Poisonings
1. A mother bathed her nipples with C. from commencement of nursing. The baby, who was perfectly healthy when born, 9 day after was noticed to be constipated and to suffer from wind. Next day there was decided yellow tint of skin; urine was dark and offensive, and stools yellow (” of colour of marigold “). On 11th day there was screaming, twitching of hands and face, pain after nursing, stool was curdled. 12th day – At 11 a. m., immediately after nursing, was convulsed; eyes were fixed during convulsion but rolled about afterwards; dark round mouth; vomited milk with slime. Strains, but passes no stool; extremely nervous; starts at noises; fretful; hungry after nursing. Aethusa was given. Much better in evening, and slept well. 13th day – Has only been a little sick once. One brownish – reddish yellow stool. No screaming, very little crying. Continue aethusa. From this day the Calendula was left off. In evening vomited once after nursing, curdled milk with sticky mucus. 14th day – No stool, less wind; urine better; hiccup. Nux vomica 15th day – Two yellow motions, much straining. Violent hiccup after nursing or vomiting, which was of milk and thick mucus. China. 18th day – Diarrhoea in n., large frothy yellow stools, excoriating; much wind. 22nd day – Gasps in sleep, keeps mouth open, moving head up and down (backwards and forwards); breathes rapidly at times; starts in sleep but no longer at noises. Chelidonium. Save for these symptoms condition had improved pretty steadily since 15th day; jaundiced hue varying. A cold in head now supervened, with thick green discharge; and left eye, which had discharged a little on 22nd day, on 31st day showed a thickening of conjunctiva like a redundant fold, which did not entirely disappear for 2 weeks afterwards. The peculiar stools continued for some weeks. Urine varied in character, but as late as 50 day from birth it was strong – smelling and stained deeply. Senna seemed finally to set it right. (Clarke, Hom. World, Aug. 1891.)CANNABIS INDICA (see vol.i, p.713; vol.iv, p.528)
11. I took about noon a pill containing 1/2 gr. of extr. At 1:30 I had lunch without alcohol in any form. Soon after this, while arranging a few photographs, I found myself much puzzled at what I was doing, and got utterly bewildered among them. The symptoms thereupon became established, and lasted till about 7 p. m. – that is to say, for about 5 hours they were characterised by absolute forgetfulness of the thought, or speech, or act of the previous moment. I would, for example, be startled by hearing as it were the echo of the last words of a sentence I had spoken without knowing what it was about; or, having proposed to go for a walk, I would meet my companion at the street – door and wonder why we were there. These symptoms came on in bouts, which lasted a few m., and were separated by periods fairly free from them, – the intervals increasing in length. There was no unusual or unpleasant feeling in the head, or any exaltation of spirits, and, save for the blanks of forgetfulness, a perfectly clear mind, which rendered the symptoms none the less alarming. My conversation and behaviour seemed quite natural to others. At one time I tried lying down, but thought succeeded thought only to be immediately blotted out, producing a most unpleasant effect and no inclination to sleep. (S. L. D., Lancet, Aug. 22nd, 1891.)
CARBONEUM SULPHURATUM (see vol.ii, pp.29, 731; vol.iv, p.535)
II. 13. A young man, aet. 18, after constantly using bisulphide of carbon in the manufacture of footballs, has felt for 5 mos. past various nervous disturbances. Sleep is disturbed by dreams, nightmare; and there are pains in the lower limbs, accompanied by cramps and tingling. For some time past, there has been a marked weakening of the memory and a considerable diminution of the sensibility of the upper limbs, as far as the elbow. This patient formerly had excellent vision, but since 3 mos. ago there has been difficulty in distinguishing objects placed at some distance. To – day he only counts fingers at 3:50 metres, and receives no benefit from correcting glasses. The ophthalmoscope demonstrates a very marked atrophy of the papilla of the left optic nerve. The erect image shows that the vessels have a very much diminished calibre, and that they contain but little blood. There is slight concentric retraction of the left visual field, but no dyschromatopsia. (Dumont, Bulletin de la Clinique Nationale Ophthalmologique des Quinze – Vingts, 1887.)
14. Young man, aet. 19, employed 7 years in the manufacture of rubber, and daily exposed to the vapours of bisulphide of carbon; has never felt any disturbance in his general health until 2 mos. ago, when vision diminished progressively, without pain or inflammatory symptoms. Present condition: – R. visual acuity, counts fingers at two metres; left visual acuity, counts fingers at one metre. No help from lenses. Visual field remains normal. There is complete achromatopsia. No anaesthesia of cornea. Media are clear. Optic disc is small, as if shrunken, and appears ischaemic. Along retinal vessels is found a small zone of circumscribed retinitis, producing a double contour and rendering them more projecting. There has been no previous disease, no ocular affection, no history of alcoholism or of nicotinism. No symptoms of ataxia can be found, and there are no family antecedents. (Gand, Ibid., 1886.)
15. Young man, aet. 16, has worked at the manufacture of rubber for three years, being exposed to the fumes of bisulphide of carbon for 8 hours daily. In the beginning, and for 2 mos., he had pains in head, nausea, and some vomiting: these disturbances disappeared, and since then his health has remained good. Four months ago vision began to diminish progressively, without pain or inflammatory reaction. Present condition: – R. visual acuity, counts fingers at two metres; left visual acuity, 1 – 10. No relief from correcting lenses. Visual field is normal, both for white and for colours. The ophthalmoscopic examination reveals nothing peculiar in the media; the papilla is ischaemic, otherwise the fundus is normal. Antecedents, as to previous ocular affection, symptoms of ataxia, alcoholism, nicotinism or heredity, are absent. (Ibid.)
16. A workman, employed for six years in the manufacture of vulcanised rubber, had only been disturbed during that time by occasional vomiting, followed immediately by relief. An important change in the method of manufacture having exposed him to the influence of a greater quantity of bisulphide of carbon vapour, the symptoms of poisoning quickly appeared, in the form of loss of appetite, involuntary micturition, genital weakness, general debility and prostration, nightmare, &c. After a rest of six weeks, these symptoms partly disappeared, and he resumed his work in Jan. The same symptoms reappeared quickly, still more marked, but the patient continued at his work without interruption. In April following, he noted that his vision had failed, and one day, after a prolonged exposure, he was attacked by general trembling, and all objects appeared to have a bluish gray tint. He could not see the telegraph poles on the opposite side of the road, the dial of the church clock, or the cows in the field at a distance of about thirty metres. He did not even see the title of a paper in large letters; all appeared grey, cloudy. Obliged to quit work, he presented at the clinic, where it was found that the largest letters of Snellen’s test types could only be read very near the eyes. Correcting glasses gave no help. Ophthalmoscopic examination, after the instillation of a drop of atropine, revealed nothing special. Some days later objects assumed a red, or rather, rosy, tint, in place of the grayish colour that first appeared. He complained of great pain in the head at the level of the occipital protuberance. The health was gradually restored after six weeks in the country. Vision was completely reestablished after three or four months. (Bruce, Edinb. Medorrhinum Journ., May, 1884.)
CHININUM ARSENICOSUM (see vol.ii, pp. 152, 738; vol.iv, p.544)
I. 10. a. Of nervous, bilious temperament, cephalic habit, subject to neuralgia, dark, aet. 41. On 11th March I took grm. 0.20 of the 1, trit. at 10 a. m. Some vague pains in stomach and limbs became accentuated, perhaps to be attributed to the dry wind then dominant. I did not feel any morbid symptoms and dined with my usual appetite at midday. At 5 of the same day, I took another dose as above. After about an hours dryness of palate, yawning, and nausea, as if on the point of vomiting (resembling the feeling produced at first tobacco – smoking). After about an hours this state of discomfort disappeared and the n. passed tranquilly. On 13th, at 7 a. m., a fresh dose. After an hours frequent yawning came on. Momentary vertigo. Griping or colic about umbilicus as if I had taken purging medicine. My appetite, however, was not sensibly affected. At 4 p. m. another dose. Instantly afterwards deep obtuse pains in left femur, already felt after dose taken the day before. After an hours a dull pain at the left temporo – maxillary articulation and in thigh of same side. A sense of being oppressed in anterior mediastinum, at right side of sternum, transitory; formication and pricking, especially in scalp. Profound shooting pains all along right leg, most in repose. At 5:30 repeated yawnings, shiverings, and coldness generally; dull headache. Pains as if wind were confined in the left flexure of the colon; pulse 55, ordinarily 61. General stretching. Penetrating pains in upper temporo – frontal region. Pains at right astragalo tarsal articulation, as if the two surfaces were being drawn in opposite directions, ceasing on walking.
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.