(9) It lessens the urinary water and chloride of sodium, on account of the increased discharges from the stomach, intestines, skin, and lungs.
(10) It augments the urea and uric acid from heightened metamorphosis.
(11) On the whole, in spite of the lessening of the urinary water, it augments the total excretions, even when there is no vomiting or purging, and this is produced especially by its great action on the skin. (Brit. and For. Medorrhinum Chir. Review, xxiii, 346.) 15. 6th April, from 7:45 to 11, took 5 tablespoonfuls of a solution of ant. t. gram. 0.100 in 10 tablespoonfuls water; at 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. 1 tablespoonful. After 3 tablespoonfuls slight nausea. After the 4th tablespoonful occasional eructation. After the 5th tablespoonful at 11 a.m. a normal stool, accompanied by horripilation through skin, pinching pain below navel, nausea which frequently recurred. During the pain felt exhausted and weak, when the pain was gone felt quite well, only must spit frequently. App. diminished. After eating, rumbling in bowels. At 2:20;and 3:10 p.m. 1 tablespoonful; at 3:30, rumbling in bowels. At 4 and 5 p.m., 1 tablespoonful; at 10:30 p.m. a second stool. Took 2 more doses without any effect. -7th. 9, 10, 11 a.m., 3, 4, 4:35, 5 p.m., 1 tablespoonful of a sol. of 0.150 gr. to 5 oz. water; 5:40, 6:30, 9:30, 11 p.m., 2 tablespoonfuls of a sol. of 0.200 gr. to 5 oz. water; no stool, no other symptoms. -8th. Antim tart. gram. 0.200 in 5 oz. water; 7.33, 8:35, 89:35, 10:35, 11:30 a.m., 12 noon, 1 tablespoonful. Antim tart. gram. 0.220. in 5 oz. water; 3:40, 4:45, 5:25, 6.5, 10:30, 1 tablespoonful. M., some tight feeling in chest with frequent cough, expectoration of some mucus. Discharge of fetid flatus. At 1.39 p.m., aching and pinching pains in belly lasting 2 m. App. little. Tongue in morning thickly furred. Afternoon, roughness and tightness in chest and expectoration of mucus, frequent discharge of fetid flatus preceded by rumbling in bowels. Very tired morning and afternoon, as after great exertion. E., after supper, aching pains in abdomen. lasting 1 hours, ameliorated by stretching upper body backwards, aggravated by bending body forwards. Rumbling in bowels, as if water were moving in them. 8 to 9 p.m., pains ceased after eructation and discharge of flatus. 11 p.m., a thin stool with relief. Sleep at night very restless, expectorated mucus at night -9th. At 8, 9:30, 11 a.m., 12 noon, 2:30 p.m., 1 tablespoonful of last sol., 4.5, 5:15, 1 tablespoonful ant t. gram. 0.300 in 5 oz. water. App. bad, loathing and disgust at food. M. and afternoon coughed and hawked up mucus. No stool. -10th, at 7 and 8 a.m. 1 tablespoonful. M., on rising, rather hoarse, expectorated some thick mucus. After 2nd dose, nausea. Drank without relish a cupful of warm milk, and ate a bit of bread. Immediately must hurry to stool, and had a normal stool with slight pain in belly. Some saliva ran into his mouth, must often spit, and threw up the milk and bread and some mucus-not sour. Trembled all over, was much affected, hardly himself. For 3/4 hour after the vomiting, the respiration was very deep. The vomiting had a favourable effect on him, he felt lighter, more lively, had better appetite, but could eat very little. Afternoon, coughed and hawked up mucus. the hoarseness increased in evening Was up till 3 with a confinement, hoarseness increased, got a short cough and pain in larynx. He left off taking the ant. t. and his hoarseness gradually went off, app. improved, tongue became clean, stools normal. -14th. Antim tart. gram. 0.200 in 5 oz. water, at 11 a.m. a tablespoonful; at 2:45, 3.21, 4.3, 4.36, 5.17, 6.111 p.m., half a tablespoonful. After each dose nausea. After dinner a thin stool, rumbling and pains in belly. Afternoon, expectorated some thick mucus. Tongue furred. -15th, at 7:10 a.m., a tablespoonful; at 8:30, 9:35, 10.37, 11:15, 11.51 a.m., 2:35, 3:20, 4:10, 5 p.m., half a tablespoonful, 11:10 p.m., 1 tablespoonful. At 9 a.m., a stool softer than usual. Rumbling in belly followed by nausea, lasting till noon. Soon satiated and almost sick when eating; on leaving off for a little, appetite returned. After a walk, on coming into house, had when coughing a peculiar sensation of soreness on chest, and expectorated some mucus. At 11:15 p.m., a normal stool. -16th, at 7 a.m., a tablespoonful; at 8:45, 9:45, 10:45 a.m., 3, 4.23, 5:15, 6, 6.37 p.m., half a tablespoonful; 11:10 p.m., 1 tablespoonful. M., pains and rumbling in belly, and nausea lasting 1/2 h. Forenoon, constant nausea, especially when swallowing saliva. Slight nausea in afternoon. All day some coughing and hawking of mucus. Tongue furred thickly, yellow. From 7:30 a.m. till 7.13 p.m. no urine. At 11:15 p.m. a soft stool. -17th, ant. t. gram. 0.150 in 5 oz. water, at 10.36, 11:25 a.m., 12 noon, 2:20, 2:50, 3:50, 4.26, 5:15, 6.5, 1 tablespoonful. M., very little appetite, some slight pains in abdomen. Feeling of fulness in stomach. After 5 p.m., slight but increasing nausea, with rumbling in belly, lasting till late in e. Tongue thickly furred. Frequent coughing and hawking of mucus. Great loathing at the medicine. No stool. The next day, no medicine being taken, the symptoms all gradually subsided and went off. During the proving there was a slight diminution in the solid constituents, the urea and the volatile salts, of the urine. (BOECKER, op. cit., ii, 324.) 16. The effect of tart. em. on the urine has been investigated also by Beigel. His experiments were made on 2men, who took in each 24 hours 2 grs., during 4 days. Great nausea was caused, and probably loss of appetite, though nothing is said on this point. The urine was sometimes increased, sometimes lessened in quantity; the urea was invariably decreased (by about 5 grms. in each 24 h.). Beigel attributes this to the tart. em., and not to the want of food; but this opinion may be questioned, and, on the whole, Beigel’s experiments do not seem entitled to much weight, as the conditions are imperfectly given. (PARKES, Urine, sub voce.) 17 a. Oct. 18th, 1785, at 10 p.m., rubbed into palms, with assistance of a few drops of water, 5 gr. of tart. em. Rested well till 4 a.m., when he awoke, contrary to his usual custom, and felt slight nausea, heat of skin, and tenesmus. In less than an hours began to perspire, and continued to do so increasingly till he rose soon after 7. There was no further effect save slight disinclination to breakfast.
17 b. Next night, rubbed in about 9 gr. in solution on self and two others. Woke at 4 as before, hot and uneasy, pulse quickened as after wine. Felt some nausea and peristaltic movement. Perspiration followed as before, and in forenoon there were too loose motions. For 2 or 3 day afterwards tendency to looseness continual, also increased flow of urine. His coadjutors were sweated in the night; one was sick in the forenoon, the other slightly so, but briskly purged. 17 c. A lady, who rubbed in 5 to 7 gr., had-besides these symptoms-2 or 3 day later a rash, with considerable itching over whole skin, which did not subside for 2 days longer. (SHERWEN, Mem. of Medorrhinum Soc of London, ii, 386.) 18. GAITSKELL (Ibid., iv, 79) repeated these experiments on himself and others, with negative results; but HUTCHINSON confirmed them, observing also increased disposition to sleep. (Ibid., v, 81. In Medical Repository, xvi, 457, a case is recorded where violent vomiting, syncope, and death occurred in a child of 3, after rubbing ung. antim. tart. along spine.) 19. a. Taken internally, in small doses, tartar emetic increases the secretion and exhalation of the gastro-intestinal membrane, and of the liver and pancreas. Subsequently, it acts powerfully on other emunctories; thus it causes sweating, without any very marked vascular excitement; it renders the mucous membranes (especially the aerian membrane) moister, and, when the skin is kept cool, promotes the secretion of urine. 19 b. In somewhat larger doses, it excites nausea, frequently with vomiting, disorders the digestive functions, gives rise to an uneasy sensation in the abdominal region, depresses the nervous functions, relaxes the tissues (especially the muscular fibres), and occasions a feeling of great feebleness and exhaustion. These symptoms are accompanied or followed by increased secretion and exhalation from all the different emunctories, but especially from the skin, as above mentioned. Of all emetic substances, this causes most nausea and depression. (PEREIRA, op. cit.) 20. After small medicinal doses the stomach experiences a slight sensation of soreness-a sensation easily mistaken for hunger. As an emetic, the action is somewhat tardy, sometimes delayed for 20 minutes or 1/2 hour; the vomiting is repeated, and accompanied by much straining. (RINGER, op. cit.) 21. When the dose is large enough to produce vomiting, various general symptoms precede, accompany, and follow this act. Such are, -a copious secretion of mucus and saliva in the mouth; eructation of a watery fluid with an acrid and saline taste; watery stools, preceded by colic; pain in moving tongue; pallor and collapse of features; often cold sweat, especially of forehead; dizziness, and not infrequently scintillation before eyes; general exhaustion, debility, and inclination to repose and sleep; a weak, small, and sometimes infrequent pulse; often palpitation of heart, and sometimes disposition to syncope. In some cases face is hot, while rest of body is chilly. The act of vomiting is often accompanied by laborious and incessant straining and retching, which sometimes continue long after the complete evacuation of the stomach, and produce extreme relaxation and exhaustion. The matters vomited consist mainly of mucus and bile, which are sometimes mixed with blood. After the vomiting is over, a disinclination for food and a strong craving for cool drinks remain. (STILLE, 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.