12. Dr. MOSER, August 2nd, 6 a. m., 10 dr. 1st dil. Disagreeable feeling in stomach with nausea, frequent eructation of air. During day much flatulence and discharge of flatus. – 3rd. 20 dr., same symptoms. – 4th. 20 dr., discomfort, empty feeling in stomach, eructation of air, inclination vomit on coming into a room or going thence into open air, inclination to vomit on coming into a room or going thence into open air. – 5th. 50 dr. nausea and inclination to vomit, confusion of head, loose stool. All day pressure on forehead and dull pain there; great pressure on eyes. – 6th. 50 dr., inclination to vomit, education, pressure on eyes, confused head, weariness and prostration, and in ankles pain as after a long walk. -7th. 50 dr. same symptoms. -8th and 9th, 1 dr. tinct. Same symptoms. – 10th. 5 dr., nausea to faintness, inclination to vomit, great drowsiness all day., confusion of head, and slight painful pressure and digging in forehead. E., great drowsiness and dizziness in head, pressure on eyes and want to shut them. Pappy taste, pressure in stomach, stitches in abdomen here and there. All day sleepy, but restless sleep at nigh; head heavy, cannot lie still for long. Transient jerking pain occasionally in ankle -joints. Took no more medicine till 16th, and during that time had hot skin; it burnt in many places as from nettles, dry and hot skin kept him awake at night. 16th and 17th. 8 dr., no new symptoms. – 18th. 10 dr., eructation of air, head confused, stitches here and there in forehead and often a transient twitching pain there, pappy taste, anorexia, yawning, legs weary, burning and tingling pain in joints of feet From 3rd days had for several weeks jerking pain in wrist-joints which only lasted a few seconds, but recurred frequently during day. For several weeks the jerking pains were felt in the forehead and leg and arm-joints. Head heavy and confused, sleep restless, with constant turning about in bed. Skin dry for weeks, perspiration suppressed, appetite diminished; distension of abdomen after eating; soon satiated; disinclined for all work, drowsiness when working and pressure on eyes. Weariness and prostration of whole body. ( Ibid.,90)
13. M. QUAGLIO, medical student, aet 21, took 2 dr. on sugar. This caused only burning on tongue and pharynx, followed by eructation and flatulence. 3 dr. caused great burning in lips and tongue; eructation; irritation to cough, feeling as if about to vomit and flatulence. 4 dr. caused great burning in lips and tongue with flatulence. 2 dr. of 1st dec. dil. caused weariness of lower extremities, drawing and pain in knee-joint, malodorous flatus. ( Ibid., 92.).
Poisonings
1. W. G.-, aet, 33, was admitted at 6 p. m. apparently suffering from narcotic poisoning. (He was subsequently found to have swallowed about 3ij of C. sulph.) He lay with all muscles relaxed; face pale, and covered with clammy sweat; lips blue, and moist with saliva and frothy mucus; eyelids closed; conjunctiva slightly sensitive to touch; pupils dilated and insensible to light. Breathing deep and laborious, almost stertorous; pulse 100, regular, but very weak. Patient had vomited; seemed very sleepy could only with difficulty be made to move hands; when pinched inside thigh he did not speak, but when stomach pump was passed down oesophagus he made a noise and struggled. Warm water was injected into stomach but immediately vomited. Bowels were evacuated; motions of light color and solid consistency. At 7 patient was placed in bed, where he had a shivering fit; feet, arms, and legs felt cold to touch, and face became paler, followed by perspiration and return of colour. This only lasted 3 or 4 m. Hot bottles were applied. After this, on shaking him well, he opened eyes and said that he had taken some stuff to do this, to do away with himself, and again lapsed into sleep with heavy breathing. Was given repeated doses of mucilage, vomiting always after it; in intervals sleeping as before. At 8 another shivering like last. At 10, after much vomiting, clearer, does not want to sleep, no pain, but some giddiness. Pulse stronger, 100; temp. 101o resp. 20. During night complained of burning pain in throat and stomach, and next morning of slight headache, conjunctivae congested; pupils less dilated; tongue furred white; pulse 100; temp. 99o. Headache and giddiness gradually passed off during next 4 days, and patient left hospital well. ( Medorrhinum Times and Gaz.,1878, ii, 350.)
2. I have breathed vapour and exhibited it to about 20 other persons, and it is certainly a very rapid and powerful anaesthetic. One or two stated that they found it even more pleasant than chloroform; but in several it produced depressing and disagreeable vision, and was followed for some hour by headache and giddiness even when given only in small doses. When given in one case for removal of tumour of breast, patient was restless during latter part of operation, but felt nothing. Like several others, while under it her eyes remained wide open. After operation she was extremely sick, with much and long-continued headache, and for 50-60 hours, subsequently her pulse was high and rapid, without rigor or other symptoms of fever. It was also given in a case of midwifery at intervals during 3/4 hour. Patient was easily brought under its influence; but it was found impossible to produce by it the continuous sleep attending the use of chloroform. When given as a pain threatened or commenced it immediately affected the power of the uterine contractions so as often to suspend them; but the state of anaesthesia generally passed off in 1 or 2 m. During its use she was occasionally sick and vomited several times. Latterly, her respiration became rapid, and the pulse rose extremely high. (SIMPSON, Monthly Journ. of Medorrhinum Sc., 1848, viii, 740.)
3 T. WILSON, aet 38, in good health, was exposed on evening of April 14th, 1857, to vapours in small room for 1/2 hour. Next day, in afternoon, pain commenced suddenly in right lower eyelid as if bruised soon extending to upper, over lachrymal glands; globe of eye underneath has same sensation; pains all aggravated by movement or pressure. lids feel as if swollen, but are not so; some redness; humming noise in left ear. These feeling quite strange to him. 16th. – Same portion of lower lid to -day quite inflamed. 17th. – Since yesterday continued humming in left ear extending to back of head; stye forming on lid. 18th.– Humming as of distant wind; when taking obliged to raise voice because of its loudness; in evening and n. always sense of fulness at back of head, with humming there, all gone in m. Punctured stye; has been drowsy day and night since exposure to vapour. Yesterday after dinner, and to-day during dinner, left ear feels deaf as if obstructed by thick substance. 19th. -Noise continues, worse after food; left ear rather deaf and feels obstructed. Eyelid discharges thick yellow pus.. 20th. -Noise not quite so loud; vertigo this m. at back of head; severe cough since yesterday with soreness of chest, this m. expectoration of thick mucus. 22nd. – Cough continuous, but not so severe; to-day thick coryza, with lachrymation and headache. Noise in ear much less. 27th. – No noise today, save a little before rising, and no deafness; still coryza in m. 30th. – Return of noise, like gusts of wind through hollow tube; coryza continues, herpetic eruption on upper lip. Catarrh now gradually declined, but tinnitus continued, varying and intermitting, for months. Another stye formed on lid May 28th. ( Brit. Journ of Hom., xvii, 274.)
4. a. Victor D-, aet. 27, in good health, began in 1853 to work at dissolving india-rubber in sulphide of carbon and employing solution for repairs. For 3 mo. he suffered only from violent headache; after that he was seized with general malaise and intense vertigo, so as after a few hour to be obliged to relinquish work. His hearing became affected, and in a week he was so deaf that persons were obliged to shout into his ear to make him hear; this deafness disappeared spontaneously after a time. His memory became so weak that he forgot every minute where were the tools he had just used. His temper also become very changeable; sometimes he was excessively lively, and sometimes angered by the most trifling circumstances, so that he would break everything near him. He slept with difficulty, if at all; and often awoke suddenly from frightful dreams with convulsive starts, rigors, heats, and profuse perspiration. Even during day he was at times icy cold for hour, feeling afterwards as if over- tired or bruised all over. He had severe fits of colic, frequent indigestion, nausea, vomiting of greenish matters several times in day, and transient fetid diarrhoea alternating with constipation. Appetite was lost, mouth pasty, expectoration frequent. he became so weak he was obliged to sit at his work, to use a stick in walking, and to rest at each step in going upstairs. This debility, which affected both upper and lower limbs, was accompanied by cramps in muscles of hands, depriving him, while they lasted, of the use of his fingers. Sexual appetite and power were completely abolished.
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.