78. Symptoms from arsenical papers on fourteen persons. – First appeared irritation of mucous membrane, causing diarrhea and vomiting, with various other symptoms of severe gastric derangement, resulting in permanent indigestion; also incessant severe cold in head, which in one case lasted for several years without being touched by any remedy; ulcerated throat with acute inflammation, resembling diphtheria and quinsy; severe spasmodic cough, spasmodic asthma, bronchitis, and congestion of lungs; soreness of mouth, lips, and tongue, which appeared as if scalded in patches; inflammation of eyes lids, conjunctivae being invariably bright red, in one case threatening absolute loss of sight; congestion and torpidity of the liver, with the various symptoms resulting therefrom; and severe bilious and feverish attacks. There was, in short, irritation of every organ. In many cases, if not in all, the heart’s action was weakened, and in some palpitation frequently occurred. There were pains in various parts of body, especially across shoulders, down spine and limbs, also in joints, which were often stiff and swollen; scaling of skin and irritating eruptions, relieved only by Turkish baths. The effects on the nervous system were most remarkable, producing a thoroughly shattered condition, great irritability, depression, and tendency to tears, with unusual prostration of strength. These latter symptoms were especially marked in the children, and also in servants who had come to the house in ordinarily good health, and who each became affected by degrees as described. The list also includes giddiness, headache, acute earache, and neuralgia; nose bleeding; frightful dreams; hysterical attacks; faintness; cramps, rigor, and numbness of the limbs; rigid spasms and convulsions. The last symptoms developed in the worst cases were loss of memory and threatening of paralysis; also spasms with twitchings of body and limbs. The Turkish bath relieved, being used daily, the brain congestions yielding all the more readily when the temperature was above 140 F. The inveterate nasal catarrh ceased at once when the paper was removed, and before using the baths. (Brit. Medorrhinum f., 1871, ii, 101, 392.)
79. “Sept. 20th last I was called to a boy and girl, et. 9 and 10, children of a gentleman lately come into a renovated and enlarged house. I found them suffering from vomiting, tenderness at epigastrium, furred tongue, with well-marked icterus. In a fortnight they had recovered. On Oct. 30th I was summoned to another boy and girl in the family, but a little older. Their symptoms were precisely the same, and recovery soon took place after a week’s bed, &c. On Nov. 13th I was again called in to two older sisters, et. 18 and 16. They, too, presented jaundice, and all the symptoms of the other four, but more acute. Convalescence was established in a fortnight.” On examination arsenic was found in large quantity in papers of dining-room and play-room. [ A. in wall-papers is not only disseminated as dust, but decomposition takes place, and arseniuretted hydrogen by degrees is produced and diffused through the air (HAMBORG, Pharm. Journ., Aug. 1874). ] (Ibid., June 20th, 1885.)
80. A few weeks since I was consulted by a woman, et. 40 nurse in a family at Kingston-on-Thames. She told me that soon after coming to live with the family where she was now, about 2 1/2 years since, she became affected with attacks of ague, which have continued ever since. The fits of ague were generally of the quotidian type, but sometimes they became tertian, and she had never been a week without one. All that time she had been subject to almost constant burning in epigastrium and frequent attacks of faintness, often nearly amounting to syncope. Diarrhea, pain in bowels, sickness and vomiting, were often present. Before coming to Kingston she had some spots of lepra on arms; since then eruption has very much increased, and has extended to face. The room she has slept in all his time is papered with an arsenical paper. She never resided in an anguish district, nor knew what ague was before sleeping in this room, and Kingston-on-Thames is not supposed to be an anguish place. (DUDGEON, Brit. Journ. of Hom., xx, 204. In Monthly Hom. Rev. 446, Dr. Tuthill Massy records a case of supposed “jungle fever” occurring in a perfectly non-malarious district, in which bedroom wall-paper was found highly impregnated with arsenite of copper. At p. 355 of same vol. Dr. Clarke mentions an instance in which all the inmates of a house freely papered with A. had a feverish attack every 6 weeks.)
81. A gentleman was lodged for the n. in a room which he found (next m.) papered with a brilliant green, and which proved to be highly arsenical. A few m. after getting into bed a coldness seized him, and increased to chattering of teeth in spite of extra covering. Endeavouring to rise to get more he found he had not strength to move legs and get out. Effort produced violent pain in bowels, as if someone were twisting them as a towel is wrung out. This was followed by a dreadful sickness; and during paroxysm he thinks he must have fainted, for he remembers no more of what passed. On first getting out of bed next m. he could hardly stand, and staggered about like a drunken man while dressing. On emerging into open air, however, all unpleasant sensations vanished as if by magic. (JABEZ HOGG, Brit. Medorrhinum Journ., June 14th, 1879. Mr. Hogg considers that arseniuretted hydrogen must have been at work here, evolved by the active heating of the room which was adopted in order to render the visitor comfortable.)
82. Arsenious acid was subcutaneously injected for psoriasis and chronic eczema, in doses of gr. 1/20 to 2/5. It caused the following symptoms: pulse more frequent (greatest frequency 108); temp. raised in one case to 101.8; appetite lessened; thirst increased; diuresis; feeling of constriction of thorax; nervousness; headache; dizziness; nervous cough; tickling in larynx; injection of conjunctive; All these, except the increased frequency of pulse, ceased on lessening or stopping dose in 1-3 day (Archiv. f. Derm. u. Syphilinum, 1869, iii, 362.).
Experiments on animals
1. Binz and Schulz have recently shown that if arsenic acid is digested for several hours at a temp. of 101 F. with fresh fibrin, white of egg, or pancreas, it appears in the dialysate as arsenious acid; and after administering arsenious acid to animals they found arsenic acid in the watery contents of the intestines, and Vice Versa, arsenious after giving arsenic acid. These processes of oxidation and reduction, according to them, take place in the glands, the protoplasm of the nerve-centres, and in all other cells in which the conditions necessary for the occurrence of such actions were found. In consequence of this constant transfer of nascent oxygen within the molecules of the living albumen, the living cells burn more actively than during ordinary tissue-changes, and upon this local increased combustion depend all the manifestations of the action of A. (LEWIN, op. cit., sub voce.)
2. In animals killed by A., the blood is usually found fluid in heart and vessels after death, but otherwise all the morbid appearances met with on dissection are confined to the stomach and intestines. In many cases where death takes place there is only a very slight degree of inflammation of the alimentary canal; in other cases the inflammation is considerable. It is greatest in stomach and small intestines, but usually extends over the whole intestine. I have never observed inflammation of the esophagus. It is greater in a wound than when it is taken into the stomach. The inflamed parts are in general universally red, at other times they are red only in spots. The principal vessels leading to the stomach and intestines are much dilated and turgid with blood; but the inflammation is usually confined to the mucous membrane of these viscera, which assumes a florid red colour, becomes soft and pulpy, and is separable without much difficulty from the cellular coat, the latter preserving its natural appearance. In some instances, there are small spots of extravasated blood on the inner surface of the mucous membrane, or immediately beneath it, and this occurs independently of vomiting. I have never in any of my experiments found ulceration or sloughing of the stomach or intestine. (BRODIE, Physiological Researches, p. 86. Boehm’s researches (Arch. f. exp. Path, ii, 89.) confirm those of Brodie; but he describes a thick, yellowish, tenacious exudation, formed entirely of white corpuscles and constituting a false membrane, under which the mucous membrane is found dotted with ecchymoses, and for the most part destitute of epithelium. See iii, 8.)
3. Mr. JAMES BLAKE found injection into veins of a solution containing 15 grs. of ars. of potash cause speedy and sudden cessation of heart’s action. On opening thorax left side of heart was found insensible to galvanism and full of scarlet blood. Similar results followed injection of same quantity of iodide. (Ed. Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., xli, 335-36.)
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.