65. Liquor arsenicalis was prescribed for a lady affected with cutaneous disease in doses of 5 drops (=gr. 1/24th of arsenious acid) gradually these doses more or less for a month, she was found labouring under the following symptoms; obstinate diarrhoea, frequent griping pains in bowels, with almost constant desire to act; considerable tenderness over whole abdomen, [ Comp. Berridge, NO. 10] which was distended; constant pain and nausea after taking food, and frequent vomiting; skin cool and dry; intense thirst; tongue clean and red, resembling raw beef; pulse 100, small and feeble; sense of constriction in throat, and copious flow of saliva; she had some gastric cough, with frequent raking of the throat and fauces, and expectoration of a muco- purulent secretion mixed with blood. There was much pain and tenderness down spine, with frequent muscular tremors, and a crampy feeling of lower extremities, with partial loss of motion and sensation; they were swollen, of a livid colour in places, and showed a tendency to slough. There was great emaciation, want of sleep, owing to irritable state of bowels; motions white, watery, and frothy; urine scanty, high coloured, and passed with an effort; menses absent. After her worst symptoms ceased there was still prostration and feeling of numbness in lower extremities. (Prov. M. f., Nov. 18, 1843.)
66. M. Giraud took, by mistake, Sept. 23rd, immediately before breakfast, a dessertspoonful of a solution of 15 grms. of arsenate of soda in 600 grms. of water. General malaise soon came on, with repeated vomitings; body felt shattered all day; at n. frightful dreams. For 8 d. after he continued to vomit at frequent intervals; then, feeling better, he took a second spoonful. Vomiting set in more violently than ever in 5 m., but ceased after 2 h. Some days later he took a third spoonful. Vomiting did not begin till 3/4 h. after dose; but from this time it became habitual during or after meals. For the first few day he had black and fetid diarrhea, frequent epistaxis, great precordial anxiety with pains in epigastrium and colic. Towards end of October he felt his strength failing, found it difficult to keep warm, vomited daily, and from time to time had palpitations. Towards end of November, he remarked in groins and inner surface of thighs red spots not disappearing on pressure. These lasted for months, then became pale and were replaced by a kind of vibices. A milk diet suspended vomitings for a time; but on return to ordinary food they returned, accompanied with tearing pains in stomach. After another lacteal regime they finally ceased, March 8th; but there remained an habitual dyspepsia, with constipation, stools consisting of whitish balls, which after contact with air became reddish. (IMBERT-GOURBEYRE, L’Art Medorrhinum, l, p. 33.)
67. Mrs. B-, et. 39, full habit, good health, nervous- sanguine temperament, light hair and blue eyes, was in the fall of 1854 attacked with diphtheria, for which I gave her ars. iod. and belladonna. After nearly subduing the disease I was called away on business, and fearing that the lungs might become involved, I left some powders of the iodide, 1x trituration, of about a grain each, which I ordered her to use in the form of a vapour, but which, through a mistake, she took internally, in the place of some belladonna powders which I had left her. She took them three times a day for 4 d. under the impression that she was labouring under a relapse of diphtheria. The Ist d. she began taking the drug she said she felt perfectly well, but at about midnight she was aroused from sleep by a heavy, deep-seated bone- pain in region of sacrum with feeling as if it would separate from spine; it then streaked down thighs as far as insertion of sartorius muscle, and seemed confined to bone, though flesh felt dull and heavy, as though sensory nerves were inactive; sometimes pain ran forward from sacrum to groin, and was boring and tingling in its character. Experienced great burning and itching just within vagina, which was not relieved by cold applications; during this time felt remarkable clearness of brain. About 3 a.m. pain left sacrum and appeared in lumbar region, involving space of about one vertebra, with sensation as though it was being crushed to pieces; there was a sense of remarkable lightness from the hips upward. About this time, began to have pains in her head, which extended from frontal region back to occiput, and down spine as far as first lumbar vertebra-this was one of the most protracted and troublesome symptoms produced. About 6 a.m., feeling very cold and chilly, especially in the extremities, she took a warm infusion of spearmint, after which she fell asleep and remained quiet for 3/4 h., then awoke and drank another drought of the tea, after which she slept for 1/2 h., and on awaking had flushed face, eyes injected, lips and nostrils puffy, with dryness of throat, hoarseness, &c. The skin now became more generally cold, with intensely cold sensation outside of stomach and great burning within, feeling in abdomen as though collapsed, constricted feeling in vagina; abdominal symptoms became more violent, with feeling as of tenesmus in rectum, which reached as high as sigmoid flexure. About 9 had discharged per annum, with great fear that some of the internal organs would be cast off with the feces. The pain in head and tenesmus were the ruling symptoms until about 11. She now seemed to be unconscious, or, at least, did not seem to realize her condition; this symptom lasted till about 1 p.m. without any disposition to talk or answer questions; took no notice of her children, or the noise they made. She did not take the powder this morning, but took one at noon; about 1 hours afterwards had an involuntary passage of urine and feces, or, rather, seemed to be indifferent in regard to it, although she seemed conscious; it was first discovered by the nurse from its intolerable stench. It was of a dark green colour and of a tarry consistency; these were repeated at intervals of about 1 hours for upwards of 15 h. She would inquire after each evacuation if any of the internal structures had been discharged with the stool. Although skin seemed very cold during whole of the time she was under influence of drug, yet it was only superficially so. About 6 p.m. had an attack of hiccough, which lasted, off and on, for an hours or more. About midnight took a large dose of laudanum, which checked discharges until next m. at 6; then they commenced again and continued at intervals of about 2 h. all d. In e. I was called to see her, and found that she was not at all anxious about her condition; thought she would get well, &c., and took but very little notice of me. I then produced profuse perspiration by artificial means, and kept it up till weakness became apparent, when I gave her some ammonia, and ordered a cup of black tea, which she took with great indifference. I then put her upon constitutional treatment, giving her a number of different remedies as they were indicated during the next few months. There was a pinched, shrivelled appearance of the skin, with great emaciation, which continued for a number of months in spite of all the remedies given her. After about 12 d. from time she stopped taking drug her bowels became constipated, and the tenesmus continued for a period of 3 weeks. Stools for first 5 d. were soft and mushy, and in colour changed from green to black, with an occasional dysenteric stool of bloody mucus. Urine was passed involuntarily during whole time of symptoms. There was an eruption which showed itself at times on different parts of the body, beneath the skin and of a dark red or purple colour. Food taken into the stomach seemed heavy, or like a foreign body, and was not properly digested. The patient continued to improve slowly for 5 weeks, with the following train of symptoms present: ungratified thirst, no ability to taste food, indigestion, constipation, weakness, lassitude, with darting pains through cardiac region, &c. Was troubled with severe attacks of sick headache, as often as twice a week; had leucorrhea, which was white in colour, and very profuse during the whole period, but at the proper menstrual period there was a little sanguineous appearance. This general debility, mental carelessness, and lassitude, lasted for six months or more. (BEEBE, loc. cit.)
68. The influence of ars. iod. in the first instance is that of a tonic; the appetite is increased; but after its use has been continued for 10 or 12 d. a degree of pain is experienced at the epigastrium, accompanied with thirst, a dry state of throat, slight fever, and sometimes diarrhea and tenesmus; the skin also becomes dry, and the urinary secretion is augmented in quantity. If its use be prolonged nervous system is rendered irritable and restlessness supervenes. Never causes salivation. (A.T. THOMPSON, Lancet, 1838-39, p. 176.)
69. Dr. A.T. Thompson makes the following remarks on the iod. of ars., which he recommends to be used in doses of 1/10 gr., and in no greater than 1/3rd gr. He says: “Its obvious effects are quickness and hardness of the pulse, with slight fullness of lower eyelids; but generally before these symptoms of its influence show themselves the disease has begun to yield…. The symptoms which indicate a necessity for reducing the dose are, heat in mouth and fauces, and anxiety of precordia with pain at epigastrium or griping. If besides these there is tension with an uneasy sensation of stiffness around eyes, and erythema of face and throat, or white tongue with edges and tip of florid hue, and a quick pulse, the use of the medicine should be suspended for some days. If nausea, cough, vertigo, or salivation supervene it should be left off altogether. (ERASMUS WILSON, Lancet, 1842-43, ii, 819.)
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.