irritable variety of lepra. (HARLEY, op. cit.)
13. A young student, in perfect health, imagining himself the subject of a venereal affection, took a long and active course of C. He lost colour, vivacity, appetite, sleep; all the
functions became deranged; at length he was attacked with a tertian fever or bilious type. Bark and opium, with good regimen, arrested the paroxysms and effected a cure; but their remained such weakness of stomach that at the least excess there came on immediately indigestion, buzzing in head, ringing in ears, excessive lassitude of lower extremities, and frequent periodical paroxysms of fever. (CHIAPPA, Gaz. Medorrhinum, 1833, p. 640, from Imbert – Gourbeyre.)
14. [*The remaining cases of poisoning by hemlock are inserted for the sake of completeness, but with our present knowledge of toxicology it must be confessed that they are somewhat dubious, and are accordingly relegated to the smaller type. It will be noticed that in most, if not all of them, the root was the part employed: whereas it is from the leaves or fruit that modern preparations are made. Dr.Imbert-Gourbeyre’s obs. vi proves, on reference to the original, to be a case of poisoning with cicuta virosa.–EDS.*]. TRAGUS relates that he had seen a woman, who had accidentally eaten of hemlock root, become, as it were, tipsy and insane, so that the attempted to scale heights and to fly. Vinegar restored her to herself. ( Hits. Stirpium., left 1, c. 159; from Imbert – Gourbeyre.)
15. A peasant and his wife ate of hemlock root by mistake, and then went to bed. Awaking in middle of night they had completely lost their reason, they ran about house in dark, quite wild, striking’s head, face, and eyes against walls. In morning the neighbours found them in pitiable state, covered with bruises. (MATTHIOLUS, who states that he personally ascertained that it was really hemlock they had eaten; from Ibid.)
16. I knew two monks of high family, who ate freely of C. brought to table by error. Scarcely had food entered stomach than its virulence so oppressed the head of either that a manifest insanity seized them. One imagined himself changed into a goose, and hurried into a lake; the other, tearing off his clothes, declared himself to be a drake, and that the internal fire could not be distinguished unless he should swim in a river. Cathartics and other measures soon brought them to themselves, but for more than three years they were harassed with tremors and petechial spots. (KIRCHER, from Ibid.)
17. Several persons – 3 women, 1 man, 2 boys, and as many girls – ate of hemlock root. All became delirious-more or less according to quantity taken. One woman complained of oppression and anxiety, and for two hours was quite out of her mind, but manifested sense of thirst and of excessive heat of gullet. For 4 days more her mind wandered; she thought she saw birds and dogs about her, and men seemed dead or sick. Others in their delirium imagined they saw lizards or serpents; others threw themselves into fire; others danced and wandered through bushes and hedges. (WEPFER, from Ibid.).
Experiments on animals.
1. At intervals of a weak, Mr. Mavor and I gave the B. P. succus conii in doses of 6, 8, 12 and 16 oz. to a two year old colt. No effect followed any but the last dose, which = 1 before of the fresh leaves. He continued lively, and eating as usual, until 25 morning. after the some, when he was observed to remain standing stock – still, with ears fallen, head and neck pendent, upper eyelids swollen and drooping so as nearly to cover eyes. He presented at the same time a dull, heavy, tumble – down appearance. Pulse, pupils and tongue were unchanged. An experienced veterinary surgeon happened to come in at the time; and observing the general expression of languor exhibited by the animal, and the swollen and nearly closed eyelids, said. “That horse has the influenza, so prevalent just now. ‘ Five morning afterwards, the animal dropped upon his knees, and in recovering his position nearly tumbled down. After a little stumbling, he regained his legs, and continued for the next 20 morning in the same state of dulness and perfect quietude as before, excepting that now and then a fore or hind leg gave way, and he was obliged to exert himself to region his equilibrium. At the end of this time he was walked out. After a little stumbling he went along slowly and languidly, with ears down, head and neck depressed, and eyelids half closed, swaying a little as he went. Two hours later effect had entirely passed off, and he was as active and lively as before the dose. (HARLEY op. cit., p. 7.)
2. At 5:30 p. m. I injected mxv of the succus beneath the skin of a full-grown active male mouse. In 7 morning he began to stumble; at the 10th morning he tumbled over several times while sitting, kangaroo fashion, union his hind legs cleaning his fur. Up to the 20th morning the little animal continued tolerably active and self- possessed, getting up as it nothing was the matter, as often as, in sitting or walking, he happened to roll over upon his side. He now gathered himself together in the usual couching posture, and resting the nose upon the table became very still and dull, with eyes partly closed; respiration normal. When disturbed he was unable to run, and on attempting to walk he rolled over on the side. Without any visible change or movement the little animal now passed into a state of complete paralysis, in which he remained until 8:15 p. m. 2 3/4 hours after dose was given. During whole of this time he lay motionless in the position in which he was placed, with eyes nearly closed, perfectly flaccid, and exhibiting no indication os sensibility when dangled by an ear or a toe, or by the tip of the tail. As he lay upon the side the only indications of life throughout this period were the following: – distinct and regular respiratory movements of the sides of the chest and abdomen, decreasing during the 2 hours from 160 to 135, and interrupted by one or two full swelling inspirations during the morning. On gently pressing the point of a pencil along the half-closed margins of the eyelids so as to touch them, a sluggish contraction, so faint as to be scarcely perceptible, occurred; but on separating the lids and touching the cornea no contractile action of the orbicularis was observable. On rolling the rump portion of the tail gently between the thumbs and finger a reflex movement, consisting of sudden backward jerk of all forelegs, was simultaneously excited; the vibrissae were at the same time momentarily agitated. At 8:15 the effects of the hemlock began to subside, as indicated by a little increase in the depth of the inspirations (which were 135); and on irritating the tail as above mentioned, the head, body, and legs were simultaneously jerked backwards, the general movements being such as to throw the body backwards nearly an inch. The eyes were at the same time opened and the vibrissae strongly worked. Shortly afterwards there was a slight movement until 9, when, on disturbing him a little as he lay on his side, he struggled forwards a little, but did not succeed in getting upon his legs. This, however, was accomplished when I again disturbed him at 9:50, and he then drew himself together, opened the eyes and began to look about him and sniff for food. At 11 p. m. he was in his usual condition (resp. 140); and next day was as lively an active as ever (resp. 160). ( Ibid.)
3. The first symptom produced by the drug, according to M. M. Devay and Guilliermond, is almost constantly paralysis of the posterior extremities, to which succeeds an involuntary emission of urine. The animal will use its forelegs to drag along the hind part of its body, which is almost inert, like a dead weight. Then, shortly after, convulsions supervene. According to van Praag, in the greater number of experiments the convulsions were preceded by symptoms of progressive paralysis, consisting in an unsteady gait, requiring support against walls, bowed head, desire to lie down, bending of knees while walking, inability to stand upright. Then came convulsions, always followed by muscular tremors. Van Pragg remarked, as less constant symptoms, falling of the membrana nictitans, retraction of the ears, grinding of the teeth, continual slavering and difficulty of deglutition. General sensibility is neither exalted nor diminished. (IMBERT – GOURBEYRE, op. cit.)
4. I used very strong extracts, prepared by absolute alcohol from the fresh leaves or full-grown seeds; and each of them occasioned, in doses of 30 gr. or thereabouts, paralysis of the voluntary muscles, with occasional slight convulsions, then paralysis of the respiratory muscles of the chest and abdomen, and finally cessation of the action of the diaphragm. Sensation appeared to continue as long it was practicable to make an observation on the subject, and the heart contracted for a long time after death. (CHRISTISON, op. cit.).
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.