4. A strong infusion produced ” stimulating and sedative ” effects, lasting for 24 hours, and leaving subject in profuse perspiration. (Morson, in Ibid.)
5 a. In a small dose, kava is a ” tonic stimulating ” beverage, producing an agreeable excitement, and affording support against great fatigue. In increased doses this root determines an intoxication of a sorrowful, silent, and sleepy character, completely different from that produced by alcoholic drinks. When taken concentrated this drunkenness may be instantaneous; with the ordinary dose it occurs about 20 m. after ingestion. It does not last longer than 2 hours, but if a person only takes it occasionally the effects may continue 12 hours, or, when taken at intervals of some day, for 6 h. When made from the root grown in damp soils, the drinker remains plunged in a deep torpor, and seems irritated by the least noise. The habitual drinkers of kava take it 6 – 8 times a day, but then a nervous trembling seizes them, and they can scarcely lift the cup to their lips. A peculiar skin disease results from its daily use.
5 b. In old drinkers the conjunctivae are very red; vision is obscured; teeth are of a deep yellow colour; skin is dry, scaly, cracked and ulcerated, especially where it is thick, as on hands and feet; there is complete emaciation and decrepitude. (Cuzent, from Ibid.)
6. The effects are particularly pleasant. An irresistible sleep sizes you, and lasts 12 – 24 hours, or even longer, according to individual temperament. Often, when dose is too great or too small, sleep does not follow, but in its place an intoxication, accompanied by fantastic ideas and a strong desire to skip about, though one cannot for a moment hold himself on his legs. I felt those symptoms for 60 hours the first time I tasted this Polynesian liquor. In habitual drinkers the body becomes emaciated; and the skin is covered, as in leprosy, with large scales, which fall off and leave lasting white spots, which often become ulcers. (Remy, from Ibid.)
7. a. Lewin has experimented with a resin which appears to possess all the properties of the root. Taken by the mouth it causes burning and salivation. Even during the burning, but especially afterwards, there occurs numbness in all parts which have been in contact with the drug. If minute quantities be placed upon the conjunctiva, it and the cornea become completely insensible to irritation, pupils retaining their normal size and variability under light.
7 b. In the drinkers of kava, he states, consciousness and reason are in no wise altered; the mental faculties are even said to be sharpened, and bodily exertion to be more easily borne. After a time there occurs a condition of happy carelessness, a dreamy consciousness prevails, the limbs become languid; gradually the will loses its power over the muscles, co – ordinate movements cannot readily be executed; the drinker lies down, may gradually fall asleep, more often falls into a somnolent, soporose state. When taken in excess there is intense nausea and headache; paresis of extremities, nervous trembling and somnolence quickly supervene. (Berl. klin. Wochenschr., Jan. 4th, 1886.).
Experiments on animals
1. Lewin found that, injected into the subcutaneous cellular tissue of cold – or warm – blooded animals, the resin produced local anaesthesia, the part becoming insensible to all irritants, and looking ischaemic. The constitutional symptoms resembled those produced in man. The paralysis induced is a central one. It reaches first the motor spinal ganglia, then the sensory, and finally, perhaps, those of the brain itself. (Ibid.)PITURINUM.
Introduction
Alkaloid of a solanaceous plant – Pituri – belonging to subdivision Duboisia, Hopw. (Ringer).
Provings
1. Mr. Percy Gabb and I have recently made some experiments regarding the action of P. on the human subject. Our observations were made on four men, aged respectively 17, 20, 23, and 48. We found that 1/8 to 1/10 gr. given hypodermically produced in these cases well – marked symptoms, and in all the observations from which we now draw our conclusions this dose was administered. We made twelve observations. We find that piturine produces faintness, pallor, giddiness, tremor, hurried and superficial breathing, increased frequency of pulse, contraction of the pupils, and perspiration. We shall now speak of each symptom separately.a. Faintness and pallor were noted four times, and on one occasion the man became pale, but did not feel faint; the faintness was only slight, except once, when he said he felt as if he would ” faint away. ”
b. Giddiness was several times very marked. It occurred 6 times in our 12 observations.
c. Tremor affected the whole body, and was rather rhythmic in character; the head shook a little, and the hand and arm, especially when the arm was raised. The muscles also twitched a good deal, even the muscles of the face. This symptom occurred 4 times.
d. Respiration. – Breathing was quickened in seven cases, namely, by 6, 6, 12, 14, 24, 24, and 44 beats per m. respectively.
e. Pupils. – In every instance the pupil became slightly but decidedly contracted a very few m. after the injection.
f. Perspiration occurred ten times, in some cases standing in drops on the body. We are inclined to think that the perspiration is especially abundant on the legs and feet, but the excess we there noted may be due to the greater accumulation from the bedclothes hindering evaporation.
g. In no instance did it appear to affect the mouth, producing neither dryness nor salivation.
The symptoms passed away completely in 20 m. to 1/2 h.
h. We made 4 observations respecting the influence of the topical application to the eye on the pupil, and in every instance the pupil became for a short time contracted, and then widely dilated. We used a 1 per cent. solution, but this caused considerable smarting, which became less on the second application a few m. after, and ceased on a third application after a few m. more. The pupil became widely dilated, but generally responded a little to light. The dilatation began in about 1/2 hours, and lasted only for a short time, disappearing in one case in 8 hours, in another in less than 24 hours, and in a third the pupils became nearly equal in 24 h.
l. Mr. Tweedy saw the patients and examined the eyes while under the influence of the piturine. He reports as follows: ” I have little to add to your account of the effect on the eye of the local application of a solution of piturine, except to note that, although the pupil was widely (not fully) dilated, the accommodation was almost unaffected. The patients could read quite well, and they did not complain of much mistiness. Piturine seems to be a weak mydriatic; strong enough to dilate the pupil for a few hours, but not sufficient to impair the action of the ciliary muscle. Except the smarting, a weak solution of atropine – say 1/30 gr. to an ounce – would produce the same symptoms as the 1 per cent. solution of piturine, perhaps even including the preliminary contraction. Ophthalmoscopically I discovered nothing. ” (Ringer, Lancet, March 1, 1879.).
Experiments on animals
1 a. In a previous communication to this journal (i, 377) we showed that P. manifests many of the properties of atropine. It causes drowsiness, dilates the pupil, produces general weakness with convulsive twitchings, and antagonises the action of muscarine on the heart. It possesses, however, two properties distinct from those of atropia; it produces sickness, and in large doses greatly increases the salivary secretion. Even in the properties in which it resembles atropia there are points of difference. For atropia chiefly dries the mouth and dilates the pupil, and these effects endure many hours – indeed, the dilatation of the pupil may last even days; whilst only large doses produce drowsiness, general weakness, and twitchings, or quicken the respirations. On the other hand, the earliest effect of P. is manifested on the breathing, which becomes quick and shallow; then follow general weakness and – after large doses – severe muscular twitchings, whilst the pupil undergoes far less dilatation, and that lasting a shorter time, than after atropia.1 b. We now record some experiments to show that P. antagonises the action of pilocarpine also on the heart (here follow five observations to this effect). We see, then, that P. will quicken and greatly strengthen a heart slowed and much weakened by pilocarpine, and even restore the contractions when arrested by it. We were thus anxious to know if P., in this respect resembling atropia, like that drug paralysed the inhibitory apparatus of the heart. Mr. Waters, of the Physiological Laboratory at Cambridge, kindly performed this experiment for us, and found that P. has no direct influence on the number or force of the heart’s contractions, but so affects the vagi that electrical stimulation of them no longer slows or arrests the heart, but increases the frequency of the beats. (Ringer and Murrell, Journ. of Phys., ii, 132.)
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.