14. E. D -, a young lady, aet. 25. Sunday, December 17th, 1882, at 3 p. m., application of about 1/6 dr. of a mixture of venoglycerine – 1 to 3 – to small pot on right wrist from which cuticle had been scraped without drawing blood. Immediately blood began to flow, and part to swell and smart; blood oozed out in many small points. After about 2 hours, while sitting, giddiness came on, and was so great that I feared falling off seat, and so removed to an arm-chair; it was relieved by resting head and keeping it still, but recurred on slightest movement. Whilst sitting on chair heaviness of head came on so much that head felt as if it would tumble about; as if muscles of neck were too weak to support it, and required assistance of hands. Struggled against these two symptoms during evening, but was eventually driven to retire to bed early in order to lay head down, which relieved both symptoms. Slept as usual, and awoke on monday without either giddiness or heaviness of head, but after breakfast noticed that I could not think, comprehend, or remember distinctly; could not as usual hold my mind to a subject; and all forenoon could not as usual comprehend or follow conversation; indeed, appeared so dull and stupid that my sister laughed at me; perception appeared clouded, so that on walking in the street I would have been run over but for my sister’s watchfulness; memory was so affected that after getting into a shop I found I had forgotten what I had gone for. In evening had severe sharp shooting, rather burning pain, repeating at short intervals; apparently starting about left side of womb, and passing upwards to region of transverse colon, and there shooting or cutting across, as if from both sides towards centre, thence passing up left side of trunk to face and temple as a sharp, cutting, intermittent, neuralgic pain; across middle of forehead there was a heavy, dull, continuous pain; there was also the same mental dulness. The sharp, shooting pain in temple lasted about an hour; but the dull, heavy, frontal headache only disappeared after going to sleep. Slept as usual, and awoke on Tuesday in usual health, and remained so; but on Saturday evening the above – named dull frontal headache returned and lasted until I went to sleep. These were quite strange to me; never had them before or since. ( Ibid.)
14. a. Drs. Humboldt and Manzini inoculated many persons (1854) with c. venom as a prophylactic against yellow fever. “Intrinsically considered, ” the latter writes, “the inoculation fulfilled its promises, and produced phenomena analogous to yellow fever, just as vaccination produces symptoms similar to small pox… The symptoms of the inoculation appeared in the following order there was vertigo, which soon passed away. There was also a nervous trembling which is rarer, but which lasts a longer time. After 7 hours the pulse is permanently modified; it is either too frequent or too slow, stronger or weaker. In 11 hours there is febrile heat. At the end of 14 hours headache, want of appetite, and thirst. At the end of 16 hours red countenance, action of the conjunctiva, epiphora. The swelling of the gums is observed from the commencement. At the expiration of 18 hours pain in the gums, the margins of which are reddened around the teeth; pain of the salivary glands, and in the direction of the different nervous branches of the face and teeth. In 19 hours pains in lower jaw and in the direction of the submaxillary nerve, lassitude. In 20 hours bitter taste, drowsiness, coryza, and oedema of the face. In 22 hours constrictive sensation of the throat, without any visible alteration of the mucous membrane. IN 23 hours yellow jaundice. In 24 hours haemorrhage of the gums. in 28 hours yellowness of the sclerotic coat of the eyes, shivering. IN 29 hours angina tonsillaris. IN 30 hours pain in the kidneys. In 36 hours swelling of the eyelids. IN 38 hours pain in the muscles and joints. in 40 hours toothache in 72 hours swelling of the lower lip. At different hour sexual excitement. During convalescence itching of skin, cutaneous eruptions of various kinds.
14 b. “In the majority of the cases the inoculation produced a diminution in the frequency of the pulse, sand, what is most remarkable, the 68 who showed this diminution were precisely those who had the most frequent pulse before being inoculated, and those who showed an acceleration had formerly only 69 pulsations a minute… The decrease in the force of the pulse very marked. Nearly the cases show at one time a very noticeable feebleness and sinking, alternating with acceleration, each lasting 6 hours on an average. Headache is one of the most common symptoms of the inoculation. It lasts, on an average, 21 hours. it can exist without any alteration of the pulse. It generally occupies the frontal and orbital regions. The heat does not seem to be owing to the increase of the pulse. It was even perceived in those cases where the pulse sank. Deglutition was difficult in all cases, and the tongue was more or less coated. After the cessation of the more acute symptoms it was very common to witness an itching of the skin, of which the inoculated complained very much. Another group of phenomena was constituted by the neuralgic pains in the head and neck. In many cases there were observed erections at night. The intermittent character of several of the symptoms is one of the most interesting and important of the points observed.
c. ” Numerical Recapitulation. The circulation was modified in….183 out of 187 Headache existed.in 160 out of 187 The face was changed in. 54 out of 74 The gums were affected in. 74 out of 74 Colics existed in. 52 out of 74 Swellings of salivary glands in. 5 out of 74 Pain in lower jaw present in. 10 out of 74 Lassitude in. 59 out of 74 Drowsiness in. 10 out of 74 Coryza in. 16 out of 74 Bitter taste in. 54 out of 74 Spasm of throat in. 14 out of 74 Jaundice in. 16 out of 74 Coldness in 13 out of 74 Heat in. 46 out of 74 Perspiration in. 17 out of 74 Angina tonsillaris in. 17 out of 74 Pains in muscles and joints in.7 out of 74 b. “Nothing, however, was of higher interest than the fevers from which the inoculated suffered. They resembled yellow fever in its initiatory stage. Nothing was wanting – expression of countenance, pain in loins, headache, the symptoms of the gum. s” (NEIDHARD, On Crot. Horridus, 1868.).
Poisonings.
1. Girl, aet. 14. Bitten about 7 p. m., in end of right ring finger. Mr. Desprez was called to her at 3 next morning, and found her hand, forearm, arm and shoulder much swollen; and a dark ecchymosed line running from root of finger almost to shoulder-joint. Inside of bitten finger was covered, as far up as second joint, with blisters filled with dark fluid blood. Whiskey was freely given; capsicum and ammonia were also exhibited; but patient did not improve, but rather the contrary, for inside of arm and belly of biceps became very black. At 4 p. m., that is, 21 hours after the bite, Bibron’s antidote (bromine) was given; and by 7 the swelling was reduced, and patient gradually improved, so that in about 10 days she was quite well. ( Medorrhinum Times and Gazette, 1869, i, 25.)
2. a. Miss H. Biggs was bitten july 24th, 1830, at about 6 a. m. She received two wound; one on instep and the other on great toe of left foot. When seem 26 hours after the bite, her body was considerably swollen, eyes being almost closed with swelling of face; tongue was tumid; deglutition was somewhat difficult; and articulation was indistinct. Her left leg, as high up as hip, was enormously distended, and threatened with mortification, skin having a shining appearance with the swelling and discoloration; it was black on outside, and mottled on inside with black and yellow spots, so that one might have fancied it resembled the skin of the snake. The bitten part was very painful, and the inguinal glands on that side were much enlarged; pulse was low, and about 60; and surface of the body was cold. She felt extreme nausea, and vomited on making least exertion. Great thirst was an attendant symptoms from the first, and she had drunk large quantities of water. Her bowels were constipated; her mind was not in the least affected.
2 b. Long scarifications were made, and large blisters applied over the limb. Liquid ammonia was given internally, in doses of 3ij every 2 hours, without any apparent benefit. Oxide of arsenic was afterwards exhibited, gr. 1/4 every 15 morning,- eight doses with improvement, checking nausea and swelling, so that she appeared to be out of danger within 24 hours after the arsenical treatment was begun. The blisters were left on the limb for 24 hours and then removed, and the vesicles opened, letting out from one and a half to two pints of fluid of dark greenish colour. She was restored to he usual state within three weeks. (H. B. PHILIPS, Amer. Journ. of Medorrhinum Sci., viii, 540.)
3. A boy, aet. 12. When seen within a few morning after the bite, gums were bleeding, and eyes were weeping blood. The blood appeared to be dissolved, so that it readily passed out of its proper vessels; the limb was painful, but not much swollen. The part was scarified, and liq. amm. freely applied; this relieved the pain like a charm, and nausea and distressed anxious feeling soon left him; and by frequently applying the ammonia during day and night the body was perfectly restored in 30 hours. (A.G. MILLER, Boston Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., viii, 240.)
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.