2. A workman took at 7 p. m., October 31st, 1 oz. of tinct. sem. colch. (from about 1.1/2 drachm of seeds). After 5 hours oppression and violent pressure in scrob. cordis, feeling of constriction in chest, dyspnoea, great burning in mouth, difficulty of swallowing, alternate heats and chills, anxiety, violent vomiting and diarrhoea. He was 18 hours without medical aid, except that he drank in the morning chamomile and elder- flower tea without relief. – November 1st, 1 p. m., he lay in bed, countenance sunken, pale, anxious expression, eyes surrounded by deep-blue circles, pupils contracted, swallowing difficult, with pain along oesophagus, tongue moist, furred yellow. No tenderness of abdomen. Pressure on it caused difficulty of breathing and increased anxiety. The vomiting continued violently, and brought up much yellowish-green water (probably the tea he had drunk). The diarrhoeic stools had a very odour, they were orange-yellow slimy fluid, with many large bright yellow flakes, no faeces. Unquenchable thirst, desire for cold drink, cold skin, coldness of extremities, contracted spasmodic pulse, 80. He was treated as a case of cholera with emollient and narcotic medicines, he having concealed the cause of his malady. At 10 p. m. he confessed what he had done. He then got and water, and the other medicines were continued. His symptoms after this were not purely attributable to the colch. He gradually sank. A curious symptom was great pain in the heels which lasted till his death. He remained conscious till death, which occurred after 39 hours. (Medorrhinum Zeit. v. Verbascum f. Heilk, in Preussen, 1834, No. 29)
3. A man, aet.52, took at 9 p. m. by mistake for a cough mixture a decoction of a big tablespoonful for seeds. After 3/4 hours felt rumbling and griping in bowels; some diarrhoea alternately with vomiting repeated about 15 times. Next day, at 8:30 a. m., the doctor found him in bed, countenance not altered, quiet, but rather anxious. The vomiting and diarrhoea were gone; felt very weak; when touched the stomach is spasmodically contracted, pulse small, rather quick. Stools have a very fetid odour, are rather watery, and contain white flakes. He got warm water and butter, which caused a recurrence of the vomiting and diarrhoea. He then got coffee and decoction of marshmallows with lemon-juice. He felt pretty well after this. But next day he looked pale, breathing hurried, he coughed and groaned, voice hoarse, eyes lay deep in head, pupils very dilated, frontal headache. The tongue protruded with difficulty, it was covered with white fur, gastric region painful, face and extremities cold, pulse quick and scarcely to be felt. Stools contain some bright blue matter. Mind confused, paralysis set in, followed by death. P. M., 23 hours after death, showed great stiffness of all limbs and muscles, the muscles of dark brown colour. On abdomen peculiar spots, increasing on both sides towards back, of violet colour with a shade of green, not circumscribed, but shaded off and of a streaky character. Inflammation at the junction of bronchi with trachea. Lungs normal. Little fluid in pericardium. On upper and posterior part of heart large black, violet and blue spots, in the shape of clouds. In heart’s cavities much coagulated blood like wagon-grease. Inflammation of oesophagus after passing through diaphragm, very distinct inflammation about cardia, which was of a dark violet brown colour. Peritoneal covering of stomach bright violet, its m. m. dark violet, its veins congested with black blood; the liver on its under surface, especially towards stomach, was violet. Mesenteric veins full of black blood. Small and large intestines showed reddish – brown colour of their m. m. (NEUBRANDT, Wrt. med. Corresp., x, No. 3).
4. A child, aet.2 1/2 ate some seeds; seen next day. The doctor learned that the previous evening there was vomiting and watery diarrhoea, with occasional slight stupefaction. The following night the child was running about in the room, and not till 11 a. m. did the toxic symptoms occur. The child was pale, sat on its mother’s knee with wide open eyes and stony look, bluish lips, dieted pupils, white tongue, very distended abdomen, hot skin, quick pulse, great thirst, frequent watery stools, scanty urine, restless irritable humour, sometimes moaning. Put to bed it became immediately stupefied, but could be easily roused. Eyes distorted, sometimes slight twitchings in limbs. After an emetic of ipec. vomiting of a large quantity of curdled milk. After various medicines were given the vomiting ceased after a time, but the watery stools continued, and the child became comatose, and died 36 hours after taking the seeds. After death he abdomen was very much swollen. (palluf, Inaug. Diss., Tubingen, 1845.)
5. On drachm vin. sem. colch. daily caused great weakness, prostration, cold skin and tongue, diaphoresis, extreme thirst, contraction of chest, and dyspnoea. On 2nd day eructation violent pain in stomach, vomiting, increased biliary secretion, pinching in abdomen, copious yellow stools, violent diarrhoea, yellow watery stools, profuse secretion of turbid urine, sp. gr. 1034;
urine like chalk and water, caused by urate of ammonia. Next day urine acid, cramps in legs, pulse 170, weak and thready. ( Hufeland’s journ., December, 1841.)
6. A man, aet.60, who had suffered for 15 years from arthritis anomaly, took in 1 hours 50 dr. tinct. sem. After 18th, he felt in middle of forehead a fine pain, accompanied by peculiar excitement of cerebral nerves. His vision was unusually acute, but his intellectual powers were so weakened that he could not understand what he read. He could not speak intelligibly, and mistook one object for another. He had a difficulty in moving his tongue, which often refused to move. For a week he could not write in a connected manner, and frequently left out a syllable in the words he wrote; his thinking power was much impaired. ( Ibid., 1835, lxxv, 1, 101).
7. I found on my arrival at Fort Denaud in Florida a private in the Marine Corps labouring under symptoms not unlike those of Asiatic cholera. He had constant sero-mucous ejections and purgings, resembling, rice-water, and thrown off with considerable force; cramps of the abdominal muscles and of the flexors of arms and legs; cold surface, tongue and breath; mottled skin and bluish nails; shrunken features expressive of great agony; sunken and watery eyes, with contracted pupils. I found that he had swallowed the day before over a pint of vinum colchici, mistaking it for liquor. Death took place in 48 hours after ingestion. (MCPHAIL, Am. Medorrhinum Lib. and Intell., 1839.)
8. A bottle of vinum colchici was drunk by 17 persons, 7 of whom died from effects, of which following is a resume: – In from 45 morning to 1,1/2 hour after ingestion vomiting ensued. Contents of stomach were first rejected, then bile or mucus; afterwards a fluid similar to “rice-water” of cholera. When amount taken was great purging came on simultaneously with vomiting; but if only a small quantity, comparatively speaking, had been swallowed, action of bowels was delayed for several hours. Passages were first natural faeces, then bilious stools, then “rice-water” -a very large amount of frothy, slimy secretion, compared by one patient to clean soap-suds. In no case was any blood to be found. Vomiting continued till last moments in fatal cases, and bowels were emptied involuntarily. Cramps were severe in stomach, bowels and legs. Severe pains were felt in knee-joints in some, and in 2 cases were very marked in left shoulder, – so much so, indeed, as to be a continual cause of complaint, and to compel avoidance of lying on left side. Rubbing was frequently demanded for relief. In the majority there was numbness from elbow to wrist, cramps of fingers, especially 2nd; in one extreme numbness of thumbs under nails, lasting 26 days. In a boy there was great pain between shoulders. Features (1/2 hour after) were pinched and drawn; lips and nose blue, as also lobes of ears. Eyes were congested, pupils slightly dilated; voice hoarse and husky, pain experienced in speaking. Feet and legs icy cold, as also hands and arms; rest of body had clammy feel, but was below normal temperature. Pulse rapid, 125 – 145, small, compressible, intermitting, and at times imperceptible at wrists, though it could be found at elbow with some trouble; temporal arteries difficult of detection, even carotids required patience to distinguish. For several hour before death arteries were almost pulseless; heart’s impulse not to be felt, and its sounds with difficulty heard on applying ear to chest wall. They might be likened to a blowing sound, to a murmur, or to a heart beating at a very great distance, or heard through a stone wall – both sounds melting into one. Respiration was full and easy, and well maintained throughout, as was also pulse-respiration ratio. The sufferers were sensible throughout and to the last. One case ended with a slight convulsive effort. All sat up before dying, falling back in an instant. No headache was complained of. Muscular strength was retained. They were all able to sit up, lift a cup to their lips, or even walk. They were perfectly sleepless. In 2 recoveries there appeared a pustular eruption on face and lower extremities. (MAJOR, Canada Medorrhinum and surg. journ., 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.