7. a. A grain of dried crotalus-poison diluted with water was injected into the peritoneum of a full-grown guinea – pig at 2:40 p. m. Twitchings began almost immediately. 3.3, restless; startings; staggers in hind legs. 3:20, very weak, especially in hind-quarters. General paralysis setting in. Abdomen distended and very tender. 3:30, in convulsions. Still feels when abdomen is touched. 3.37, paralysed; but feels touch. Reflex well marked. 3:45 apparently dead (in 65 morning.).
7 b. P. M. – 3.48, cavities opened. Auricles flickering. Blood from heart and great vessels coagulated firmly. Abdominal cavity and areolar tissue infiltrated with bloody serum. Much ecchymosis of peritoneum and intestines, but not of lungs. Cord and nerves paralysed. Muscles contract vigorously to induced current. ( Ibid.)
8. a. 0.15 grm. (1/4 gr.) of the dried crotalus-poison, diluted with 1 cub. centime of distilled water, was hypodermically injected into thigh of full-grown guinea-pig at 11:30 a. m. Restlessness and muscular twitchings of body generally soon commenced; these passed away, but animal became sluggish, in which condition it remained all night, and died at about 9 a. m. next day. No convulsions were observed, but as the animal was not seen during a short time previous to death, they cannot be said positively not to have occurred; nor is it known if the heart ceased to beat at the moment when apparent death took place.
8 b. P. M. – The injected limb became much swollen, infiltrated and discoloured with sanguineo – serous effusion. The intestines were not ecchymosed; there was much quinolent fluid and also blood effused into the abdominal areolar tissue. ( Ibid.)
9. a. Quarter of grain of dried crotalus – poison was dissolved in 1 cub. centime. of distilled water. The jugular vein of a large white rabbit was exposed, and above solution injected into it at 1:50 p. m. At 1.51, violent convulsions, with opisthotonos. At 1.53, apparently quite dead.
9 b. P. M. – Artificial respiration commenced immediately. Heart acting still, though feebly, and with irregular flickering contractions. Spinal cord exposed. Electrodes applied; no reaction. 2.12., heart still contracting feeble. 2:15, faint contractions of the heart still observable. Ventricles punctured, and blood withdraw. Peristaltic action has ceased. 2:20, feeble carat movements continue. 2.21, heart has now ceased. Muscles reject to direct current. Death caused by rapid paralysis of medulla and cord. Blood taken from heart and great vessels did not coagulate. At 4 p. m. it was still fluid, though very florid in colour. Examined under microscope nearly 2 hours after apparent death, white corpuscles appeared natural; red corpuscles not in rouleaux, and very much created, though a few retained their natural contour. The blood was neutral to test – paper. ( Ibid.)
10. a. A full 0- grown cat was chloralised at 1:20 p. m. Quarter of grain of dried crotalus-poison, diluted with 1 cub. centim. of water, was injected into the jugular vein. Respirations were immediately quickened. 1.21, twitching of muscles generally. 1.22, efforts to vomit. Forcible extension of limbs. 1.24, hurried respiration and retching. Reflex action perfect. 1:30, muscular twitching and tetanic stretching of limbs. Efforts to vomit continue. Micturition. Rolls over on the ground. 1.34, ataxy. Staggers when walking, which it can only do for a few paces. Peculiar twitching of diaphragm, not synchronous with respiratory movements. Rolls over on its side. 2 p. m., in the same state. 2.8, injected 1/8 gr. more of poison into same jugular vein. The animal immediately got up and walked, comparatively steadily, for several paces, as though it had been stimulated, and then rolled over, 2.16, twitching of diaphragm continues at rate of 150 per morning, 2.18, again got up and
walked for a few paces, but it is gradually becoming more paralysed. 2.44, violent tetanic spasms of limbs. Reflex action diagnosed. 2.46, reflex action gone from eyes. Deep sighing respiration. 2.47, convulsions. Death.
10 b. P. M.- Body opened immediately. Lungs deeply congested and much ecchymosed. Deep red gelatinous effusion all about roots of lungs. Heart contracting. Electrodes applied to phrenic caused vigorous contraction of diaphragm. 2:50, heart ceased to contract 3 morning after respiration had ceased. 2.52, electrodes in cord do not cause contraction of limbs. 2.54, sciatic nerve, when irritated, conveys impressions; muscles of legs contract. Blood from heart and great vessels did not form coagulum, but remained permanently fluid. Red corpuscles of blood much created. Death in this case appeared caused through medulla. (Ibid.)
11. A large spaniel was bitten twice in fore-shoulder. He immediately manifested excessive pain at part; this, however, soon passed off. Within 20 morning he was languid, and remained standing with his head down, as though sick and confused. Very little local twitching, and respiration as a little quickened. During next 24 hours he refused to eat, but he drank at frequent intervals. He was able to move about, but preferred to remain at rest. There was no swelling, but a slight hardening of the surrounding parts for about 2 in, and on pressure a little bloody serum might be forced out of the fang tracts; this continued for 3 days, when pus also flowed out. He was quite well again in a few days, when pus also flowed out. He was quite well again in a few days. (WEIR MITCHELL, from Hayward.)
12. A white mongrel, bitten in left hind thigh. It suffered terribly, and during 2 hours whined and yelled incessantly. Enormous swelling occurred, involving whole thigh up to pelvic joint. Two hour after being struck dog was weak, but still kept his feet, and drank almost without ceasing. Respiration was occasionally jerking, and heart’s action rapid and feeble. At 3rd hours he was again howling frightfully. Weakness was increased, and he staggered in his gait, other symptoms being unchanged. At 4 1/2 hours still weaker, ceased to drink, and finally lay down. The parts wounded were still enlarging. At this time he vomited a little food and mucus, and soon afterwards purged and urinated. From this time he began to mend, and although he howled all following night he was able to run about next morning with only a slight appearance of lameness. Wound discharged blood, and at length bloody pus, and finally pure pus, up to period of recovery 3 weeks later. During first week of this time dog took scarcely any food, and was subject to profuse dysenteric discharges, so that he became remarkably emaciated. From this condition he gradually improved, all symptoms abated, and at end of 3rd week he was as fat as when first injured. (Ibid.)
13. A small brown terrier, bitten twice on shoulder. Within 10 morning he vomited, urinated, and passed solid faeces. All this time he whined a good deal; and finally, at 15th morning, lay down on his side, breathing in jerks, and twitching in almost every muscle. An hour after being bitten he had a slight convulsion and vomited again. Meanwhile, heart could scarcely be felt to beat, and respirations were long and laboured. At 7th hours, when left for the night, he was lying on the floor, scarcely breathing, and nearly pulseless. He had passed liquid and very dark stools, and some urine. Even at this period his sensorium seemed unaffected, and he felt injuries, heard well, and followed with his eyes the movements about him. Next morning he was quite lively and tied to escape. His wound was like a lump on his side and back, and discharged fluid blood in occasional drops. The floor of the box in which he had been left contained a good deal of dark semi-fluid excrement streaked with blood, and he had drunk nearly a third of a bucketful of water during night (Ibid.)
14. A small terrier, struck twice on right flank by a large snake, both wounds being double fang marks. From one of the wounds blood immediately ran in a thin stream; after it had run for some time I caught a few drops in a watch-glass, and found it coagulated well. I was called away, and on returning at the end of an hour. I found dog standing with his head pendent, having just vomited glairy mucus. His pulse was quick and feeble; his respiration occasionally panting. The haemorrhage had ceased. In 1 1/2 hours after he was bitten I drew a drachm of blood from the jugular vein. It clotted perfectly. In 4 1/2 hours after bite, a drachm of blood from same vein coagulated equally well. Twenty hours from time of the poisoning, dog was found lying on his left side, having passed slimy and bloody stools in abundance. At intervals he seemed to suffer much from tenesmus, but was so weak that he stood up with difficulty. His gums were bleeding, a symptom I had seen before, and his eyes were deeply injected. At this time about 2 or 3 dr. of blood were drawn. It was very dark, and formed within 5 morning a clot of feeble texture. In 27 hours after time at which he was bitten, dog was weak. His hind legs were twitching, and the dysentery continued. Three dr. of blood ere drawn as usual, but no clot formed in this specimen, although it was set aside and carefully watched for some time. While I was collecting the fluid for observation the dog suddenly discharged per anum at least 4 oz. of dark grumous blood. At this time I supplied the dog with water and left him. At 54 hours after bite he was seen again, and found to have drunk freely of the water, and to have passed fewer stools. Up to this date headlined all food. From this time he improved rapidly, and took with eagerness whatever nutriment was offered. On the 4th days his blood again exhibited a clot, although it was very small and of loose texture. I made no further examinations of the blood. The dog lost flesh as he gained strength, and had profuse suppuration from an abscess in the bitten flank. At the close of 2 weeks he was active and well, except that the wound was still open. (This case is doubly valuable, as pointing out, even in a single instance, the time at which the blood became altered, and also as showing once more how profound may be the change, and how perfect the recovery. The dog survived very serious visceral lesions, and lived during 2 days. with his blood in a condition of complete diffluence.) (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.