III. 4. Owing to the indefinite nature of the tissue changes described as the result of poisoning by bichromates, it seemed to be of interest to determine, if possible, what, if any, were the differences between the effects of chromates and bichromates on the system, and to try to ascribe to each salt its own physiological action. Two rabbits were poisoned – one with bichromate of potash, as described before, the dose being about 15 gr., the other with neutral potassium chromate; the dose given in the latter case was between 20 and 30 gr., the fatal dose, as found by Posner, being about 9 or 10 gr. The rabbit poisoned with bichromate died in 3/4 hours with no symptoms of irritant poisoning, no purging or signs of violent pain, the chief symptoms being slowing of the heart, slow and intensely difficult breathing, with blueness of the skin of lips and ears, increasing till death; there was but one convulsion, and that just before death. The rabbit that had taken the neutral chromate showed symptoms of irritant poisoning from the beginning, the first symptom appearing 1/2 hours after; purging, expulsion of urine, convulsions, quick and shallow breathing, were the chief symptoms. The postmortem examination made immediately after death showed that the rabbit which received the bichromate had the same engorged purple liver and engorged kidneys which characterized the action of the salt; the lungs were pale and anaemic; the blood was of chocolate brown colour, and it gave at once the absorption spectrum of methaemoglobin. Thus the chief differences between the two forms of chromate poisoning seemed to be in their effect on the blood. To confirm this, experiments were made with both salts on a solution of oxyhaemoglobin. The merest trace of the bichromate was sufficient to convert into methaemoglobin almost instantly a test tubeful of diluted oxyhaemoglobin; a larger quantity precipitated the proteids and destroyed the colouring matters, the blood then yielding the spectrum of acid haematin. Pure neutral chromate had no effect whatever on the oxyhaemoglobin even when added in considerable quantity-i. e. several grains to the test tubeful of dilute blood. (Ruttan and Lafleur, loc. cit.)
KALI BROMATUM (see vol.i, p.606) II. 11. Dr. Fincke relates a case of a young surgeon who took 10 gr. in one dose ” for excessive sexual excitement after mental overwork.” He immediately had burning in stomach, going on to aching and empty ” gone ” feeling, relieved by eating, lasting 1 – 2 d. These may have been effects of the dose on a sensitive subject; but we cannot so reckon excessive diuresis, lasting a week; then ” neuralgia of spine ” for 1 2 day; then dysuria, followed by ” regular gonorrhoea.” (The Organon, i, 343.)
12. An epileptic woman who during her pregnancy took daily 2 grm. of K. br. was delivered of an apparently healthy child. But the infant, which slept continually, and nursed only twice a day, steadily declined. After 19 day it was emaciated, wrinkled, and old – looking; pulse 86; resp. not over 10 per m., accompanied by a whistling glottis – murmur; general anaesthesia. The urine in the starched diapers showed the reaction of amylum bromatum. The child was weaned. The following day there was erysipelas of face and neck, and numerous acne pustules on hand, feet, and buttocks. On the 3rd day the bromine disappeared from the urine; and the child got well. (Gaz. des Hop., 1881, p. 136.)
KALI CHLORICUM (see vol.iii, p.45)
P. 54, left 3 from bottom, for ” e.” read ” 13.” II. 14. Stilwagon records the case of a patient suffering from mucous patches of secondary syphilis for whom tablets of K. chl. of 5 gr. each were prescribed. Four day later a fiery erythematous and papular eruption made its appearance over the back and neck. There were no subjective symptoms. The possibility of mercury having produced this eruption was carefully excluded. The rush disappeared 2 day after discontinuing the drug, but reappeared on 3 other occasions, when K. chl. was administered experimentally. (N. Y. Medorrhinum Record, 1883, ii, 65.)
15. A woman of 28, affected with simple amygdalitis, consulted a physician who ordered her K. chl. Desirous of being rapidly cured, she consumed in 1 1/2 day 40 grm. of the medicine, gargling with it and swallowing much of the solution. On evening of 2nd day she was brought to the hospital. Her condition was serious, pulse 124; temp. 39.8; resp. 28. Conjunctivae had a yellowish tint; and there was dark blue coloration of cheeks, nose, upper lip, and chin. Patient was agitated, complained of great thirst, and vomited once. Urine was acid, dark brown, contained blood and albumen but no sugar; when kept it became black. Cylinders also were found in it. On 3rd day jaundice had augmented; blue patches showed themselves on face, feet, and hands; tonsils and uvula were bluish, throat dry; pulse 124, small and soft; temp. 39; resp. 36. In evening, urine was very scanty, still containing blood and casts. Patient was very agitated, but soon fell into coma, and succumbed at midnight. P. M., skin and viscera were found yellow, and kidneys showed signs of acute inflammation – brownish colour on section, collection of red globules in cylindrical form in tubes (straight and convoluted), swelling and cloudiness of epithelium. Spleen was increased in volume; liver soft. No microscopic examination. (Hofmeier, Deutsche Medorrhinum Woch., 1880, No. 38.)
16. A child of 21 mos. had had scarlatina 8 weeks previously. All at once, it was seized with dyspnoea, and the mother, fearing diphtheria, gave him in course of 1 1/2 hours a teaspoonful of K. chl. Nest m. he was seized with diarrhoea, cyanosis of face, and collapse; and death ensued in 1/2 h. Autopsy found no diphtheria, but effusion into pleura, pericardium, and peritoneum the serum of which, examined with the spectroscope, gave the line of methaemoglobin. Blood was brown; spleen enlarged, dark brown, filled (as also was medullary cavity of bones, which showed same tint) with globular detritus. The renal canaliculi were free; stomach and duodenum normal; intestinal mucous membrane and glands were swelled. (v. Haselberg, Berl. klin. Wochenschr., 1880, Nos. 49 and 50.)
17. a. A healthy, robust girl, aged 2 1/2, gained access to a bottle of chlorate of potassium, and ate about three drachms of the crystals. As she had partaken of food a short time previously, and drunk largely of water immediately afterwards, no symptoms of poisoning showed themselves for 2 hours, except that she complained of a pain in her stomach about 1/2 hours afterwards, which was supposed to arise from indigestion, and was treated with paregoric. Two hours after she had ingested the drug, she vomited very freely, ejecting from her stomach the food and water that she had taken. She passed from her bowels at the same time a large quantity of greenish mucus, followed by a clear mucus. After this she became much prostrated, with a feeble pulse and a bluish, ashen hue of countenance. It was not discovered until this occurred that she had taken so much of the drug; and a physician was then called in. Under the use of alcoholic stimulants the prostration soon passed off, and she commenced playing, and continued to do so for more than 2 hours; but she seemed to be in a state of excitement, and played boisterously.
17 b. She then slept for 2 hours, and, on waking, asked for water and ate a little. She seemed very restless, and her countenance still had the bluish appearance. At 8 p. m., 8 hours after she had taken the drug, she vomited again, became very much prostrated, and was thought to be dying; but she again rallied under the use of stimulants. The matter ejected was simply the water and food she had taken. She slept tolerably quietly until midnight, asking for water frequently; at that hour her bowels moved again, the passage being greenish water and slime, after which her extremities became cold, and the pulse became imperceptible at the wrists. Stimulants were freely administered, but without effect. At 2:30 a. m. she vomited a large quantity of water, after which she sank very rapidly, and died quietly at 2:45, just 15 hours after she had taken the drug. She complained but once of pain in stomach and bowels, although frequently asked. During the first part of the n. her heart beat with great force, so as to jar the hand when placed over the precordial region, and her pulse was full and bounding. The urinary secretion was increased during the afternoon, and seemed irritant to the bladder; and there was no suppression or abnormal appearance of this secretion. (Bonde, N. Y. Medorrhinum Rev., Nov. 8th, 1879.)
18. The following are Marchand’s cases, summarised in II. 9. 18 a. A child of 6, treated for a slight pharyngeal diphtheria with K. chl., was, during convalescence, taken suddenly with vomiting and convulsions, which were soon followed by death. At the autopsy, the blood presented a chocolate colour, which it retained for some hours after exposure to the air. Liver, spleen, heart and lungs showed same hue.
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.