18. Dr. NORTON, March 6th, 1851, took 10 dr. of tinct. (probably 1 in 6) at bedtime. In n. unusual sexual ardor, with continued delusions respecting object of embrace. 7th. – At 7:30 a.m., 20 dr. Two hours after calm opiate effect on mind and brain. At 10 p.m., repeated dose, without appreciable effect. 8th. – At 7:30 a.m., took same; in about 2h. after slight confusion of head. Once, for a few m., burning in urethra as for cantharides. 9th. – At 9 a.m., 20 dr.; in 2 h. stupefying feeling as after laudanum; also indifference as to how the world uses one. Effects went off in 2 or 3 h. 10th. – At 8 a.m., 40 dr. No perceptible effects save intellectual dulness; also soreness or tense stiff feeling in eyes and lids all day (Brit. Journ. of Hom., xvii, 464.)
19 a. PURKINJE, after taking a dose of 12 gr., in bed and fasting, experienced heartburn, pleasant and moist warmth over whole body; general and agreeable excitement of nervous system, which was particularly distinct in skin and muscles, peculiar excitement of brain, and, above all, feeling of inebriation. These feelings continued 1 1/2 h., and were dissipated by customary occupation of d. they were not followed by any sense of lassitude. 19 b. Same took 3ij like manner. First effect was to excite such restlessness that he could not remain in bed. There was a singular sense of lightness in limbs; all movements were executed with unusual ease; in walking legs were raised beyond ordinary height’; without their inherent vigor being increased or diminished. Skin and muscles showed diminished susceptibility to external impressions; he was unable to perform any literary work for a crowd of ideas rushing upon him; one thought quickly followed another but he was unable to fix attention upon any of them; he lost consciousness of his personality, thoughts chasing each other more and more furiously. After vomiting, consciousness returned, but distracted condition of mind, forgetfulness and crowding of ideas continued; time seemed very long to him, and full of events which he was unable to recollect. This continued 3 h., during, which time he could with an effort apply himself to work. But impressions received by sense of sight were evanescent (those by hearing lasting longer); finally, an oppressive warmth spread through head and body, he lost consciousness and fell down, Face was flushed; and for 1/2 hours he breathed slowly and remained unconscious, exhibiting slight convulsive movement. On waking, he had to make persistent effort to recover consciousness of his personality and a knowledge of his surroundings; but he experienced no exhaustion, and there were no after-effects. (RICHTER, Spec. Theridion, Suppl. Bd., P. 442.)
20. An adult man, in good health, inhaled vapor of C. (moistened with alcohol) for some hours to check a catarrh. After a time he felt himself overpowered with general lassitude. Head became heavy, stupid, and painful; vision disordered, and there was shivering at intervals. Soon he was unable to stand; fainting and nausea supervened; and physician found him in state of extreme prostration pale, hands cold; trembling, with tendency to slight fainting, soft pulse, quick and irregular breathing, intense headache and singing in ears. He soon recovered, and urine exhaled very marked odour of C. (Journ. de Chim. Medorrhinum, 1860, p. 466.)
21. A woman, aet. 37, with chronic ovarian pain and dysmenorrhoea, but otherwise normal, took C. 4 months.
21 a. For 1st week 2 gr. were taken in solution daily on an empty stomach. She stated that the medicine did not affect her in any way; but observation after first ingestion found pulse reduced from 72 to 60.
21 b. For next fortnight 4 gr. daily in same way. She described dose as producing sense of warmth through whole body, especially in chest and mammae.
21 c. During 4th and 5th weeks, 5gr. m. and e. Decided giddiness after each dose, coming on after about 20 m., and lasting 10 m. On two occasional it was considerable.
21 d. During 6th week 10 gr daily. First dose, taken 2 1/2 h. after breakfast, made her very giddy and powerless in 1/2 h., feeling passing off in 10m. Later dose, taken before breakfast, produced in 10 m. such giddiness that she could hardly walk across room. Feeling continued at maximum for 15 m., then declined, but did not pass away entirely till after breakfast, 1 3/4 h. after dose.
21 e. for next 3 weeks 15 gr. every 3rd m. before breakfast. Giddiness came on in 5 – 15 m., lasted at maximum 15 m., declining through another 1 1/4. No other effect, but there was a little confusion when she looked up from sewing.
21 f. After 20 gr. there was also tremulousness of hands and slight somnolency. In 2 1/2 h. she was still a little shaky and unsteady in her actions and felt languid and sleepy; pulse had fallen from 72 to 66.
21 g. After 30 gr. same symptoms; pulse falling from 70 to
60.
21 h. For last weeks of the time she took 10 gr. twice or three times a day during 16th week she seemed languid and lethargic, and felt so, legs being weak and shaky; twice she felt very faint, and constantly experienced heaviness and dulness of head which seemed bewildered. There was no dimness of sight, but vision was “flickering and weak;” pulse natural m breathing 23 one m., the next 19, with one long – drawn inspiration. No other functions were affected. (HARLEY, Pract., ix, 215.) 22. A youth of 17 was treated by C. for seminal emissions, in doses increasing from 4 to 30 gr. Same giddiness, internal heat and reduction of pulse were observed. On one occasion 35 gr. were token after walking when pulse was 86. Giddiness “over back and top of EDS” came on in 15 m. and continued at maximum for 20 m. In 35 m. 76, full and bounding; cheeks hot and flushed, with a little somnolency, and sensation of warmth over upper chest. After 2 hours pulse 76, regular, and of usual force an volume; somnolency and flushing gone, but he still felt heavy about eyes. He walked home, but experienced slight giddiness on reaching home, lasting 1/2 h. (Ibid.)
23. a. Man took 10 gr. In 10 m. pulse went down to 64; feeling at stomach of coldness and acridity; in 20 m. pulse 60, feeling at stomach still continued, but there was a feeling of general wellbeing. In 3 h. pulse 74, its normal frequency, and all symptoms subsided.
23 b. Again, 20 gr. produced similar symptoms, but increased in proportion to the larger dose.
23 c. A third experiment with 36 gr. gave following results: – Immediately feeling of coldness penetrating whole trunk and especially felt at stomach and oesophagus. Feeling of comfort such as experienced on taking an ice when heated; in 1/2 h. pulse went down from 72 to 60. Slight feeling of exhaustion; coldness continues, although in the digestive canal there commenced a slight degree of acridity and biting. The widespread feeling of cold continues very marked. Undoubted aphrodisiac action. Coldness and feeling of well-being increased by walking, but the lightness and power of flight found in some experiences were not felt. Two h. after taking C. feeling of coldness in alimentary canal replaced by one of slight and pleasant warmth. In 3 h. all effects disappeared. The breath was impregnated with C. for a short time after taking it, but not the perspiration or urine. (TROUSSEAU and PIDOUX, op. cit., sub voce.) 24 a. Dr. SCUDERY, of Messina, took from 10 to 15 gr. of C. In 15m. pulse became more frequent and vibratory, and this lasted 2 h., then cheeks became red and there was an access of fever; skin became dry; pain in head with vertigo; eyes lustrous and affected by light; feeling of contraction at chest and breath smelling of C. No burning or weight at stomach, but, on the contrary, feeling of strength and comfort there. At times inclination to pass water, and urine had odour of C. In 4 h. these symptoms disappeared and were succeeded at n. by amorous dreams, erections, and pollutions. Urine scanty and burning; constipation.
24 b. Scudery repeated proving on five different occasions with similar result, only sometimes fever was more marked and lasted longer, especially when he increased the dose to 40 gr.
24 c. Dr PASQUALI, of Rome, took 10 gr. with sugar and gum arabic. His pulse became more frequent and vibrating; in 15 m. slight frontal headache, which increased for 30 m.; followed by vertigo, injection of conjunctiva, and feeling of comfort at stomach. Headache lasted all the next d.
24 d. Dr. MEZZETTI took 8 gr. His pulse was at first 66, feeling of heat at stomach; 1 1/2 h. after pulse fuller and more vibrating; head heavy and painful, ideas confused. The proving, repeated some day after, gave similar results, with addition of frequent emission of burning urine. At n. he had a little delirium, dry tongue, and thirst (Journal du Progress des Sciences Medicales, xvii, 78.)
25. A gentleman who had had nocturnal emissions in excess of health, and had taken a melancholy religious turn, took one n. on going to bed some pieces of camphor. He lay down, but had immediately indescribable discomfort and nausea; he could not remain lying down; he felt a kind of madness, and alternately thought he was dead and alive. He tossed much about. The external world seemed to have vanished, he imagined he was in quite another world, in a great space, and that he was the only one remaining of all the world, – that he was in fact the sole survivor of all created things. He felt assured of eternal damnation. He thought he was the evil demon of the God-forsaken earth. All comfort and all hope were lost. God Himself had ceased to exist. He felt unspeakably miserable, he suffered the most intense mental agony. He was the evil spirit of an empty world, hopeless and to be consoled, his heart broken by unexampled sorrows. He rose suddenly from bed, rushed to the window and torn it open. It was a fine moonlight night, but this only increased his torture. The heavens seemed to be transparent and lifeless, the earth to lie in a dull gloom. The sense of touch was lost, the eyes protruded. He felt inclined to throw himself from the window in order to float through his demoniac kingdom, but a slight glimmer of sense restrained him. His eyes were dry, his hand could not grasp anything. He endeavoured to pray; the words came out of chest as if it were a cracked vessels. He was seized with a affright and wished to run away. He cried out: “I am really dead and gone to hell for eternity, and yet I confessed this morning and no sin weighs upon me.” He began to have doubts as to the soundness of his dogmatic views, though he had always been a firm believer. He remembered he had a stomachache syrup in his cupboard. He stretched out his hand to get it, but was horrified to discover that he had no feeling; his whole body seemed insensible, and he had no feeling of internal warmth. He scratched the skin of his face and hands, but felt nothing. He lighted a candle and felt better, but on going back to bed he again felt the wish to throw himself out of window. He got up and rushed out of the house and fell down near a neighbour’s door with a loud cry. The neighbors came out and administered restoratives. He could not bear to be left an instant alone. They gave him a cup of hot tea, which seemed cold to him. He then vomited and then felt cold. They laid him in bed and he fell asleep. Next m. the horrible delusions would come unless he made a strenuous effort to suppress them. All these things did not occur in a half sleep -on the contrary, he was very wide awake and remembers the slightest incident. Now, though a considerable time has elapsed, the horrors of that time recur when he is alone and he feels as though his soul were freed from its material dwelling. If he drinks tea or coffee the same visions and delusions occur. He has often nightmare, and cannot sleep when the delusions are on him. His disposition is very irritable and morose with tendency to despair and suicide. During day he is pretty quiet, but at n. and when alone he is tortured by his hallucinations. (Hom. Viertelj, i, 231. Communicated by the patient himself.).
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.