5 b. ” On resuming remedy a fourth time same aggravations commenced about 8 p. m. with intense burning cheeks, red and hot; and sharp cutting pains streaking across abdomen low down, and settling in lower limbs and back. Menses have a foetid smell and bright red colour. Pains during menstruation make face and feet cold, hands remaining warm. Continuous feeling of wanting to micturate, urine of bright straw colour with strong smell. When redness disappears from face it leaves it very pale. Menses make their appearances with a very depressing headache, pains almost unbearable. Neuralgia flying from one part of head to the other, mostly affecting right side, and settling in cervical vertebrae, with feeling of imperfect support. While face is red and hot, intense and insatiable thirst. Dull heavy ache in region of apex of heart, with feeling as though a blunt – pointed knife was being slowly driven through it. A sallow, yellowish complexion followed; pulse feeble and slow. The duration of action is 35 – 40 day ” [We have given these last symptoms verbatim, quantum valeat, because there is no account furnished of the epoch at which the medicine was taken for the fourth time; and it does not appear what relation the menses here twice mentioned bore to one another or to those spoken of above, nor are we told how soon the other symptoms appeared after the final doses were taken. – Eds.] (Ibid.)
6. In good health, and regular in all habits. I took 5 dr. n. and m. from evening of Dec. 8th till I had taken 4 doses, when I discontinued it, thinking it without effect. The day following I found pulse somewhat accelerated, and aching pressure on top of head. These symptoms subsided after a day; but for a week subsequently I was annoyed with tired aching feeling across small of back, over crest of ilium, and down into pelvis, particularly right side, accompanied by general feeling of languor and desire to lie down; also slight constipation. 26th. – Began taking S. again, 10 dr. instead of 5. There was no immediate effect, but after a day or two the previous symptoms recurred, somewhat intensified, also boring sensation at back of ears, aggravated by reading or writing; flying pains through head and occasional vertigo; consciousness of heart’s beats. After these subsided the tired ache returned to my back, side, and pelvis, mostly on right side, continuing nearly 2 weeks, worse in m. and during forenoon. Bowels quite irregular during this time, and constipated. ( Ibid.)
7. a. AEt. 39. Health good, menses regular. Being very susceptible to drugs, took 3 dr. doses instead of 5. Took first dose at n., 2 weeks after period Awoke after a short sleep with cutting pains in head, general restlessness, and nausea. Slept towards m., on rising felt listless and languid. Urine scanty and high – coloured. Repeated dose, and in about 1/2 hours headache returned, sharp stinging pains in whole front of head, and in eyes, with sore compressed feeling through balls; intolerable nausea; dread of slightest motion or noise; whole face red, hands and feet icy cold; pressure and pain in whole pelvic region, pains shooting down limbs; burning heat in vagina, with sense of fulness and pressure, worse when standing. Symptoms mitigated 3 – 4 p. m., and dulness followed. Repeated dose at night; same symptoms returned, with constrictive suffocative sensation across chest; deep inspirations produced short stabbing pains through heart; pain in head and eyes almost unbearable; great thirst. No sleep till 3 – 4 a. m.; same languor on rising; trembling limbs; heat, pain and pressure in uterine region, with dislike to move; urine almost blood – coloured, on standing lower portion became gray and by shaking it all assumed that colour; vertigo on walking the street as though pavement were rising up before me.
7 b. Waited several day, then took 3 dr. at n. again. Same symptoms followed, subsiding about 3 – 4 a. m. In m. took 3 dr. Pain in head and eyes not so severe, but great soreness as if bruised; other symptoms aggravated; most horrid nausea; spasmodic pain through heart; frequent stoppage, apparently, of all muscular action of heart, blood merely gurgling through it, which produced no fear at all; listless, disgusted indifference towards everything, even death itself; loathing of food, especially sweets. Menses appeared a few day too soon, copious, of bright red colour and foul odour. Great pressure and fulness with tearing pains in uterine region; sharp stinging pains extending into limbs. Menses followed by brownish leucorrhoea.
7 c. Ten day after flow resumed proving. Obtained same symptoms again; same pains in head, eyes, and uterine region extending to knees; suffocation and irregularity of heart’s action; the most disgusting nausea, not only in m., but going on into afternoon; cold hands and feet; face red, sometimes one cheek, sometimes both, upper lip sometimes hot and swollen as if my breath scorched it; face sallow (unusually so) after flushes. Next period about a week too soon; very profuse; dark clots passed of most disgusting odour. Brownish leucorrhoeal discharge continued. (Ibid.)
III. 1. a. When Ziij of the fluid extract are given by the stomach to a large dog, weighing 40 lb., the following symptoms appear: Almost immediately after the ingestion of the dose, the animal has short and quick expiratory movements, amounting almost to a cough; soon after the pupils become widely dilated, and at the same time a very marked internal strabismus asserts itself, the eyes becoming fixed in this position, so that they cannot follow any object, such as a pencil, when it is passed from side to side. Constant retching, with no result, now comes on, the animal standing, and apparently suffering from no sensory or motor palsy. There is change in gait. Soon after this marked exophthalmos develops itself. The retching, having lasted about 5 m., now passes off, and at this time signs of muscular weakness and lack of co – ordination appear; the walk becomes staggering in both fore and hind legs. The respirations now become very rapid, resembling those of a dog after a long, hot run, the tongue hangs from the mouth, and is dry and red, the nose is hot and no longer moist. Muscular power is progressively lost, so that the dog frequently falls when endeavouring to walk, but sensation does not seem to be affected. About this period the animal lies down and passes into deep sleep, which in turn passes into coma, and death follows without any movement being made, evidently from a general failure of vital force. The respirations as death approaches become slow, and are finally extinguished consentaneously with cardiac arrest.
1 b. In the frog the same symptoms occur as in the higher animal, including the marked exophthalmos, and to a less degree the strabismus. The fixation of the eyeball is extreme, and it feels to the finger like a hard knob, which the lid cannot cover. Muscular weakness, with dropping of the jaw, comes on, and motor power is constantly decreased, until the batrachian lies relaxed and powerless. That the action of the drug in thus destroying motor power is spinal, was proved by the following experiments: If the hind legs are protected from the poison by ligation of the abdominal aorta, the palsy is as great as under ordinary circumstances, and reflexes are totally abolished. Further, if the spinal cord be directly galvanized, no movements occur in the hind legs; and lastly, if strychnine be injected into the body, even in large amount, its action is not only slight, but occurs after the lapse of many minutes. That the drug has no action on the motor nerves is proved by the fact that wen the poison reaches the efferent nerves, either through the circulation or when directly applied, galvanization of the nerve – trunks causes normal contractions in the tributary muscles; and the sensory nerves likewise escape, for if the drug be applied directly to the nerve, and the foot irritated, signs of pain are elicited, and reflex movements occur. Further than this, if the vein in the leg be tied, and the drug injected into the limb, thus protecting the spinal cord, reflexes occurs on irritation of the drugged foot. That the palsy is not cerebral is proved by the fact that movements of muscles supplied by the cranial nerves continue long after the movements in the legs have ceased, and by the other experiments already detailed. The action of the drug on the circulation is as marked as its effects on the nervous system, and on the cardiac muscle it acts as a direct depressant poison, for if it be injected into the jugular vein in such a way as to come suddenly in direct contact with the heart, the movements of that viscus almost instantly cease. Further than this, if the excised heart of the frog is dropped into a strong solution of the drug, its movements are almost immediately stopped in a condition of diastolic arrest, although the relaxation is not very marked.
1 c. When a frog receives as much as 20 min. of the extract, the heart is slowed to a considerable extent – as much as 10 15 beats per m., and diastole, while not increased in length, is nevertheless very full and marked. The change from systole to diastole is abnormally rapid, so that the heart, in one moment in systole, springs with a quick movement to its full diastolic condition. Systole, however, gradually increases on diastole in much the same manner as in digitalis poisoning, until, finally, the greater portion of the ventricle fails to dilate, the apex being tilted more and more forward, while the ventricular walls are powerfully contracted. As the systolic pauses increase, the diastolic movements decrease in volume, until, finally, the heart dilates no more than it does normally. At this time the powerful and heretofore spreading systolic contractions seem to lose power, and the heart shortly stops all movement, in a semi – relaxed state.
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.