Introduction
Nitrite of amyl. Product of action of nitric acid upon amylic alcohol (fusel oil).
Provings
1 a. At 10.29 p.m., pulse 54 and slightly irregular, 10 min. were inhaled for 2 m. At 10.31 pulse 136, regular; face much flushed, and strong throbbing in ears; conjunctive bloodshot; muscular tremor of arms; involuntary coughing. At 10.33 pulse 80, very irregular; at 10.36, 72, more regular; at 11, 80 regular. Temp. 97.7 throughout. 1b. On another occasion, thermometer was placed under tongue and temp. found 97.7. Pulse was 60. At 11.8 1/2 5 min. were inhaled for 1/2 m. Temp. now 97.9; feeling of intense fullness in head, with violent throbbing in ears; face scarlet; slight perspiration on forehead; slight dyspnoea with inclination to cough. At 11.9 1/2 pulse was 65. [? 165. Experimenter states that quickening of pulse was invariably first symptom of action of drug.-EDS] At 11.11 nothing remaining save slight dizziness. From 11.13 to 11.48 temp. was 98.1: pulse at first 72 and irregular, then 64. 1c. Pulse 120, having been accelerated by fast walking; 5 min. were inhaled. Flushing of face and throbbing of head came on in 30 sec., pulse reaching 160. Mr. Bader examined eyes ophthalmoscopically, and found veins of disc enlarged, varicose, and tortuous; arteries were small, but not abnormally so. 1d. Pulse 84, 3 min. inhaled. In 5 sec., pulse 108; in 10 sec., 120; in 15 sec., 144; throbbing in head now commencing, also flushing; left off inhaling. In 60 sec., pulse 124; still much throbbing. In 120 sec., pulse 84, very irregular; heavy aching all through head. 1e. In the few cases in which sphygmographic tracings were made, it was found that in the very first stage of its action the upstroke produced by the contracting ventricle was almost imperceptible, giving unpleasant visions of impending syncope. This feature was apparently due to the excessive rapidity of the heart’s action, and was succeeded in a very few beats by a sudden and jerking impulse which gave no positive indication of anything more than an exaggeration of normal conditions. 1f. The respirations were not altered in frequency, but in all cases, coincidentally with the flushing of face, great inclination to cough was experienced with an indescribable feeling of fulness about the chest. 1g. In full doses of 8 or 10 drops, sight became impaired slightly and outline of objects hazy and indistinct. 1h. After all experiments, a feeling of lassitude remained behind for 30 or 40 minutes, and dull aching in head for some time longer. (GOODHART, Practitioner, vi, 12.) 2. I have given it experimentally to some 50 friends and patients, and have found that its inhalation invariably causes increased frequency of cardiac pulsation, accompanied with flushing of face, warmth of head, face and neck, and perspiration-warmth and perspiration often being general. [ “Sometimes, while the rest of the surface glows, the hands and feet may become very cold, and this condition of the extremities may last many hours” (RINGER, op. cit.)]. The pulse is the first tell-tale of its effects; in from 8 to 12 sec. its frequency rapidly increases. A pulse of 20 in the 1/4 m. will often rise in 10 or 15 sec. to 40. the beating of the heart and of the carotids is in some persons very marked. The reddening of the face sets in later; it usually takes from 30 to 40 secs. before there is much flushing. It sometimes causes a little breathlessness and coughing. Now and then it gives rise to giddiness; and, in some, to a feeling of intoxication-girls who have inhaled it have often complained that it has given them a headache. [ “It may be proper to recall the fact observed by Hoffmann, that crude nitrite of amyl, as prepared by action of nitrous acid on amylic alcohol, contains hydrocyanic acid; this must be of course be removed by caustic soda before experiments can be tried. The presence of this impurity was probably the cause of its discoverer, Balard, attributing to nitrite of amyl the power of producing violent headache. No such effect was experienced by the 15 or 20 students, of ages varying from 15 to 25, whom I have induced to try it.” (GUTHRIE, Journ. of Chem. Soc., 1859, p.246.)] (TALFOURD JONES, Ibid., vii, 214.)
3. Pulse being 66, and resp. 20, I inhaled the drug strongly for 30 secs. After a second or two my ears began to throb and my head seemed to swim round. In 25 secs., pulse 130, resp. 20, deep facial flush with hammering at vertex; then sensation seemed to travel back, and I felt throbbing in occiput; objects began to look yellow. Then came beating behind ears. After 2 m. all appreciable effect of drug had disappeared, pulse was 70 and breathing 24. An hours after, I was still conscious I had a heart, and a bruised sensation in the brain had been left behind. (Dr. EDW. BLAKE, Monthly Hom. Rev., xv, 168.) 4. J. N. B- inhaled freely for 30 sec. At end of m. there was praecordial anxiety; accelerated heart’s action; frontal humming; hot, red face; desire to sigh convulsively; sensation of a piston working up and down in the ears; primrose halo, even with eyes closed and shaded. During 3rd. m. there was bursting in forehead and vertigo. Pulse Resp. Normal… 64.. 16. After 90 sec. 106.. 20. ” 150 ” 68.. 20. (Ibid.) 5. Dr. MORRISSON, in good health, on March 10th, at 10:25 p.m., entered room in which amyl nitrite had been escaping from a 3 oz phial. Odour in room was pungent. Effects were; increasing sense of stupefaction, with flushing of face and scalp; sudden smarting of conjunctive, with injection, and dimness of vision as from a film; subacute smartings in various places, shifting position rapidly, most persistent in eyes, bases of lungs, and spine; increasing dyspnoea with sneezings, coryza, and sighing respiration; pulse (sitting) 68, small, feeble. After enduring increasing discomforts for 20 m., respiration became a series of gaspings; and he left room. On waking next m. pains returned in renewed intensity, with catarrhal symptoms, and severe front- orbital headache. They recurred during day, at times accompanied by sighing respiration; and were intensified by odour being again inhaled. Urine clear, acid; sp. gr. 1014, free from albumen or phosphates, light clouds of an oxalate, and distinct traces of sugar. Pulse (sitting) 78-84, feeble. On 12th, during m., dull aching in cervical, removing to sub-occipital region, then passing away. During evening smarting in eyeballs, with injection. Urine clear, acid; sp. gr.1020; trace of oxalate, and sugar in marked quantity. 13th. Symptoms the same, general lassitude. 14th. occipito-frontal headache, with achings in right renal region; smarting of conjunctive; urine same. 15th. Severe occipito-cervical achings, with increased frequency of renal; pulse (sitting) 70, regular. 16th-18th. Achings and conjunctival smarting remain, with weakness of eyes; sugar lessening. From this time the achings and smartings became occasional only. The sp. gr. of the urine fell; but there were still traces of sugar in it up to April 18th. Dr. Morrisson adds that many of the subjective symptoms returned on inhaling the 1x dil.; and that the achings were increased by fatigue, and most marked during the evening (Ibid., xxi, 320.) 6. Dr. ALDRIDGE caused seven persons to inhale nit. of amyl, and in every instance found (by ophthalmoscope) tint of retina deepened, and arteries perceptibly enlarged. (West Riding Asylum Reports, i, 95.) 7. In a case described by Dr. STRAHAN, a chronic maniac, age 53, had suffered for several day from severe lumbago. A 10 min. dose of a 10 per cent. solution was injected hypodermically. “Immediately after the injection the pain disappeared. He got up from the bed, and was able to stoop and touch the floor with his fingers. In, as nearly as could be guessed, about 1 1/2 m., he suddenly became deadly pale and sank back upon the bed.” Then his face, head (bald), and neck, became congested, and he was strongly convulsed for about 1/2 m. The convulsions affected the face and arms strongly, the legs slightly. The teeth were ground, and the breathing was suspended. In a few minutes, after coming out of this fit, he was attacked by a second one, during which the heart’s action become very faint. [ “I have seen one case where a woman immediately after a drop dose turned deadly pale, felt giddy, and then became partially unconscious, remaining so far 10 minutes…. One delicate woman, after gtt. 1/30, passed for a few minutes after each dose into a trance-like state, everything seeming to her unreal, and the breathing becoming rather panting.” (RINGER, op. cit.)] He was made to inhale some chloroform and the fits did not return. (Practitioner, Dec., 1884.) 8. C. E. H-. Immediately after inhalation intense crushing pain on head, gathering into a feeling of confusion threatening unconsciousness. At same moment quick, somewhat sharp throbbing in head, and intense glowing of face, with general perspiration, especially in palms where it was quite visible. Also frequently- repeated sensation as if scalp were jerked forward from occiput to verge of forehead. Pulse increased about 12 beats. Felt dull headache for about 3 hours, and after 1 hour had slight epistaxis from left nostril, a thing quite unusual. (Dr. C. WESSELHOEFT’s provings, N. Engl. Medorrhinum Gaz., xi, 388.) 9 L A. P-. Inhalation followed immediately by dizziness and nausea; heat and redness of face; heaviness and pressure outward in forehead and temples. Though not warm, perspiration started freely, cold chills at same time running down back. Great restlessness and uneasiness; pain in head increased, accompanied by stupid, drowsy sensation, and burning in stomach up to throat. Fullness and pressure in stomach with belching of gas; oppressed, difficult and rapid breathing; feeling as if of weight on sternum; stitching pains in cardiac region and feeling of constriction (no palpitation); griping pain in umbilical region; drawing tensive pains in left wrist and finger-joints; pulsations sensible in finger-tips; pulse (from 60) 72, hard and full. Heavy head and oppressed breathing continued about 3 hours (Ibid.) 10. W. R. B- inhaled 1x dil. three times, with 5 minutes between each inhalation. Head symptoms as usual; trembling sensation all over, and cannot sit still for fear of something dreadful happening; pulse not accelerated but irregular; sharp pain in region of heart; sense of constriction in throat; numb feeling in nasal bones (several hours) (Ibid.) 11. E. B. H- proved 2nd cent. dil. Took gtt. j. In 15 m. pulse 10-12 beats quicker. After 30 m. gtt iij. In 13 m. more hands moist, head and body (especially abdomen) felt warm, in 30 m. warmth greater still. Took 3 drops more. In 13 m. slight blurring of letters when reading. Next day 10 drops. In 5 m. heat in head and along oesophagus to stomach, lasting 1/2 h. After 1 hours took 20 drops. In 10 m. heat, chiefly in stomach; moist skin; in 16 m. chill crept over back and sides. Next day 40 drops. In 12 m. pulse rose 20 beats, remained so for some m., then gradually fell to normal; very slight pressure in head, increasing (with slight throbbing in temple) up to 36 m., when violent exercise during one m. produced dull headache; later, heat from gas caused dull pain to extend from temple to occiput, principally left sided. Dull occipital pressure remained 2-3 h. After exercise, more violent palpitation than usual. (Ibid.)
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.