Cuprum. After II. 31, insert the following:
32, A boy, aet 3 1/2, Feb. 20, swallowed a copper sou, thereafter he had repeated vomiting at n. The next 8 d. he complained of constant pain in throat and down oesophagus, disinclination for food, and occasional vomiting of mucus, with which his throat was filed, and which caused rattling respiration. He could only take-soup, vermicelli, and cakes. Voice weak, pulse rather quick, face pale and dejected, complained of pain in stomach, about navel, and in throat; frequent severe cough, night sweats, and when asleep flow of mucus from mouth; urine sometimes milky, stools hard and scanty. Then there came on suddenly croupy cough and dyspnoea with quick and irregular pulse. The cough afterwards changed to simple catarrhal cough. After 1st d. he had epistaxis at n., whereby he lost about 4 oz. of blood. After this the cough returned and was dry and mostly at n, when the fits of coughing gave him no rest. Respiration so affected that he can only breathe with his head bent forwards, and his speech is much broken. After ether, laudanum, sinapism to nape, these symptoms were temporarily relieved, but recurred the following n. Tart. em. was given, which caused vomiting and perspiration with amelioration. In this way 1 month was passed. In the 2nd month he had anorexia, frequent vomiting of food and mucus, pains in stomach and abdomen, and night sweats. his throat and chest remained full of mucus, breathing rattling, cough and broken speech. Sometimes the vomiting ceased for several d. but always recurred. The child played about as usual and went to bed and got up at the usual time. In the 3rd month various changes were made in his diet; he retained fluids but always vomited meat. He became weak and thin, his face had an expression of dejection, sadness and pain. He could take and retain milk, and on this he now lived and grew fatter and more cheerful; but constipation
came on and was only removed when he again took solids. In the beginning of June he felt very well, and on coming from school at 5 p.m. after eating an egg and some bread with chicken liver and heart, he began to cry, drank a little water, and vomited the sou along with a portion of his supper. After this his health became all that could be desired. (LAFONT-GOUZI, Now V. Fourn. de Medorrhinum, xi, pt, 1, 9.)
33. A boy, aet. 3, swallowed some d. ago a large thick coin (kreutzer = a farthing). He looked rather blue, but presented no morbid symptoms for several d. The last 3 d. however, he seemed very restless, cried about pain in his belly, had much thirst, slept little, and had a pale yellow coppery complexion. The stomach is distended, painful to pressure, abdomen tense as a board, blue rings round eyes, dry tongue, the skin, in spite of the long, walk he had to see the doctor, lifeless and dry; obstinate constipation, little appetite, pulse small, hard, contracted, suffering expression of face. An appropriate diet and purgatives were ordered. The stools showed traces of copper. He recovered perfectly. The copper coin was not found. (BING. Medorrhinum Corresp. baier. Aerzle., v, 107; in Frank’s Mag., iv, 122.)
34. a. Oct. 12th. F. H. aet. 16, swallowed a quantity of pulverised blue vitriol, mixed with water; 1/2 h. afterwards was brought into the hospital. We found a small, frail youth, his skin pale, lips pale, bluish at the corners and internal edges, tongue coated, bluish, cold. Extremities cold, with cyanotic nails, pulse small, accelerated, the temperature of the skin generally not reduced. Patient complained of being thirsty, a choking and contracting sensation in pharynx, coppery taste in mouth, pain in epigastrium, which is sensitive to pressure. R. infus. ipecac, and, after copious vomiting, magnesia usta in aqua; milk and albumen as antidotes. The vomited matter was of a bluish colour, afterwards copiously mixed with mucus and magnesia. After 1/2 h. 4 pultaceous greenish-yellow stools, without the least trace of blood. The scanty urine, passed per catheter, contained neither albumen nor blood. During the n. patient was very restless, groaned, moaned, and complained in the morning of severe headache, pain in epigastrium, burning in mouth and oesophagus. He vomited no more; diuresis scanty, containing blood, albumen, and some bilious pigment. 14th. Skin and conjunctiva of icteric colour; pupils equal; pulse frequent; temperature of skin diminished; visible mucous membranes remarkably pale. Patient feels very weak, and complains of oppression in chest, and restlessly pale. Patient feels very weak, and complains of oppression in chest, and restlessly throws himself about in bed. Stool pultaceous, brown-red, with streaks of blood, and tenesmus during stool. Urine scanty and containing much blood. Percussion and auscultation give nothing abnormal; sounds of heart weak and limited; on the base of the heart a slight friction-sound; liver evidently enlarged, abdomen drawn in, lower extremities flexed over abdomen. 16th, 17th. Symptoms same; icterus decreases, debility increases. 18th. Greatest apathy, cold sweat on forehead and extremities; pulse small, filiform, and patient dies, with all the symptoms of total collapse, during the day.
b. 20th. Past-mortem examination: 1. Scalp and bones of cranium normal; the dura mater tense, pale, very little blood in sulci and blood-vessels; arachnoidea and pia fine and tender, its blood-vessels nearly empty; cerebral substance firm, very pale, bloodless, shining when cut into; the ventricles not dilated, empty; on the base of the brain some serum; cerebellum and medulla extremely pale and bloodless, and all the blood-vessels nearly emptied of their blood. 2. Mucous membrane of mouth and fauces pale, tongue not injured, with a brownish coating; jugular veins contain only a few drops of thin, fluid blood; in the pale larynx a slimy fluid; oesophagus pale. 3. No fluid in chest; lungs without adhesions, pale; the left upper lobe oedematous; the lower lobe swelled, hard, brittle, filled with a large quantity of small, vesicular, foamy fluid; the right lung also pale, oedematous at the edges; substance pale and full of the same fluid as left lung. 4. Pericardium contains some serum, which gives no reaction to copper;heart of usual size, flabby, valves closing; hardly any blood in the cavities; in the vena ascendens only some fibrinous coagula; muscles of the heart very pale, soft, and friable. 5. no fluid in abdomen; stomach and intestines full of air, peritoneal coat of slaty colour. 6. Spleen of usual size and consistency, moderately full of blood. 7. Liver of usual size, capsule smooth, substance yellowish brown, soft, friable, fatty, moderately full of blood; in the gallbladder only a few drops of dark tough bile. 8. Kidneys swelled, capsules tense, cortical substance yellow; pyramids compressed, pale brown; some urine in vesica; mucous membrane normal. 9. Stomach strongly distended, its coating tough, coronal vessels only moderately injected; in its cavity about 2 lbs. of a brown, slightly acid-reacting fluid. Its mucous membrane thickened and covered with touch mucus, along the large curvature rather of a greenish colour. On the base of the stomach a round eschar, of the size of a small penny, where the mucous membrane is changed to a dirty brown, flocculent, and easily-detached eschar, showing plainly the muscular coat after its detachment. 10 Mucous membrane of small intestines normal; that of the colon swelled, pale gray, containing slimy, thin fecal masses. (MOSCHKA, Wiener med, Wochenschrift, No 26, 1871.)
Curare P. 491, after “II. 1,” supply “(Ibid.)
Digitalis. P. 507, 1, 9 from bottom, for “Materialen.” After II. 12, Insert the following:
13. A boy, aet. 10, took for anasarca after scarlatina (6 weeks after the commencement of the scarlatina) 2 gr. fol. dig. divided into 6 equal doses. April 15th, 7 a.m. he took the first dose, which had no apparent effect; at 6 p.m. the second dose. After 10 m. complained of violent dull headache above and between eyebrows. The pain went off for a few m. and returned with equal intensity, and this went on for more than 1 h. 7 p.m. suddenly complained of loss of vision, which lasted 10 m. The vision then returned, and he was cheerful, pupils somewhat dilated, pulse rather quick, frequent yawning. 9 p.m. drowsiness passing into stupor. 11 p.m. convulsive movements of extremities and facial muscles, which increased on returning and recurred at shorter intervals. 12 p.m., general convulsions, tonic alternating with clonic convulsions, with longer and shorter intervals, heart and carotids beat violently, irregularly, pulse 130, involuntary emission of stools and urine, temperature elevated. This state lasted 2 h. Warm baths, antispasmodic enemata, and skin irritants were employed. At 2 a.m. he became quieter, the convulsions gradually subsided, the heart still beat violently, pulse 120. 16th, 6 a.m. sat up in bed with discomposed features, widely- opened eyelids, staring eyes, very dilated pupils, gives incoherent answers, speaks a great deal, mostly saying the same thing over and over again, very hurriedly and with weak voice, but does everything he is told. Tongue clean, urine pale, heart’s beats more regular, only every 5 or 6 m. there comes on a violent contraction of heart and simultaneously twitching movements of extremities and facial muscles pulse softer, fuller, 100, temperature normal, skin moist. The anasarca is quite gone. 10 a.m. he fell into a quit sleep, which lasted 3 h. from which he woke with signs of returning consciousness, but he still speaks shortly and hurriedly but sensibly, his hands tremble, and he has some difficulty in taking hold of anything. Eyes still wide open, sight weak, circulation nearly normal, the convulsive movements have ceased, but he often starts suddenly as if in affright. 5 p.m. again fell asleep, and the n. was passed quietly. 17th. Still vertigo and mist before eyes. eyelids open, pupils dilated, and he is very weak. In a few d. well. (SAZYMA, Medorrhinum Fahro.d.k.k. Oest, States, 1829, x pt. i, 129; in Frank’s Mag, i, 732.)
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.