23. A man, aet. 70, subject to hernial colic, took for an attack an emulsion of 6 oz. of bitter almonds. Of these he consumed 3/4 lb. in 36 h., and had greyish-yellow complexion, face wet with sweat, deeply-set eyes, difficult breathing, oppression of chest, small pulse, dry, dirty tongue, blue and bluish-red colour of skin, especially of scrotum, where the colour was greenish yellow, gangrene of penis, limbs drawn up towards abdomen, head drawn down between shoulders, scanty and painful micturition, rare stools, dazed head, heaviness of limbs, especially of right thigh. A solution of Carbonate of potash in water removed these symptoms in 12 h. (WOLF, Horn’s Archiv f. med. Erfahr., xi, 36; in Frank’s Mag., ii, 22.)
24. Three children, two of them girls, of 3 and 8 years, and the third a boy of 6, ate about 4 to 6 bitter almonds in a cake. After 5 minutes first the youngest became sick, vomited her breakfast became unconscious, unable to speak of move; this lasted about 1 h. Then the elder girl, without warning, fell backwards move; this lasted about 1 hour. Then the elder girl, without warning, fell backwards in such violent convulsions that her parents thought she had a fit of epilepsy from which she had suffered in former years. On raising her up she vomited violently and recovered her senses, but remained rather stupefied for nearly 3 h. The boy who had ate fewest of the almonds had only a little transient nausea. (PIERER, Medorrhinum Nat. Zeit., i, 73; in Frank’s Mag., iv, 736)
25. An aged hypochondriac took one m. about 3iss Aq. lauroc. After 3 h. he had paralysis of hands and feet, head hung forwards and he could not raise it; involuntary stools and urine, extremities motionless and cold but not insensible, pulse small, voice hoarse, consciousness unaffected In e. he quietly died of paralysis of lungs. P.M. – Blood dark and greasy (HAYN, Hufeland’s Journal, xcv, pt. 2, 90; in Frank’s Mag., ii, 572) 26. A physician took a teaspoonful of a mixture of K. cyan. 3ij, Aq. cham. 3ij, Sacch. alb. 3ij; he swallowed about 3/4 of it, and spat out the remainder. He felt in his oesophagus a peculiar astringent sensation like that caused by alum; this was followed by pressure in sinciput with vertigo and loss of equilibrium, dimness of vision so that he could only imperfectly
see the outlines of objects, great inclination to vomit, rushing sound in ears, almost complete loss of consciousness; he could not take deep breath, his sense left him as in syncope. After swallowing a little milk he had retching and copious vomiting with relief. He could hardly stand up after 1 h. his head was dazed and heavy, the vertigo continued, the astringent feeling in throat and nausea persisted till midnight. After uneasy sleep, next m. great corporeal exhaustion remained. (WEIDNER, Casper’s Wochensch., 1845, No. 40, p. 657).
Acidum picricum
[* These corrections are due to a communication from Dr. Geo. Tabler to the Hom. Physician for Aug., 1887.] m- P. 65, l. 12, for “S.” read “J.;” and p. 66, l. 20 from bottom, for “G.” read “E.”
P. 67, 9. from bottom, for 1 3/4 h.” read “1 1/4 h.;” and after (1 h)” add “with sensation as of a band pressing on r. parietal eminence.” In same, l. 7 from bottom, for “in m.” read “p.m.;” and for “all d.” read “for some time in m.” In last 1l. for “10th” read “18th.”
Aconitum
P. 101, l. 8 from bottom, for “quiet” read “unquiet.”
Aesculus Hippocastanum
After 1. 13, insert the following: 14. a. Dr. NEIDHARD took 3 gr. Immediately after, slight nausea with pressure in the stomach; for 1 h. tickling cough from larynx with expectoration of white phlegm; is not so soon sleepy in e. as is habitual to him; unusual pain in e. on micturition; all n. dreams and frequent awaking; constant discharge of flatulence; a very copious evacuation from bowels at n. and also one in m.; pain in sacral region; wakes up unusually early in m.
b. Same took 10 dr. of tinct. at 8 a.m. For 1/4 h. dull pain in right side of forehead, extending gradually also to other side; almost simultaneously sensation of warmth and sick stomach, lasting 1/2 h.; for 1/2 h. sensation of inward strength extending to sacrum. About 12 commenced oppression in regions of heart with palpitation. Next d. appearance of red blotches with itching on left knee and different parts of body. The third d. a kind of rheumatic pain in left knee, just as he had once many years before. The pains pass off in afternoon. Took 30 dr. at 3 a.m.; very fine tickling in larynx; hawking of tough viscid phlegm. The whole n. erections, without voluptuous dreams or seminal emissions. (Communicated.)
Allium Cepa
p. 216, l. 15, for “Prollius” read “A man, aet. 50.” Prollius was the observing physician.
Ammonia
Dr. BUCK took 10 gr. of Ammonium carb. 4 or 5 times a d. for 3 d. After first 2 doses burning in pharynx and sense of warmth at epigastrium. After 3rd, weight stomach and slight nausea. After 4th, above symptoms increased, with slight epigastric tenderness. On 2nd d., after 1st dose, nausea; after 2nd, considerable secretion of mucus in mouth and nose. After 3rd, repetition of food, flatulence, and depression. After 4th, flatus, colicky pains in stomach and small intestines, and depression. On 3rd d. after 1 dose, frontal headache, slight giddiness, pain and tenderness at epigastrium, marked flatulence, and nausea. After 3rd dose, headache, depression, flatulence, anorexia, griping, tendency to diarrhoea (which passed off), nausea. After 4th dose, distinct wheezing in chest, pain in stomach as from indigestion, great depression, constant flatus, and repeated eructation. With great difficulty he kept himself from rejecting last dose; there was acute burning in pharynx and oesophagus, throat was sore and irritable, tenderness and pain stomach, depression, flatus, &c. About 5 or 6 next m. he was disturbed with colicky pains, resulting in diarrhoea, which continued during d., and depression and great lassitude were marked. Tongue had become flabby and white with creamy coating (M.H.R., May, 1888.)
Apis. – P. 320, l. 2 from bottom, for “Soc.” read “Sc.”
After II, 17, insert the following:
18. a Miss H – is actively engaged in bee-culture, and has frequently been stung; but until now the accident has never been followed by constitutional symptoms. In the early part of this summer (1887) she was stung one d. through gloves on end of one of right fingers. In less than 2 minutes she felt intense bodily heat, instantly accompanied by violent itching all over, “as if stung by a thousand mosquitoes.” Itching was most intense in l. palm, where and elsewhere flesh was raised in hard lumps. Simultaneously came feeling of fierce and uncontrollable restlessness; she could not keep still an instant. She appeared excited, but did not feel so, restlessness being wholly physical. Violent and continuous sneezing set in, with profuse watery discharge from nose and eyes; eyes were bloodshot, face of dark red or purplish hue, and head and face felt and looked swollen. Miss H – next experienced stiffness of lower jaw (soon amounting to sense of absolute fixation), which extended to tongue and throat, rendering speech difficult and unintelligible, and causing in throat extremely uncomfortable constriction, with single, spasmodic, hacking, cough at short intervals. There was some difficulty in breathing, especially in inspiration. Her medical attendant found throat, especially uvula and arches of palate, enormously oedematous, most so on l. side, deflecting uvula to right. Restlessness and excitements gave place in short time to profound depression, approaching syncope; but soon recurred, and then the two states alternated frequently and briefly, till after 6 h. they subsided. Next d. patient was well as usual.
b. A month later she was stung, about 7 p.m., on upper and inner part of l. thigh. Sting was drawn out, and for 10-15 minutes no symptoms appeared; but then came stiffness in throat with difficult articulation; then terrible restlessness, more intense than ever. Dyspnoea was extreme and alarming; she felt as if she must tear away all clothing from neck, and walked the floor in greatest distress for breath, face purple, head thrown back, eyes bloodshot and protruding; each inspiration was accompanied by a crowing sound, which could be heard across street. Sneezing was less marked, but there was some watery secretion form nose and eyes; great obstruction of nose, with inability to breathe through it. Jaw felt stiff and fixed as before; throat was even more oedematous, and distress extended below larynx to upper part of lungs, which soon became very sore and sensitive. The most marked feature of the present attack was the violent cough, which came on about 1/2 h. after sting; it seemed excited by constricted feeling in throat, but reached down to sore place in lungs, causing great distress; it was deep, hard, and ringing, and continued without intermission for 3 h. Her physician also mentions twitching of muscles of extremities, which was controlled by warm foot-and hand-baths. He states that pulse (as before) was very small and frequent. This attack had no period of profound depression, but only quiet sinking weak feeling after violent symptoms were past, with desire to be let alone. Ledum was administered with benefit, and at midnight she was comfortable enough to go to sleep, and slept quietly during remainder of n. Next m. uvula seemed to fill up throat and rest upon tongue, but this gradually improved. Some stiffness of jaw and throat still remained; traces of cough continued through summer; and soreness in upper chest had not gone by end of September. (CAROLINE HASTINGS, M.D., N. Engl. M. Gaz., Nov., 1887.)
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.