved experimentally that even ammonium chloride does not, as some authors assume, form an exception to this rule; on the contrary, it is distinguished by an especially energetic action on the nerves. 1b. After the administration of the chloride, the action upon the blood-pressure is more prominent than that upon the respiration, though the latter is sufficiently marked. (BOEHM, op. cit.) 2a. Sal ammoniac has a much milder local effect, and is much more poisonous when injected into the blood, than ammonia and the carbonate. 2b. Mitscherlich, who observed the mucous secretions of the stomach and intestines in rabbits that were fed with sal ammoniac, and found them increased in quantity, says that the epithelium was softer and composed of fewer large cells; the swollen cylindrical cells separated from one another with the slightest motion, became admixed with the mucus in large numbers, and were soon dissolved in it. (NOTHNAGEL and ROSSBACH, sub voc.) 3a. Causten, Sproegel, Viborg, and Gaspard injected solutions of sal ammoniac into the veins of dogs and horses; large doses generally caused convulsions, sometimes paralysis, and death. 3b. From the observations of Orfila, Smith, Arnold, and Moiroud, the salt appears to be a local irritant; and, when introduced into the stomach in large quantities, causes vomiting, purging, and gastro enteritis. It exercises a specific influence over distant organs; for the first three of the above-mentioned experiments observed that inflammation of the stomach ensued, to whatever part of the body the salt was applied. 3c. Arnold says it diminishes the plasticity of the blood. (PEREIRA, op. cit.).
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.