Introduction
C8 H15 N.
Provings
1. a. SCHROFF made 27 experiments on 3 healthy persons with does of 0.0003 – 0.085 grm. Locally, drug caused very sharp taste, strong burning in mouth, sense of scraping in throat, salivation; epithelium of tongue was removed in spots, papillae were strongly prominent, and organ lost sensibility and was as if paralysed. In about 3 morning after larger doses head and face became very warm, with fulness, weight, and pressure in head. These head symptoms reached a high degree of intensity, and became associated with giddiness, inability to think or to fix attention on one subject, with sleepiness, great general discomfort, and malaise, which – in less degree-lasted till next day. Vision was indistinct, objects floating together, and pupils dilated; hearing was obtuse, as if ears were stopped with cotton; sense of touch was indistinct, and there was feeling of formication, and as if skin were covered with fur. There was general weakness an prostration, so that head was with difficulty kept erect; arms could only be moved with exertion of much effort;; and, on account of weakness of legs, walk was very uncertain and tottering; even next day weakness of extremities continued, slight trembling being induced by much movement. On walking out muscular debility was especially great, walk consisting rather of a throwing forward of body so as to entail as little muscular exertion as possible. On ascending steps, and on pulling off boots after returning home, cramps in calves occurred, as well as in other groups of muscles when called into action as, for instance, in balls of thumbs when thumbs were closely bent. This symptom was constantly observed in two of the provers when dose = 1 dr. of alkaloid.
1 b. Fresh air diminished the giddiness and fulness in head, but in one prover occasioned temporary pain in course of supra- orbital and malar nerves. Eructations, abdominal rumbling and distension, nausea, even efforts at vomiting, took place. Sometimes there was tendency to diarrhoea. In all cases there was dampness of end of fingers, and after large doses hands were absolutely moist. Countenance was sunken and pale; hands were cold and blue. After the larger doses, pulse commonly increased in frequency by a few beats, but subsequently always lessened. Respiration often yawning, but otherwise no constant anomaly presented itself. (Wochenblatt der Zeitsch. der K. K. Gesellsch. der Aerzte zu Wien, 1856.
2. Whilst preparing solution of coniine, the peculiar, penetrating smell of the drug caused an aching pain in the supra – orbital region, lasting several hours. One drop of 1st dil. had no effect; nor had 4 dr., but 25 dr. taken some days later caused slight vertigo with feeling of weight in upper and lower extremities, especially left arm. The vertigo went off in a few minutes, but the feeling of weight lasted upwards of 1/4 hours. The pulse, which was full and strong and 70, became in 10 morning remarkably small and only 59; after 24 morning it was 68 and in 1/2 hour normal. After 2 days took 50 dr. and in 6 morning the heaviness return, especially in left arm, with a peculiarly uncomfortable feeling. The pulse, which was previously 72, in 6 morning feel to 62, in 8 morning to 60, thereafter it increased in rapidity and in 1/2 hours was normal in force and quickness. The feeling of weight and discomfort gradually went off. After 3 hours pain in left lumbar region like slight rheumatism; this lasted more than 2 hours and gradually went off. (POHLMANN, Phys. u. tox. Unters, ueber das Coniine, Erlangen, 1838.).
3. a. Dr. BURMAN injected hypodermically mx of a 5 per cent. solution, an proceeded to play at billiards. “In 5 morning there was slight weakness of legs and confusion of vision; in 25 morning these were more marked, and there was a certain amount of unsteadiness in my gait as I walked around the table; also some numbness with tingling of arms. In 55 morning numbness and weakness of both legs and arms were well marked, and I felt that I handled the cue awkwardly, and that, when standing still, there was inclination to sway backwards and forwards, while knees began to give way under me. In 45 morning weakness of both arms and legs was intensified; I could not now walk without swerving to one side or staggering; I was fast losing all interest in the game, and doubted whether I could go on with it, but managed to do so by dint of great effort. In 1 hour and 10 morning my legs were very stiff, and awkward in motion; it was just as much as I could do to get along; I had to progress slowly; legs felt as if thoroughly tired. It was only possible to get upstairs with the greatest effort, and I did so in a very awkward manner, and often knocked my toes against the steps; strange to say, I found it more difficult to go down than up stairs. When I sat down, I had to let myself drop suddenly when within a four inches of the seat. There was now a great feeling of calm and tranquillity, and some slowness of the mental processes. In 2 hours 20 morning sight and legs were almost right, but arms still weak. In 3 hours I was quite myself again. ”
3 b. Same injection was given to several healthy hospital attendants, and gradual loss and return of power in upper extremities shown by dynamometer. All complained of giddiness, with in one or two cases nausea, in one vomiting. One described legs as feeling “independent, and as if they didn’t care for him or anybody else; ” another as if they weighed a ton. One felt “as if had been working hard all day; ” another as if he had “been ‘flashed’ a bit the night before, and tried – like; ” another “as if he had been up all night on duty, and should like to go to bed. ” ( W. Riding Asylum Reports., 1872.).
Poisonings.
1. A woman with mammary cancer took, to ease her pains, gr. 1/16 tear die. After 3rd dose, spasmodic distortion of neck
supervened, convulsion of face with drawing of mouth, loss of consciousness as in fainting. The remedy was suspended; but on resuming it a week later same spasmodic phenomena recurred. After a twelve month a third trial was made, with same results. (ALBERS, Deutsch. Klin., 1853.)
2. Another such patient to whom A – gave the drug had vertigo lasting for 3 weeks. ( Ibid.)
3. A young man who had for some time been exposed to the odour of C., became giddy, sick, and faint, the vertigo lasting 3 days. Himself having inhaled it for 5 or 6 morning was giddy and powerless all the day, and had tendency to vertigo for 3 weeks, with great fatigue. ( Ibid.)
4. Casaubon reports that, a vial of C. being open in the laboratory, a friend working with him was seized with malaise and went out. He stated that he had hallucinations of vision and headache, and was found with fibrillary tremors and a pulse of 108. (IMBERT – GOURBEYRE, op. cit., p. 115)
5. A few drops of C. being spilled, and two persons having been exposed to their emanations, these were speedily seized with violent symptoms of congestion to head, with headache, vertigo, and prickings in eyes. ( Ibid.)
6. A woman, taking C. for ulcerated cancer of breast, took for some day unduly large doses, and was compelled to desist by the supervention of trembling of the upper extremities. After a week she resumed the remedy, but in 2 days time became the subject of obstinate vomiting; soon there succeeded dazzling of sight, vertigo; in following day there were spasms of limbs; face became cyanosed, and delirium was continuous; to photophobia soon succeeded complete blindness. Instead of gradually diminishing on suspension of drug, these symptoms continued for a fortnight, – vomiting, spasms, delirium, occurring all that time. (DEVAY and GULLIERMOND, from Imbert – Gourbeyre, op. cit.).
Experiments on animals.
1. ROUSSEL made 45 experiments with C. upon rats, cats, dogs, and horses. He thus summarises the result: We have ascertained in the first place a manifest action on the hind quarters. This is characterized by a stiffness, slight at first, but soon increasing more and more till it becomes a sort of tetanus. A similar stiffness afterwards attacks the fore-quarters, and runs the same course. Only on one occasion was the order reversed. This tonic convulsion soon seized on the muscles of the head, neck, tail, abdomen, thorax, and finally the diaphragm itself, so that we can now understand why death takes place from asphyxia. If the dose is not large enough to cause death, the muscular symptoms go no further, and these parts gradually return to the normal condition. But it is otherwise when the dose has been very large. The animal, which had at first exhibited a laborious, irregular, jerky gait, comes to a stand still, seems paralysed;
it steps backwards, tries to support itself with its forelegs, but, these refusing their office, it falls back and tumbles down. At this stage the animal is seized with great anxiety, the body is covered with profuse perspiration, the cutaneous muscles are strongly contracted, general tremors supervene, and convulsions appear. The clinic phenomena follow the same course as the tonic ones, to which they succeed. Sometimes stronger, sometimes less pronounced (least so in the horse), they generally have a short duration, but are (with rare exceptions) the precursors of death. (From Ibid.)
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.