12. H. B-, a girl aet. 23, healthy, took on 4th June, at 5 p.m., 50 dr. of 1st dil. (1 in 50). In 1/2 h. she was dizzy-as though she had taken a drop too much, and as if there were a board before her forehead; face red; eyes sparkling and as if swimming in tears, pupils dilated, left more than r. Flickering before left eye, making her wipe it often. These symptoms lasted in their full intensity 1/2 h., then diminished and were gone by 7 p.m. But the headache, which was aggravated by stooping, recurred on moving and stooping for a long time afterwards, occasionally indeed till 11 p.m., though it had at first passed off sooner than the eye affection; and the flickering lasted off and on till 11 p.m.-5th. Complained all day of slight headache (as though a board lay on forehead), which, though it may go off, can always be brought back by movement; dryness of throat seated apparently in the larynx. Had to swallow frequently, speaks rather hoarsely, and coughs occasionally. Till 10 p.m. had frequent, dry cough; scraping in larynx excites the cough; when she swallows she feels a pain there which extends into left ear. -6th. At noon violent scraping along anterior wall of larynx, causing dry short cough, and hoarse voice. At 4 p.m. is quite hoarse; she complains much of creeping pains which extend to pit of throat and left ear, also dryness. (Got a grain of hep. sulph.)-7th. Last n. and today coughed a great deal. The pain (rawness, scrappiness) extends to right side of larynx, is aggravated by swallowing and coughing. Nasty taste, tongue white furred, appetite unaffected, complains of cramp of legs. Decided redness of tonsils and neighbouring parts, as also of tip of uvula; but no pain. -8th. On rising weak and weary, she could not make her bed. The scraping feeling gone, but the dry cough frequently recurred though less severely than yesterday. Now she complains of severe pain on pressure behind angle of right lower jaw. (FRANK, Ibid., 323.)
13. Dr. L. B. WELLS. a. Miss F. B-, et. 22, at 6 and 8 p.m. took 8 drs. of 4th cent. dil. No symptoms. At 9:30 p.m. took 10 drs. In 20 m., distress as if from indigestion. Next day, took 25 drs. at 12:15 p.m. At 1 p.m., distress in stomach. At 3 p.m., heavy, dull, bearing-down pain in abdomen and pelvis; symptom was repeated several times, and was very similar to what patient suffered at every period.
13 b. Miss C. E. C-, aet. 19, of nervo-bilious temperament. Feb. 24th, 1870, at 4 p.m., took 8 drs. of 4th dil. 4:30, sharp pain shooting from wrist along course of ulna down to elbow- joint; dull aching in muscles of forearm; dull, uneasy sensation all over head. 6:30, feeling of nausea, headache increasing. 8:15, pressing pain in upper part of orbits; slight swelling of lower eyelids. 10:30, took 8 drs.; 10 m. after, a sharp, slight pain in loin, just above ischium; slight nausea. 25th, 9:15 a.m., took 10 drs. Pain in stomach, with slight nausea. 11, small, loose stool, with sharp, stitching pain above umbilicus. 12:15, took 8 drs. In less than an h. pain at sternal extremity of fifth rib. 4:15, darting pain under left parietal bone. 5:20, drawing pain in arm, near insertion of deltoid muscle, relieved by pressure. Parietal pain extends to temples. 6:10, took 15 drs., and in 40 m. had drawing pain in hollow of right foot. Headache involved right temple. 7, cutting pain in right loin, and in lower extremity of sternum. Slight, cutting pain behind ears. 9:30, sensation as if hair on top of head were being pulled. Slight earache. 10, nausea, with sensation of fulness in throat; gradually changes to burning. 26th, 7 a.m., took 10 drs., and at 11 there was darting pain in and near the orbit of left eye and near vertebral extremity of eighth rib. Sharp pain at base of first metatarsal bone of right foot. 11:30, sharp pain over stomach, and between last cervical and first dorsal vertebra. 12, dizziness. 1., sharp pain in splenic region. 4, sharp, cramping pain just below extremity of sternum, gradually extending to pit of stomach, up the sternum, and over cardiac region. 9, cramp, extending from tonsil to top of pharynx. Cramps at base of tongue. 27th, 11:30, sharp pricking pain in abdomen. 3, stitches in chest and just below right axilla; slight headache in temple. 28th. -Slight lateral headache. Mar. 1st, 5:45 p.m., took 8 drs.; in a few m. felt slight warmth along back of right forearm, as of approaching numbness, and slight paralytic feeling along anterior tibial nerves. 2nd, 11:30 a.m., took 8 drs.; no symptoms. 3rd, 7 a.m., took 12 drs.; sharp, cutting pain in side of head, from frontal to occipital region, becoming general, and at last settling in left parietal bone; drawing, cutting pain behind right shoulder-blade. 4th. -Headache all day. 5th. -Sharp, tearing pain under and in right armpit. These peculiar cutting pains commencing in wrist and extending (shooting) up to elbow, and sometimes above that point, continued several weeks, and always from extremity to centre. The prover had never experienced these pains before the experiment. (Trans. of N. Y. State Hom. Medorrhinum Soc., x, 129.)
14. H. M. GRAY. – a. I had taken an unwarrantably large dose of the extract, to quiet the pain of a severe neuralgic faceache; not finding any relief, I repeated it in the course of 10 or 15 m., swallowing in all some 8 or 10 grains. About an h. after the last dose had been taken, the medicine began to induce its specific effects in the following order: First, vertigo, increasing to such an extent as to render it impossible to walk without staggering. The dizziness, which was at first transient, soon became continued and very severe. Now came on the affection of the eyesight, every object growing dim, as though a cloud were between the eye and it. Sometimes objects appeared double, and with an undulating motion passed before the eye. I observed that by a strong effort of will, a concentration of the nervous power, this paralysis of the retina might for a moment be combated, but only to return with greater severity when the mental effort had been succeeded by its corresponding relaxation. The pupils were immovably dilated; the eyes prominent, dry, and exceedingly brilliant. The conjunctival vessels were fully injected. There was total absence of lachrymation, and motion was attended with a sense of dryness and stiffness. The face was red and turgid, and the temperature and colour of the surface considerably augmented. Pulse full, from 120 to 130. The feeling in the head was that of violent congestion, a full, tense, throbbing state of the cerebral blood-vessels, identically the same sensation as would be produced by a ligature thrown round the neck, and impeding the return of the venous circulation. The peculiar state of the throat next excited attention. The tongue, mouth, and fauces were devoid of moisture, as if they had been composed of burnt shoe- leather. The secretions of the glands of the mouth, and the saliva, were entirely suspended. A drought of water, instead of giving relief, seemed only to increase the unctuous, clammy state of the mucous membrane. About the bag of the pharynx this sensation was most distressing. It induced a constant attempt at deglutition, and finally excited suffocation, spasms of the fauces and glottis, renewed at every attempt to swallow. A little saliva, white and round like a ball of cotton, would now and then be evacuated.
14 b. The slight delirium that followed the action of the narcotic was of a strange yet not unpleasant kind. I wished to be in constant motion, and it certainly afforded me an infinite degree of satisfaction to be able to walk up and down. The intellectual operations at times were very vivid. Thoughts came and went, and ludicrous and fantastic spectacles were always uppermost in my mind. I was conscious that my language and gesticulations were extravagant, yet I had neither power nor will to do otherwise than I did; and notwithstanding my bodily malaise, my mind was in a state of delightful exhilaration.
(The treatment was very simple; a cold douche to the head and an emetic soon destroyed the dominion of the poison. I found some difficulty in provoking the operation of the emetic owing to the insensible condition of the stomach. After vomiting, the disposition to sleep became very urgent. Strong coffee, however, counteracted this tendency.)
14 c. The other fact relative to the effects of B. is worthy of note, viz. its tremendous diuretic power. I have observed that it does not seem to reach the kidneys until it has been some time in the stomach, and has exerted its specific influence of the brain. But its power over the secretion of urine seems to be very great. I am confident I passed in the course of an hour three pints of urine, accompanied with a slight strangury at the neck of the bladder. (N. York Journ. of Medorrhinum, 1851.)
15. One grain and half of what I believe to be a very good extract of B. was taken on going to bed (11 p.m.). At about 4 a.m., I woke in a state of slight but decided delirium. My judgment, I think, was sound, when I chose to exert it, but nothing could rid my eyes of a legion of most disgusting spectra. I am not very partial to any part of the insect creation, but cockroaches are my special horror, and spectral cockroaches swarming all over the room. Every object in the room, both real and spectral, had a double, or, at least, a dim outline, owing to the extreme dilatation of the pupils. My hands also shook a little. This state lasted for about two hours, and then passed off, leaving me nothing to complain of but a dry soft of feeling in the throat. (ANSTIE, Stimulants and Narcotics, p. 198.)
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.