13. R. Bailey, aet. 19. Took same at 11:20 a. m., Jan. 28th. In Feb. 1st had feeling of soreness all over body, especially joints, and constipation. 2nd. – Much the same feeling on rising, also sensation as if back would break. Could not straighten up after bending forward without this pain, especially in loins. At 11:30, feeling as if he would faint, felt so weak in head, and as though he would fall at each movement. Bowels constipated; urine orange – coloured, and Heller’s test showed a trace of albumen. Constipation continued for a week more. (Ibid.)
14. H. M. Parker, Jan. 27th, 11 a. m., took same. In 15 m. slight tickling to cough lasting 1/2 hours 28th. – Eyes injected generally in left, in right one bright red clot opposite to ciliary vein. 6 p. m. 6 p. m., sore throat, aggravated by empty swallowing, and better in open air; this continued all next day 30th. – On rising, sore throat had entirely disappeared. 3:30, violent general headache, accompanied by dizziness and nausea, continuing to 6 p. m., when it passed off on going into air. A small pustule on back of neck; bowels constipated, stool hard and knotty. (Ibid.)
15. C. G. Capron, Jan. 27th, 11 a. m., took same. 11.13, slight running (sic) or warm feeling in stomach, worse near cardiac orifice; and slight pharyngeal cough, lasting 1 hours 2:15, dull frontal headache, left side, occasionally radiating to occipital region, worse on motion. 3:45, epistaxis, right side – dark clotted blood – on blowing nose; it recurred every time he did so (and only then) for 5 m. (had never had nose bleed in his life). Post – sternal pain, of stinging type, worse at end of expiration, and slightly to left of sternum. 6:45, cutting pain in left groin, worse on taking a deep breath. 28th. – A stuffy cold set in, and lasted a week. (Ibid.)
16. W. N. Blair. On Monday, took same at 5:45 p. m., and experienced an unconquerable drowsiness all e. At 6:30, when washing hands they felt numb; 10 m. later, while sitting, same feeling in feet. During evening, more or less perspiration; great languor, and tendency to do silly things; study impossible, can read, but cannot take in sense of words; on falling asleep would wake with a start and feeling as if a pin was running into instep. The following Saturday m., and for two successive Saturdays thereafter, woke with a tearing neuralgia in left side of face, with pains darting into eye, nose, temple, ear, and teeth; temper very irritable with it. (Had never had neuralgia before.) (Ibid.)
TABACUM (See vol. iv, p.252)
II. 36. Herman B., aged 38, by occupation a bar – tender. Never had any trouble with his eyes until about six months before he came to me; then for the first time noticed that his sight began to be a little dim, as if a light shade was before him. He could not see at a distance as well as formerly. The eyes were a little sensitive to light, especially gas – light. Did not sleep quite well – was rather nervous. Smoked ten or twelve cigars each day; drank a little also, but not very much. Examination showed that his vision was 20/50, which was not improved by any glass. The ophthalmoscope showed the optic disc a yellowish, dirty pink, with blurred outlines. Retinal veins full, arteries diminished in size, with a dark red fundus. The case was diagnosed tobacco amaurosis. The use of tobacco in any form was forbidden, and nux v., 3rd trit., was given 3 times daily. He made rapid progress for the better; and when last examined, after about six weeks, was fast approaching to a normal condition. (J. A. Campbell, Medorrhinum Call, July, 1881.)
37. Jno. S., aet. 42, cigar maker. Eyes began to fail him a few months before I saw him; dimness before sight, not much – if any – pain. Felt that vision was gradually growing worse. Had used tobacco for many years, ” smoked a great deal. ” Examination showed vision 15/20, not benefited by any glass. The ophthalmoscope revealed changes in the fundus similar to those described in 36, but the discs were not so discoloured, and the eye of a deeper red colour. Tobacco was prohibited, and nux v., 3rd trit., given as before. The result was a steady improvement for the better, until in about two months the vision was again normal. Now comes the confirmatory part of it. The patient had always expressed himself against the theory that tobacco was the cause of his trouble, because he had used it all his life, with no previous bad effects. Having full faith in his own views, strengthened probably by his own desires, he again commenced the use of tobacco, but found that after about six seeks his sight again began to be affected. Convinced at last, he applied for treatment a second time, and this was followed by the same success that attended the first. (Ibid.)
38. Jan. 20th, 1878, J. W., aet. 18, was sent to me by Dr. L. L. Danforth, on account of loss of vision in left eye. He is in college, and gives the following history: Three day ago, on reading Greek in m. noticed a blur before vision, and on closing right eye, found he could not see with l. Next m. the sight was again lost, but improvement p. m. was not as marked. Since then, it has remained ” in status quo. ” He is of a nervous temperament, and has been smoking to excess for a long time, from early in m. till late at night; does not use alcoholic stimulants. Status praesens : Rv. 20 – 20 difficulty; Lv. fingers at six feet; no improvement with glasses; ophthalmoscope shows refractive media clear, and no changes in fundus; the eye, however, seems quite sensitive to reflected light, which causes a stinging pain in ball; there is no headache, or subjective symptoms of any kind, with the exception of loss of vision. Considering the tobacco to be the cause of the trouble I stopped its use entirely and gave nux vom.30. 22nd. – Rv. 20 – 20 difficulty; Lv. fingers at one and one – half feet; ophthalmoscopic examination reveals no change, though the eye is not as sensitive to light; the field of vision is very much contracted; the patient has not used any tobacco; he is restless at n., particularly the latter part, and is very thirsty; always feels worse in m. Nux vomica1. 24th. – Rv. 20 – 20; Lv. fingers at six feet; sleep better, and is less thirsty. Repeat. 26th. – Lv. fingers at fifteen feet (dark day). Continue. 29th. – Lv. 15 – 200. Arsen.20. Feb. 1st. – Lv. 15 – 200. Nux vomica1. 4th. – Lv. 20 – 70. Continue medicine. 7th. – Lv. 20 – 40. Same. 11th. – Lv. 20 – 30. Same. 15th. – Lv. 20 – 20. Same. For a week or two after last date there were slight asthenopic symptoms on using eyes, which gradually passed away, so that he was able to return to his studies in about three weeks. His vision has remained good up to this time, though I cannot say whether he has abstained entirely from the use of tobacco or not. (Geo. S. Norton, Trans. of Amer. Hom. Ophth. and Otol. Soc., 1883.)
39. In the last annual report of the Michigan State Board of Health, Dr. Scott points out a hitherto unsuspected tobacco disease as follows: – ” There has come under my notice for several years, but more particularly during the last two years, a kind of rheumatic condition of the walls of the chest. The patient complains of a dull heavy pain there, – in the majority of cases in the left side. The pain is circumscribed, and limited to a space of not more than 2 in. in diameter, just below and a little to left of nipple. At times it is very severe, and always constant, day and n., when patient is awake. I find it to be most common among tobacco – users, especially those who indulge to excess. Patients suffering from this complaint invariably come to their physician with the belief that they have heart trouble. I have not found signs of organic lesion in any of the cases that I have examined, but there does exist in some of them what may be called ‘ irritable heart. ‘ If the patient abstains from his tobacco, the pain ceases and his condition improves. In one case, where the patient had abstained for 13 mos., pain had entirely ceased; but then he recommenced its use, and after three weeks pain returned with all its severity. ” (N. Engl. Medorrhinum Gaz., xii, 383.)
40. Mr. T -, when smoking T. in a pipe, after about three whiffs of it has feeling as if fingers were longer. If he continues smoking, he feels as if he had lost use of legs from knees downwards. Can smoke a cigar in open air; but if he smokes half of one indoors, his calves feel as if they did not belong to him, and as if they were dropping away, and he has a general feeling as if he were losing strength all over his body; also his upper lip feels elongated and tongue swollen, so that in speaking his words run into each other. (Berridge, Am. Journ. of Hom. Mat. Medorrhinum, ix, 244.)
To II, 19, add – ” See also case by Brochard in Gazette Obstetricale, 1878. ”
41. A woman of 28 acted as saleswoman in a cigar shop. By and bye she lost her appetite; constipation set in, alternating from time to time with severe colic, tenesmus, and diarrhoea; constant pain in gastric region, and during the m. hours frontal headache. After a while she had from time to time spasms, with nausea, vertigo, disgust, obstinate vomiting, hebetude, anguish, palpitation, syncope, hiccup, and constriction in throat, so that she had, off and on, to keep her bed for several d. As intervals between such paroxysms lessened, she grew constantly weaker and more emaciated, her features turning to a pale yellow; menstruation, formerly regular, became irregular, the menstrual blood pale; and there was perfect disgust at all sexual connection. Still keeping on in her business, dulness of head, giddiness, frontal headache and nausea became permanent. Nicotine was found in saliva and urine discharged during a paroxysm, whereas none could be found in that discharged during the free intervals. As the patient would not listen to the advice of her physician, her state became still more aggravated; vision became dim; there was general irritability and hyperaesthesia of skin of back; inappetence, cardialgia, nausea, disgust, vertigo and dulness of head became constant, with addition of cough, sense of exhaustion, and night – sweats. (Amer. Obs., Jan. 1880.)
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.