4. A patient swallowed 1 oz. tinct. After 1 1/2 hour there occurred quickened respiration, red face, red watering eyes, copious salivation, small, very quick pulse, trembling and convulsive twitchings, violent pains in stomach and bladder, on touching these parts convulsions immediately occurred. He got Ipecac. and venesection to 16 oz. He fainted and vomited copiously. Next day symptoms allayed, but he could not bear the affected parts to be touched, he passed no urine and had violent priapism. In evening talked nonsense, next day unconscious, no urine passed yet. After external irritants and clusters he came to himself, passed faeces and urine, but he still had headache and talked nonsense often. After 14 days, there suddenly occurred headache, chilliness, general convulsions, coma. External irritants again relieved him. The next 3 days he had slight convulsive attacks; on the 4th days violent convulsions, followed by unconsciousness and death. P. M. – The blood – vessels of the brain, especially of the cerebellum, gorged with blood, the latter covered with coagulated lymph. At base of brain I oz. serum. In pelves of kidneys much blood, m. m. of stomach soft and pultaceous. (IVES, Amer. Journ. of Medorrhinum Sc., 1828; from Wibmer.)
5. A man, aet 46, swallowed C. (quantity not stated). Seen 3 hours afterwards he complained of burning in mouth, oesophagus, stomach, pains in kidneys and bladder, urging to urinate; mouth ulcerated, salivation and nausea. He had vomited, bits of the m. m. were found in ejected matter; tongue trembling, pulse small and quick, priapism, convulsive movements. In evening convulsions of all limbs, constant priapism, red bloody urine, subsultus tendinum, small, quick pulse. Next day urine still bloody, eyes closed, great restlessness, pulse quick, bladder painful. In evening vomited, the whole of the m. m of the oesophagus came away, with pain and loss of blood, on its outer side capillary vessels were visible, on the inside bits of C. Next day urine paler, pulse better, pain less, swallowing still difficult, tongue trembling and red, salivation, priapism, urging to urinate still there. On the 12th day well. (ROUQUAYROLE, Ann. de la Medorrhinum Physiol., 1829; from Wibmer).
6. Four men (a 20, b 28, c 30, and d 40 years old) nearly emptied a bottleful of tinct. After 1/2 hour nausea, vertigo, burning in mouth and throat. After 1 hour all these symptoms increased, and there occurred vomiting and violent pains in abdomen, constant retching and vomiting of blood, burning along oesophagus and intestinal canal, inextinguishable thirst, inability to swallow; with the vomiting there came away large pieces of the lining of the throat and oesophagus. The region of stomach and abdomen was distended and very painful; pulse small, quick; extremities cold; great anxiety. Demulcent drinks and leeches to painful parts of abdomen. N. very restless and full of pain, towards m. some sleep and slight perspiration. 2nd day., considerable febrile symptoms, violent thirst, bitter taste, dysphagia, violent pains in bowels, lips sore, tongue deprived of its skin, velum palati dark brown; no urine passed, though there was constant urging to urinate. The symptoms of strangury increased every hour. Camphor caused violent symptoms, it was borne better on the 4th days, so that a and c were out of bed on the 8th day, b had the most violent strangury. With the most painful straining some lumps of coagulated blood came out of urethra. The renal secretion seemed to have quite stopped, the catheter did not bring away a drop of fluid. the evacuation of the coagulated blood seemed to be caused by a labor – like exertion of the bladder. Tepid water frequently injected into bladder, which always returned tinged with blood, relieved the patient; camphor internally foll. with uva ursi and frictions over renal region with turpentine. After 24 hours., the urinary secretion was restored, bloody urine was discharged, the pains declined daily, and the patient was well in 2 weeks. IN d the strangury diminished to such an extent that a speedy recovery was expected, but on the 8th m. he had such violent phrenitis that four men could not restrain him. Appropriate treatment relieved him and he recovered in 3 days. (GRAAF, Hufeland’s Jour., 1 ii, 2, iii)
7. A dissipated man, aet. 40, took at 1 a. m., about 8 grs. C. When swallowing it he felt violent burning in mouth, fauces, and oesophagus; at same time anxiety that increased every instant. Next violent retching and vomiting. The acridity of the matter vomited increased the pain in oesophagus and mouth, until copious mucus was ejected. Soon after this the intestinal canal and uropoietic system were affected. Then occurred violent diarrhoea with intolerable burning in anus that continued. Most tormenting was the irritation of the urinary passages and the suppression of the urine, of which only a few drops were evacuated with the greatest straining. he vomited a thin membrane which was as long as the oesophagus and was probably its lining membrane. Some hour later the face was swollen, the throat also, the eyes protruded, lips, tongue, palate, pharynx full of blisters; abdomen distended, orifice of urethra inflamed, pulse full and hard as in inflammatory fever; tormenting thirst; urine still suppressed, causing indescribable anxiety; flow of saliva as copious as in salivation, he must always lie on his side. The smallest flexible catheter could only penetrate 1 inch into urethra. After 24 hour the fever went off, the urine again flowed and be gradually recovered. (WENDT, Ibid.., v, pp. 2,391.)
8. An infant, 35 weeks old, got an electuary for worms with which was mingled by mistake an uncertain quantity of powdered cantharides. After the first dose on April 28th at 10 a. m. the child was seized with violent retching and vomiting, mucus and blood were ejected by mouth and nose, and the little patient fell asleep exhausted. The same vomiting was repeated at frequent intervals,, and a delicate membrane was thrown up, probably a portion of the mucous membrane lining the oesophagus, and there were three slimy loose stools. There was alternately violent screaming with legs drawn up to body and sleep with flow of saliva from mouth. Another dose was given, and the above symptoms were renewed. Seen next day at noon, the patient was very pale and limp, the head fell to one side or other by its own weight, the jaws were in perpetual movement as if chewing, though the mouth was open, mucus flowed constantly from the mouth; the mouth, palate, gums, and tongue were covered with blisters from the size of a pin’s head to that of a bean, the m. m. of the nose, as far as could be seen up nostrils, was raw; pulse full, hard, and quick; abdomen distended; the orifice of the urethra was inflamed, passage of urine difficult and rare, urine dark. There was great thirst, but difficulty of sucking owing to the raw places in the mouth. The remedies used, chiefly oil and camphor, succeeded in relieving the infant somewhat by evening, the blisters in the mouth burst. On the 8th days he was out of danger and soon recovered. (SCHLEGEL, Mat. f. d. Staatsarzneiwiss., ix, 257.)
9. A man got for quartan ague 2 drachms of C. powder which caused such satyriasis and desire for coitus that he lost all shame. Another man got C. for tertian ague and had violent satyriasis and uncontrollable desire for coitus amounting to mania. The following day he was found dead, with smiling expression and his penis mortified. (DUPREST RONY, Diss. sur la Satyriasis, 1570, in Wibmer.)
10. A man, aet. 50, married, was dissatisfied with his amount of sexual power, and in order to increase it he swallowed 8 C. beetles. and inclination to vomit, call to stool, vomited much astringent fluid and some of the beetles. There ensued weakness of all the body, frequent chills, burning in fauces and buccal cavity with great thirst, restlessness, constant urging to urinate, urine at first copious, then very scanty and passed with horrible pains. N. restless and sleepless. Drank almond milk, which seemed to increase the pains. When seem he had confusion of head with pain in frontal region; livid complexion alternating with transient redness; great swelling of lips, gums, morning of cheeks; tongue blue and covered with many blisters containing a gelatinous fluid. Some of these blisters already broken, shreds of dead epithelium are seen. Along the centre of tongue, from the tip to the root, a long, distended blister 1/4 inch wide. Painful burning of all buccal cavity and fauces, with great swelling of those pars, compelling constant drinking, which did not allay the thirst. Sickly, better taste, no appetite; disgust at food, frequent hiccuping eructations. No pain in stomach or bowels, stool normal (he had had diarrhoea for some days before taking the Chest.) Dull pressive pain in both renal regions, violent burning-cutting pain in neck of bladder to the fossa navicularis of urethra, especially before and after micturition. Constant painful strangury, with emission of drops of reddish urine sometimes mingled with blood, penis lax, not the slightest sexual desire. Temperature of skin somewhat elevated; pulse quick, tense, and full. Sometimes chilliness, sometimes heat alternating irregularly with sweat; great weakness of limbs, anxious unrest, cannot remain in bed; cross humour. Under camphor spirit 1 drop every 2 hours he soon got well. (HUBER, Zeitsch. d. Ver day hom. Aerzte Oesterreichs, i, 561.).
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.