Post-mortem, 20 h, after death. – Lungs show upon their surface cherry – red spots, which penetrate into their substance. When cut into they give out a crepitant sound, while semifluid black blood runs out. Portions of lung sink in water. Stomach is distended, externally pale red, internally mucous membrane dull red, occasionally studded with small ulcers. Liver dark brown, firm; gall-bladder collapsed. Duodenum internally inflamed, its mucous membrane of chestnut-brown colour. The other intestines studded in some places with red points. Vessels of the otherwise healthy brain full of blood.
2 e. On June 17th 100 dr. of tinct. were administered to a young dog, the medicine having been mixed with 1/2 1b. of water. Half an h. later he spat and vomited. Foam hung out of his mouth. a few hours after taking drug he lay still, showed no appetite, but excessive thirst. Towards e. he seemed quite lively and ate some meat and bread. On 18th dog was quite lively, and hence was dosed with 150 dr. Immediately after taking them followed vomiting, whining, restlessness, frequent choking, and much saliva flowed from mouth. Belly fell in remarkably. He let his tail, which he had always been accustomed to carry in the air, fall between his legs; lay down often, breathed fast, and very often hawked up foaming saliva. Towards noon purging of blackish fluids set in. He ate some soup made with bread with little appetite, and lay looking very miserable. The thirst increased. In afternoon he vomited again, and retching kept up very frequently, which seemed to give him great pain. Towards evening he appeared more lively, and again showed appetite. In n. he was very restless, and howled a good deal. Next m. he lay on his forefeet, barked with difficulty and hoarsely, and seemed very weak and miserable. Diarrhoea continued, appetite and thirst increased. In afternoon no remarkable symptoms. 20th. – the dog is again much more cheerful. Diarrhoea is lessened appetite nearly normal; thirst moderate. He carries his tail again as he used to. 21st, m., the animal seems quite well again, and gets, therefore, a further dose of 200 dr. Directly afterwards, violent vomiting. Mucus flows very fast out of mouth. Constant choking, distortion of eyes, anxious jumping about. 2 h. later, black- brown fluid flows from anus, seeming to give him pain. Sides are remarkably swelled out. Heart and pulse cannot be felt, as he threatens to bite. In afternoon he breathes very fast, lies exhausted; shows great thirst, but no appetite. 22nd, m., the animal lies on one side, breathes very fast; heart’s action very quick; pulse hardly perceptible. In this condition he remained till the 23rd, when at 5 a.m., he died with convulsions.
Post – mortem, 24 h. after death. – Lungs collapsed, somewhat oedematous, foamy blood in lower ones; bronchial mucous membrane pale, a little injected in a few places. R. side of the heart filled with a good deal of semifluid blood; l. side contained a little similar blood; oesophagus somewhat distended, its mucous membrane pale reddish; mucous membrane of the stomach reddened extensively in several places; spleen almost healthy; only coloured dark blue at edges; omentum injected a pale red; in intestines. yellow-coloured chyme, intestinal mucous membrane marked in several places with inflammatory redness. Substance of the kidneys dense, firm, dark brown; bladder red externally, empty; inner surface of the skull greatly injected; cerebral membranes distended with blood even to finest ramifications of vessels. Substance of brain a little softened, with a few red points; under surface of brain strongly reddened.
2 f. A rather large and strong dog, that with similar symptoms to the foregoing, fell within a few day a victim to B. was on June 26th the same year, 18 h. after death, opened by on of our most experienced anatomists, Dr. and Professor K -. The anatomical and pathological results are as follows: – Veins of skin were much injected, especially those about chest; muscles of the chest as well as serous membranes lining it were reddened; several ounces of a reddish fluid were effused into cavity of chest. Subcutaneous veins of neck, even to finest vascular branches were very much injected and distended with deep black blood; outer and inner muscles of neck were strongly reddened throughout. Trachea and larynx contained a frothy, yellowish- white fluid; mucous membrane, especially that of larynx, was throughout traversed by a fine network of vessels, which it was difficult to separate from the cartilage. Lungs were externally spotted a dark brown, slightly crepitant, and when cut into poured out a large quantity of dark frothy fluid. At same time separate portions floated in water. Heart was firm in its substance, very red; pericardium injected; auricles distended right ventricle full of dull, reddish, blackish coagulum; contained a considerable quantity of semifluid blood. Stomach was greatly distended, externally penetrated by streaks of blood and contained remains of the lately swallowed juice. Mucous membrane easily peeled off, and particularly reddened at folds, in several places apparently infiltrated with blood. Mucous membrane of duodenum healthy, that of small intestine beyond contained some greasy, yellowish liquid, which smelt of B. Its mucous membrane was studded with spots of congestion. Colon contained a similar liquid; its mucous membrane exhibited likewise fine red spots. Veins of peritoneum covering intestines as well as those of mesentery were much congested throughout in an arborescent manner. Liver was large, dark brown, friable, congested; gall – bladder was full of greenish – black liquid; spleen anaemic, small and flaccid. Kidney, particularly l., congested, with very fine vascular reticulations, visible on outer surface; cortical substance a brownish black. When cut into, it yielded some rather thin, very fluid blood upon cut surface. Bladder was quite empty, its mucous membrane beset with spots of the colour of muscle. Dura mater throughout, especially above base of skull, congested, hard to be separated from bone; pia mater congested in an arborescent form; brain substance healthy; ventricles empty. (Oest. Zeitschr., iii, 95.)
3. Dr. MAYRHOFER, of Kremsmunster, proved B. on 3 oxen. He chose oxen for this experiment because B. (under the name of Haningwurzel) is commonly used by the country people and farmers of the circle of Traun, for the so-called “Haningkrankheit” or sclerodermic disease of horned cattle. The opportunity presented itself on the property of his brother, where there is a large farm, and where homoeopathic treatment has for several years been employed with the greatest success in diseases of horned cattle. The provings were made with the tincture of B. dioica. The following results are recorded:
3 a. ” For the first experiment a young, thoroughly healthy bull was selected. He was of a greyish – black colour, and 13 months old. I examined, first of all, the state of the skin, which was quite soft and lissom, and easily drawn into folds, which when let go, immediately smoothed down. His hair was smooth and lay flat. The animal got from May 20th to 26th daily 2 large teaspoonfuls of freshly prepared tinct. with his drink, which he took thus without hesitation. On the 3rd day, that is, after 6 teaspoonfuls of the drug, I was informed that the beast was sick. I started at once to inspect my taurine fellow prover. The bull looked extremely miserable; his coat was rough, erect, bristly; skin had lost its mobility, and when pinched up into a fold (over shoulders and ribs) a crackling and creaking sound was clearly heard, and folds of skin which had been pinched together remained for some time in that state before they went down. Appetite was little altered, and dung had become somewhat drier. The B. was continued 3 d. longer, when, as all the symptoms heightened, and the bull became visibly thinner, the dairymaid refused to give him any more Haningwurzel. 8 d. later, during which the maid had mixed some must with his drink, he was as well as before the proving.
3 b. ” A fawn-coloured two-year old heifer, which had gone through a mild attack of Haningkrankheit a short time before, as was apparent from the dry skin, got daily from March 23rd to 26th a teaspoonful and a half of tinct, with her drink. Even after second dose skin became creaky so that it must have hurt the beast to pinch it into folds, for whenever this was done she butted with her head and struck with her hind hoof at the hand of the experimenter. On 3rd d. skin was less hard and painful, and although the creature got daily the same dose of B. in her drink (8 doses altogether), the complaint steadily declined after the primary exacerbation, and a few d. after the B. had been given up the skin was healthily smooth and mobile.
3 c. “A three-year old, perfectly healthy cow, a few weeks after her first calf, was submitted to a proving of B. She got from 1st to 10th June 10 doses of the drug, each time 2 large teaspoonfuls. The first 5 doses had no visible effect. On 6th d. skin became dry and adherent. On 8th hair bristly and knotty; and on 10th, the milk (daily 5 quarts) had diminished one half, and as the cow was becoming emaciated the proving was stopped. Not till after 3 weeks did the cow regain her healthy look, and the milk was lessened in quantity a still longer time.” (Ibid.)
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.