1 d. Experiments on the warm – blooded animal show that on the injection of Zj, or less, of the drug, the action of the heart is very rapidly slowed in its movements; and that this slowing is chiefly due to central inhibitory stimulation is shown by the fact that if the vagi be cut before the drug is given the slowing does not occur, and also, if after the drug has slowed the heart the vagi be cut, the inhibition no longer remains. The fall of arterial pressure produced by the drug is due in great part to the cardiac depression which it produces, since asphyxia will cause a rise in pressure, and the pressure returns nearly to normal as soon as the heart gets rid of the drug which has been suddenly injected into it. Respiration ceases some moments before the cardiac arrest. (Hare, Medorrhinum News, March 12, 1887.)
SPIRITUS NITRI DULCIS.
Introduction
Spiritus oetheris nitrosi. An alcoholic solution of nitrous ether, nitrite of ethyl, C2H5NO2.
Proving
1. April 28th, 8 a. m., 10 dr. Soon confused head as if vertigo were imminent repeatedly; when sitting felt as if body swayed. Pulse till 8:30 fuller and slower than normal. Hands felt trembling on grasping anything. 9:30 a. m., pressure in left knee and later in right forearm. 4 p. m. drawing in dorsum of left foot and in joint of 1st left metacarpus. – 29th, 6:30 a. m., 15 dr. 7:30 a. m. tearing in fingers and toes, pain in right hip – joint. Pressure in top of left thoracic wall, going and coming. 8 a. m. l. ear closes up without pain or swelling; this lasts 1 hours and was the beginning of a severe cold which developed same day – May 2nd, 7:15 a. m., 2 dr. Soon weight in occiput, with heat; feeling as if hot water ran up back for 1/4 h. Heat in face more internally, then in whole body, sweat on hands the veins of which are swollen, lasts 1/4 h. Pulse the first 1/4 hours sometimes unequal, on the whole fuller and stronger. 8 a. m. inward chilliness, cold hands, urging to urinate, till 10 a. m. At 9:45 drawing in muscles of calves, on left tibia. Pricking on tongue – tip; nausea. – 8th, 6 a. m., 20 dr. Immediately heat rising from cervical vertebrae to occiput, a mist across upper part of field of vision, the veins swell, pulse quicker, for 1/2 hours 6:30 a. m. shooting in spinous processes of lower dorsal and lumbar vertebrae; heat rises inwardly in face, then in forehead with pressure. 6:45 a. m. chill through vertebrae, cold hands. Pressure in right metatarsus and right forearm. Pricking in tongue – tip. Tearing in right tibia. 7 a. m. urging to urinate, scanty discharge. 12 noon, shooting pain in left thoracic wall, superiorly. 10:30 p. m. shooting in larynx, dry cough, – 11th, 7 a. m., 5 dr. Pressure and drawing in bones of dorsum of both feet. Pricking in tongue – tip. Pressure in occiput, weight and fulness in scrob. cordis. 8 a. m., 5 dr. Increased flow of clear saliva after all doses. Urging to urinate, much borborygmus. Pressure in 1st joint of right big toe. Formication in skin of right tibia. Cutting deep in fore part of tongue. Several times chill through back; mucus in throat, obtuse pressive feeling deep behind sternum as if in oesophagus. 9 a. m. sudden shooting on left side below navel towards bladder. 9 a. m., 5 dr. Pressure in several parts of sinciput. Great chilliness in back and limbs. Urine clear, not profuse. 3:30 p. m. boring in right tibia, pressure in left elbow – joint and right forearm; shooting in glans penis. 6:45 p. m. on back of joint betwixt 1st and 2nd phalanx of left third finger suddenly violent shooting burning pain with swelling, redness and dark blue veins, aggravated by pressure for a few minutes; the redness and swelling continue till bedtime and next m. – 12th, 8 a. m., in right temple pressure inwards as with a blunt instrument. Shooting in end of urethra. Pressure in first joint of left big toe, in right ankle – joint especially in outer ankle. 5 p. m. shooting and contraction in larynx. – 13th, 7 a. m., 8 dr. Shooting in tips of toes and in 2nd joint of right little finger. Weight, fulness and oppression in scrob. cordis, much saliva. Shooting in tibiae, confusion in sinciput. Shooting in spinous process of middle dorsal vertebra. 8 a. m., 8 dr. Frequent urging to urinate. Horripilation in scalp. Sick feeling, much mucus in mouth, repeated pressure in head and bones of left instep. Weakness in right hand with shooting in some of its joints, then weakness in right shoulder – joint. Drawing in dorsum of right foot and in right knee. Weakness in whole of right arm, it feels heavy to lift, as if swollen or full. Shooting in masticating muscles. Intermittent shooting pains in left thoracic wall superiorly, then in r. Drawing and heaviness in calves and houghs. Severe pain in right shoulder; chilliness through back. 9 a. m., 8 dr. Chilliness in back and profuse warm sweat in palms; chilliness increase, hands grow cold, and so does the sweat on palms. Qualmishness in scrob. cordis rising up into mouth, in which there is much mucus. Shooting in inner side of l;. upper arm, in left wrist, and between scapulae. Weight and soreness in both arms. Tearing in right fingers; drawing in right thigh; pressure in left temple. Spasm in oesophagus from below upwards. 10 a. m., 8 dr. Vertigo; drawing in right upper maxilla; persistent dryness of throat; pressure over lower part of thoracic wall. 12, noon, tearing in right canines and incisors. 1 p. m., much mucus in mouth and taste of potash. Shooting in tongue – tip; very weak; drawing in heels. Bad smell from mouth. Pressure in left mastoid process and on insteps. 10 p. m., in bed, violent tearing deep in left forearm to wrist. – 14th. M., long – continued pain in whole left leg and ankle – joint, especially when moved, most pain in outer ankle. 8:30 a. m., pain in right tarsus and metatarsus, most while sitting. Tearing in left tibia; drawing in fingers. At n. dreams of burning. All the days drawing and pressure in several joints. 18th. M., same affection of left 3rd finger as on 11th. Some m. short dry cough. Since taking the medicine has daily and frequently jerking in border of right upper eyelid. On 20th for some m. visible twitching in border of left side of upper lip. 25th, 7 a. m., 30 dr. Soon, confusion of head, pressure in several parts of sinciput; much thin saliva, and persistent salt taste on tip of tongue. 7:30 a. m., chilliness through back down to legs, with cold hands. Horripilation under skin from sacrum to legs; pressure on dorsum of feet and on wrists; head dazed; some pain in scrob. cordis, much saliva, general weakness till 9 a. m. 9:30 a. m., pressure in temples, frontal bones, sternum, and knees; pricking in tongue – tip; pressure in stomach, spasm rising up oesophagus, drawing pain off and on towards upper part of thoracic wall; eructation of air. The pain in stomach is like pressure with a blunt instrument, aggravated by strongly inspiring, pressure, and holding body erect, ameliorated by binding in belly. 10 a. m., pain increases, is cutting, goes to umbilical region, increased by gentle inspiration. 1:30 p. m., pain in abdomen continues, much increased by eating, is cutting; much flatulence accumulates in abdomen, the pain relieved by discharge of flatus. Tearing and pressure in left fingers. 4:30 p. m., severe jerking cutting deep in scrob. cordis, with flush of heat and general warm perspiration. 5:30 p. m., shooting in tongue; drawing in different parts of dorsal muscles. 9 p. m., pressive stiff pain in anterior part of left shoulder – joint and at scapular end of clavicle, increased by movement. 11 p. m., in bed, some shooting anteriorly in left knee and great pain in left elbow and upper arm. – 26th. M., acute shooting in tongue. 1 p. m., single stitches through left thumb and right forefinger. 4 p. m., shooting in left joint of right little finger; repeated nausea; boring in left tibia and dorsum of feet. 7 p. m., tickling in larynx; dry shaking cough – 27th. 9 a. m., shooting in tip of left thumb. 10 a. m., boring in left tibia, shooting in tips of all left toes. Pressure in left shoulder – joint, down upper arm, drawing in single joints and phalanges of fingers; painful feeling of weakness in left shoulder and several fingers, repeatedly during d. Constrictive pressure in upper part of thoracic wall. – 28th. 7 a. m., pressure in right temple. 8 a. m., drawing in scalp with pressure in several parts of skull. Salt taste on tongue and flow of saliva occasionally. The symptoms during the following day were: Burning shooting on back of some finger – joints, pressure and boring in wrists, tibiae, ankle – joints, head and facial bones. The sufferings were worst m. and at n. in bed, and were evoked by wet weather. – 31st. Stitches deep in tongue; much shooting and tickling in larynx with thin saliva, lachrymation and short dry cough; tearing in left toes; pressure as with a peg in middle of left forearm. – June 2nd. In the preceding day, but especially to – d., nausea, qualmish feeling in stomach, flow of saliva, and hunger, which goes off with those symptoms. The quivering in eyelid lasted till June 10th; the pains in limbs were often not felt for days, and seemed to depend on wet weather. (Lembke, Zeitsch. f. h., Kl., iv, 145.)2. After 100 min. taken by a healthy subject, the sphygmogram invariably exhibits a marked fall in tension, with increased frequency of beat. Similar effects were caused by 50 and even 25 min., though less in degree; they began within 3 m., and were marked within 8; at 30 m. a slight rise occurred, in an hours a fall again, and after 4 hours the tension was barely normal. A full dose in some subjects induces slight faintness and depression. (Leech, Pract., xxxi.)
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.