14. S. W. WOODHOUSE, M. D., bitten in side of left index finger abut middle of 1st phalanx, in morning of September 17th, 1851. Pain was intense, and immediately produced a sickening sensation. Within 1/2 hour glands in axilla were becoming sore and painful. He shortly vomited freely; in evening gland sin axilla were quite painful, and so was finger. During ensuing night was restless and sleepless, notwithstanding gr. iv. pulv. Doveri. Next morning, that of 2nd day, pain in finger was intense; a well marked line of inflammation extended along arm to axilla; and several time on attempting to walk a few yards he was seized with nausea and vomiting. This condition continued for several day. Pain was relieved by resting arm on an inclined plane. During 2nd night, under influence of pulv. Doveri, he slept; but next morning that of 3rd day, hand and arm and glands in axilla were much swollen and very painful. During 3rd night, under influence of pulv. Doveri, he rested, but back was becoming very sore; and in morning, that of 4th day, pain was very great, and swelling extended down said to hip; blistered skin of finger being removed, there was free discharge of watery sanguineous fluid, without smell. Nail was becoming loose; broad red line following course of lymphatics was filled with yellow serum; and point where fang had entered, for space of about 3/8 this inch, was of dark brown colour. During 4th night he was very restless and sleepiness notwithstanding gr. x pulv. Doveri, hand being filled with serum. He continued much the same during 5th day. On 6th day swelling had left said and arm, but remained a little in hand; he could walk a few yards without nausea, and was able to sit up most of day. On 7th day felt much better, and only finger remained swollen, first and second joints of which looked unhealthy and appeared gangrenous on palmar surface; discharge
was thin and watery, but without smell. The granulations were rough, and many of them appeared as if they had been sprinkled with yellow ochre; the nail was quite loose. After this nail was removed; a large slough formed, and on coming away left bone exposed; this afterwards exfoliated, and had to be removed. After 3 months the finger was healed, but left deformed, and its circulation imperfect. ( account of SIdgreave’s Expedition down the Zuni River.)
15. Dr. PIFFARD writes [in 1875]: “On March 29th, 1866, I was called to see Mary O-. When about to examine her pulse I observed that tendons of flexor carpi radialis of right hand were quite tense and hand somewhat drawn up. IN addition to this I observed an eruption of small vesicles upon integument between metacarpal bone of thumb and index finger. The vesicles were 4 in number and about size of a No.1 buckshot and filled with a slightly yellowish fluid and were situated on a somewhat reddened but not raised base. Upon inquiry I obtained the following history: Six years previously she was bitten by a rattlesnake, its fangs entering both palmar and dorsal surface of proximal phalanx of right thumb. The bite was followed by severe pain and great swelling of hand, forearm, and arm, nearly to shoulder, accompanied with discoloration of integument. In addition there was marked contraction of some of the flexors of the hand; and also nausea. From this accident she appeared to have recovered. Three months later, however, there appeared upon integument covering metacarpal bone of right thumb an eruption of three or four small vesicles, accompanied with ‘bite’ pain at sit of eruption, together with contraction of flexors and inability to extend the hand. In the course of a few day vesicles dried up and other symptoms disappeared.
Since that time, and up to date of my visitant here, she had had return of the eruption with contraction of some of the flexors every three months. April 7th. – Vesicles have disappeared; leaving only small reddish spots which mark their site, and flexor contraction has subsided. June 30th. – Her husband called to inform me that the eruption had returned 2 day. ago. I found it was so just as on March 29th. october 1st. – To- day she showed me the vesicles again. They had appeared some day before and were now on the decline; in fact, nearly dried up. The flexor tension was slight, but distinct. On several occasions I have seen a repetition of the phenomena described above, occurring with the same periodical regularity. For several years I lost sight of the patient, but met her again a year ago, and she then informed me that for some 3 or 4 years the vesicles did not return with their previous regularity, but at indefinite intervals, always now more than 3 months intervening between the attacks; and that during the last 7 or 8 years there had been no return. (Amer. Medorrhinum Recorder, January 23rd, 1875.)
16. A ADAM LAKE, aet.40, a robust muscular man, July 1st, 1831, was bitten, during day, in bend of elbow, both fangs entering. Being intoxicated he forgot this, but some hour afterwards – in the evening – he felt an itching at the place, and on examination found a “red spot” there. Shortly after this whole arm swelled to nearly double its size and became very painful. Next morning about 8:30, he vomited in the conveyance in which he was being driven. The scarifications made near the bite the previous evening were still bleeding freely. The arm, from shoulder and front of thorax to fingers, was swollen to twice its natural size, and very painful on movement. Pulse was almost imperceptible and the read like; extremities workload; he was depressed, restless, and uneasy; had cramp in legs, and debility was very great; eyes were muddy and heavy, and face somewhat bloated. Feeling a desire to go to stool he was assisted from his bed for that purpose; whilst on the way he was seized with general spasm without foaming at mouth; being laid on floor it went off in a few minutes, and he had an involuntary evacuation from bowels, of dark bilious colour. Symptoms continued stationary until 11:30 a. m.; he then complained of violent pain in course of the colon; said he felt sleepy; closed his eyes; and in a few morning died, without agony or convulsions, that is, in less than 24 hours after bite.
16 b. P. M., 4 hours after death. Face was much bloated; neck tumid and purple. Bitten arm much swollen from serum effused into cellular tissue, and purplish and mottled. Much fluid blood followed on cutting into scalp, and still more from sinuses of brain, perhaps nearly a pint. Arachnoid covering hemispheres was raised into vesicles by deposit of serum beneath, giving it appearance of a blister. veins of pia mater were much injected. Brain-substance was much congested, and cortical substance of a deep brown colour. Much serum issued from every cut made into brain. Cerebellum also was congested. There was no extravasation of blood. There was very little blood in heart, perhaps having run out from its fluidity. No ecchymoses in stomach. Mucous coat of small intestines exhibited patches of acute inflammation throughout whole length, of a lively red colour, and of various diameters, from 6 to 12 or 18 lines, and very close in succession, especially in jejunum. Liver was somewhat yellow (was this at all a result of his drinking habits?). Muscles were brownish, instead of red. Bitten limb was tumefied from effusion of serum in cellular tissue. Blood was universally fluid. (W. HORNER, Amer. Journ. of Medorrhinum Sc., viii, 397).
17. a. Female child, aet.2 years; bitten on left cheek. Wound was immediately sucked by child’s mother. within 10 morning Dr. Renzger found child almost expiring; countenance was deadly pale; eyes half open and staring; mouth covered with foam; extremities cold and insensible; pulsations of heart irregular, pulse trembling and scarcely perceptible; respiration slow and laborious. The body was perfectly motionless, and covered with a cold viscous sweat; eyes and ears appeared to be insensible to impressions. After 3 or 4 morning more face was slightly
convulsed; and after a few deep stertorous respirations the child died, that is, within 15 morning after being bitten. Circumference of the wound was red and somewhat oedematous, perhaps from the suction.
17 b. At the post-mortem, 3 hours after death, brain was found healthy, but sinuses and pia matter were filled with blood; as were also lungs, venae cavae, right cavities of heart, and pulmonary artery. ( Lancet, 1829 – 30, ii, 90.)
18. a. Mr. DRAKE, an Englishman, bitten twice in left hand, near root of thumb and in palm, at 11:30 a. m., February 9th, 1841, at Rouen. Within a few morning he became very agitated, anxious, and pale, cold sweat bathed face and chest, and eyes expressed anxiety. Within 4 morning after bite a ligature was tied tightly round wrist; and in about 18 morning the fang punctures were cauterized with a red hot needle. The hand becoming swollen, very painful, and of a violet colour, the ligature was removed shortly after the cauterization. About 25 morning after the bite there was sudden paleness of face. Drake went to sit down but fell over. There was general relaxation of muscles, and total loss of movement and of power; his head hung upon his chest. There was stertorous breathing, syncope, and involuntary evacuation of urine and faeces, with cold extremities. About 12 o’clock I had patient carried into his room. Pulse was scarcely perceptible; respiration still noisy; eyes closed, and pupils contracted; conjunctiva was not yellow at all. In spite of his very weak condition he made painful efforts to aid those who were trying to take off his clothes. He was placed in bed. His pulse became perceptible again; it was weak and only beating 50 times in morning. Skin of extremities was cold; that of abdomen, trunk, and head much less os. Lower extremities seemed insensible – strong pressure or pinching up of skin excited no expression of pain. There was no tumefaction of wounded hand, nor any congestion of arm. The state of torpor continued until 12:30. He complained of feeling cold, and vomited for the first time, with marked relief. At I he vomited again, and ejecta were yellowish-green and fetid. Hand was slightly swollen round wounds, and patient said it was painful. There were 3 stools – one at 12, another at 12:30, and a third at 2. He was remarkably calm up to 2, when there was renewed vomiting. At 3 he felt better-mind was clam and self – possessed, and he had hope of recovery, but he was readily annoyed by least noise. Pulse was 80, firm, but irregular. Though right handed, whenever he attempted to drink or take anything it was with the wounded (left) hand, and the complained that he could not use the right arm with freedom. At 4 his respiration became difficult, and he had trouble in swallowing liquids; he could drink, but only a little at a time. Pulse became 90 to 100. Vomitings were less frequent. At 5 he complained of pain in left shoulder. Upper lip was evidently swollen. Tongue was yellowish, but not at all swollen. By 6 there was acute pain in shoulder, but without any appearance of inflammation. At 7 face was drawn, voice very weak, tongue with a white fur; there was considerable oppression and great anxiety, and he begged to be bled; his pulse was 110. Drinks had to be given in a spoon, and he kept them in his mouth a long time, and only after a painful effort could he swallow them; he often objected altogether to take them and said his blood was suffocating him. Three leeches were applied to bend of neck, and he said he was less oppressed afterwards. At 7:30, breathing became stertorous; upper lip was still swollen; neck was bent, head hanging slightly towards right shoulder; body lying on back, limbs flexed. Much agitation; efforts to get out of bed, as he believed he could then breathe more easily. By 8 the extremities were cold; pulse imperceptible; total incapacity for swallowing. His mental faculties were unaffected, and he had no incoherent ideas, even while the most alarming symptoms wee present. He took notice of all that was going on around him. While enduring the very agonies of death e even paid attention to noises in the street. The noise of the diligence starting for paris called memories of home. “Is that Martin going off?” (Martin was the conductor.) “No, ” said the interpreter. “I am very sorry, as he would bring my wife; for I believe I shall never see her again. extremities. He sat up, and tried, in vain, to get out of bed. His respiration became more and more embarrassed; head was thrown respiration became more and more embarrassed; head was thrown back; rattling in throat increased. The patient expired at 8:15, that is, within 9 hours after the accident.
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.