7. A woman, aet. 42, took 3ss by mistake for spasms of stomach. Nausea, retching, distortion of facial muscles, jerking in hands and feet. Violent vomiting of slimy watery fluid. Incessant spasmodic retching, great inward anxiety compelling her to cower together. Death in the midst of the most violent convulsions after 2 h. (WACH, Henke’ Zeitsch. f. Staatsarzneik, 1835, xxx, 1, 21.)
8. A young woman swallowed 1 oz., and immediately felt burning in stomach, vomited, got headache, deafness, convulsions, and died in 1 h. (Journ. of Sc. and Arts, 1818, p. 582, from WIBMER.)
9. In very small doses (1/5th to 3 grs.) causes feeling of warmth in stomach, rising to chest and head, slight colic, diarrhea, cutaneous and urinary secretions increased. On leaving off for 24 hours there generally occurs a febrile state, thirst increased, anorexia, tongue and mouth become dry, swallowing difficult, p. quick, full, heat increased, face red, weakness, &c. This state lasts generally 7 d., and during this time there sometimes occurs catarrh of eyes, ears, nose, inflammation of skin, &c.; inflamed and suppurating glands show increased irritation, pus flows more abundantly, their hardness and swelling diminishes. Wounds become red, cicatrize. Large doses cause anxiety, vomiting, colic, diarrhea, inflammation and bleeding of bowel, &c. (SCHWILGUE, Mat. Medorrhinum i, 409, from Ibid.)
10. A small quantity dissolved in water and taken into stomach causes sensation of agreeable heat. In a case of chronic inflammation of knee, 10 drops, twice a day, of a solution of baryta in hydrochloric acid caused vertigo, prostration, quick pulse, increase of heat, and loss of appetite. A common effect in all his patients was to increase the urinary secretion. (CRAWFORD, On Muriated Baryta, 1789.)
11. In moderate doses B. m. has no remarkable action on stomach, but a too large dose can cause nausea, retching, violent vomiting, anxiety, palpitation of heart, vertigo. In 2 persons where there was no vomiting there was anxiety that lasted several days. In some it causes colic (especially when worms are present), also sometimes several liquid stools, and if its use is continued persistent diarrhea. It seems rather to retard the pulse. It frequently causes increased, urinary secretion. Slight skin eruptions are often seen. (HUFELAND, Erfahr. ub. die Krafte u. d. Gebrauch der slazasaur. Schwerede, Erfurt., 1792.)
12. For furious patients nausea-producing medicines are recommended. “An excellent medicine for causing nausea is bar. mur., and it seems to have a special effect on the mind. I saw scrofulous children whom I treated with this remedy become anthropophobic, cowardly, forgetful, lose their power of attention when reading, and the wish to play; and I have observed it produce this depressed disposition in wildly excited maniacs.” (NEUMANN, Krankh. d. Vorstellungs vermogen.)
13. A girl 18 got 40 drops of a solution of 3ss bar. mur. in 3j water; this caused great heat of body. In doses of 95 drops she was in a dry heat all day, pulse much excited, and head much affected. (DURR, Hufeland’s Journ., ix, 3, 184.)
14. KOHL gave to a patient who was suffering from a chronic swelling and induration of right testicle, 40 drops 4 times a day of a solution of bar. mur. 3j in aq. 3ij. The hardness and swelling of testicle gradually declined, but after several weeks’ use of the medicine he had salivation, very profuse, so that all his teeth became loose, the salivary glands and palate were swollen, and the patient smelt from his mouth as of mercurialized. There was constant urging to urinate, the urine often passing involuntarily, and with great pain. This attack passed off in 14 d., and on repeating the bar. mur. no similar symptoms occurred. (Ibid., vii, 3, 176.).
Experiments on animals
1 a. 10 grs. of muriate of barytes, rubbed very fine and moistened with 2 drops of water, were applied to 2 wounds in thigh and side of rabbit. In 4 m. he was evidently under influence of poison. In short time he became giddy; then his hind legs were paralyzed, and he gradually fell into a state of insensibility, with dilated pupils, and lay in general motionless but with occasional convulsions. Pulse beat 150 in m., but feebly, and occasionally intermitted. He was apparently dead in 20 m. from time of application of poison; but on opening chest heart was found still acting, and nearly 3 m. elapsed before its action had entirely ceased.
1 b. 3iss of saturated solution of muriate of barytes was injected into stomach of full-grown cat by means of elastic gum tube. In a few m. it operated as an emetic. The animal became giddy, afterwards insensible, and lay with dilated pupils, in general motionless, but with occasional convulsions. At end of 65 m. from beginning of experiment, he was apparently dead, but heart was still felt through ribs acting 100 times a m. A tube was introduced into trachea, and lungs were inflated about 36 times a m., but pulse sunk notwithstanding, and at end of 7 m. circulation had entirely ceased.
1 c. From these experiments I was led to conclude that the principal action of muriate of barytes is on the brain; but in the first the pulse was feeble and intermitting; in the second, although artificial respiration was made with greatest care, circulation could not be maintained more than a few m. These circumstances led me to suspect that although this poison operates principally on the brain it operates in some degree on the heart also. Further experiments confirmed this suspicion. In some of them the pulse soon became so feeble that it could be scarcely felt, and its intermissions were more frequent; but in all cases the heart continued to act after respiration had ceased; and the cessation of the death. When I employed artificial respiration, after death had apparently taken place, I seldom was able to prolong the heart’s action beyond a few m. In one case only it was maintained 3/4 h. I never by these means succeeded in restoring animals to life, although experiments were made with greatest care and in warm temperature. In some instances, after artificial respiration had been kept up for some time, there were signs of functions of brain being in some degree restored; but pulse, notwithstanding, continued to diminish in strength and frequency and ultimately ceased. I shall detail one of these experiments, as it serves to illustrate double action of this poison on nervous and vascular systems. Some muriate of barytes was applied to wound in side of rabbit. Usual symptoms took place, and at end of an h. animal was apparently dead, but heart still continued to contract. He was placed in temperature of 80, and a tube being introduced into nostril, lungs were artificially inflated about 36 times in a m. When artificial respiration had been maintained for 4 m. he appeared to be recovering; he breathed voluntarily 100 times in 1 m. and showed signs of sensibility. Artificial respiration was discontinued. Voluntary respiration continued about 9 m., when it had ceased, and animal was again apparently dead; but pulse continued strong and frequent. Lungs were again artificially inflated. At end of 4 m. animal once more breathed voluntarily 100 times in m., and repeatedly moved his limbs and eyelids. Pulse became slower and more feeble. In few m. voluntary respiration again ceased and artificial respiration was resumed. Pulse had fallen to 100, and was feeble. Animal again breathed voluntarily, but he ceased to do so at end of 5 m. Lungs were inflated as before, but he did not give any sign of life, nor was pulse felt afterwards. On opening thorax heart was found to have entirely ceased acting. Probe having been introduced into substance of spinal cord it was found that by means of voltaic battery powerful contractions might be excited, not only of voluntary muscles, but also of heart and intestines; from which it may be inferred that muriate of barytes, like arsenic, affects the circulation by rendering heart insensible to usual stimulus, and not by destroying altogether power of muscular contraction.
1 d. Muriate of barytes affects stomach, but in less degree than arsenic. It operates as an emetic in animals that are capable of vomiting; but sooner when taken internally than when applied to wound. In general, but not constantly, there are marks of inflammation of inner membrane of stomach, but not of intestine. In many instances there is a thin layer of dark- coloured coagulum of blood lining whole inner surface of stomach and adhering very closely to it, so as to have a good deal of appearance of a slough; and this is independent of vomiting, as where I met with it, it occurred in rabbits. The same circumstances, from which it may be inferred that arsenic does not produce its deleterious effects until it has passed into the circulation, lead also to that conclusion with regard to muriate of barytes. (BRODIE, Phys. Researches, p. 91.)
2. The experiments of Brodie have since been amply confirmed by functions of the brain was therefore always the immediate cause of Orfila and Gmelin. The latter found voluntary muscles destitute of contractility immediately after death; yet heart continued to contract vigorously for some time, even without application of any stimulus. From experiments made on horses by Huzard and Biron, by order of the Societe de Sante of Paris, it appears that the chloride, when given to these animals in the dose of 3ij daily, produced sudden death about the 15th day, without previous symptoms of any consequence. (CHRISTISON, 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.