Introduction
Including C. metallicum (precipitated from solution of sulphate); C. aceticum, Cu (C2h3O2)2. H2O, verdigris; and C. sulphuricum, CuSO4 5H2O, blue vitriol.
Provings.
1. HAHNEMANN, Fragm. de Viribus. Contains 29 symptoms obtained by self from sulphate, and 38 from authors mainly from acetate.
2. IBID., Chronic Diseases, 2nd ed., part iii of original, vol. of translation. Contains also symptoms from a pathogenesis of acetate published in Archiv, iii, and rom patients taking triturated metal; while 154 of the total 397 are from authors, recording effects of various salts.
Poisonings
1. Five children ate of confectionery in which a considerable amount of copper was detected. The following symptoms appeared: – Unquenchable thirst, headache and giddiness, nausea, dryness of mouth, frequent vomiting of a fluid partly yellow-brown, partly blackish-green, severe tormina at region of navel, suppression of urine, slight tension of abdomen, which was tender on pressure, obstinate costiveness with constant tenesmus, pain in mall of back, cold extremities, cold sweat. After vomiting had somewhat subsided nervous symptoms were superadded, or which the chief were, – very severe headache, slight delirium, tearing pain in upper and convulsive movement in lower extremities (particularly calves), great exhaustion and somnolence (in 3 approaching to coma); countenance at parts red, at parts very pale. Pulse in 4 was very small, contracted, and slow; in 1, a plethoric boy, it was hard, full, and quick, with red face and dry skin. One had 6 attacks of diarrhoea, another 1 attack of vomiting of blood and mucus. All recovered, but 3 weeks later one had jaundice, and another a tertian intermittent, with periodic diarrhoea. (BEER, Oest. Medorrhinum Watch, 1842)
2. A girl, aet.24, swallowed 2 oz. of verdigris. After severe vomiting, colic, and convulsions, she died 60 hours afterwards. P. M. showed yellow colour of skin, body stiff, mouth firmly closed, eyes half shut, nails blue. In abdomen omentum inflamed, bowels coloured green, distended with air, in some places gangrenous; stomach, especially towards pylorus, green, and much inflamed, gangrenous in one spot near pylorus size of half a crown, cartilaginous contracted. Intestines filled with green excrement, here and there inflamed and gangrenous; this extended to rectum; liver in its upper thin border slightly inflamed. In thoracic cavity, diaphragm near oesophagus inflamed; lungs in their upper part posteriorly inflamed, full of blood; heart and large vessels full of clotted blood. (PYL, Sammu. v. Aufs. a d. States – arzk, viii; from Wibmer.)
3. A soldier swallowed at 4 p. m., 1 1/2 oz. verdure in 4 oz. water. Soon violent tearing pain in scrob. cordis. Brought into hospital he was delirious, had weakness and convulsions, limbs and body stiff, jaws closed. After eau sucree vomited stuff mingled with verdigris, thereafter the bad symptoms disappeared; after 3 hours complained of dysphagia, thirst, and pain in abdomen. Next day fever distended abdomen, constipation 2nd day, belly still distended, headache, heat, hard pulse, and dysphagia. 3rd days, sweat, passed urine and faeces, and was then well. (M. DUVAL, Diss. sur lass Toxicol., 1806; from Ibid.)
4. A man, aet. 44, swallowed at midnight 4 drachm verdigris in water. After 1/4 hour violent pain in belly, copious vomiting and diarrhoea lasting till 5 a. m. Brought into hospital he got gum, milk, and clysters. After 3 hours expression sad, eyes deep set, tongue moist, mouth doughy, anorexia, hawking, coppery eructations violent thirst, small regular pulse, 80. At 2:30 p. m. vomited green mass, at 4 p. m. jaundice. All night colic and vomiting, 3 stools, followed by relief an sleep. Next day skin very yellow, countenance calm, tongue, rely, mouth doughy, taste coppery; abdomen retracted, little sensitive to pressure, pulse regular, stronger, temperature normal, head heavy, slight deafness. He got Vichy water and whey and emollient clyster; during day 4 grayish stools. 3rd day, same symptoms, general malaise, intense thirst, turbid, dark red urine, with yellow sediment. 4th day, all symptoms relieved, appetite returned, only genial weakness remained. Next today jaundice gone, and he recovered. (ORFILA, Toxicology, sub voce.)
5. A soldier, aet.29, swallowed a quantity of paint containing verdigris, lay down and fell asleep, soon woke with violent pains in belly. He lay on his back with head drawn back, very restless; cried out often, but could not speak in consequence of trismus and spasm of throat; abdomen distended, painful to touch; stomach occasionally contracted; pulse small, contracted, but regular, expression anxious. Recovered after mucilaginous drinks (R. PARISE, Gaz. de Sante, 1820.)
6. A man, aet. 30, swallowed 1/4 oz. verdigris. He vomited green stuff. Complained of violent bellyache, frequent urging to stool, stomach very sensitive to touch, violent thirst. Pulse small, quick, contracted, respiration accelerated, face expressed much pain. Then there came on violent cramp in calves, both big toes were drawn tetanically towards sole with the most violent pains. He got the whites of 10 eggs and warm water. This caused renewed vomiting. In 1 hour all the symptoms had declined; there remained only great exhaustion and tendency to cramp in toes. After a restless night he was sufficiently recovered to be able to walk 6 miles. (WITTCKE, Medorrhinum Zeit. v. Verbascum f. Heilk. in Preussen, vii Jahrg., No. 25, 129. 1838).
7. A man, aet. 54, took at 1 a. m. 3 to 4 gr. verdigris in coffee. After 1 hour dull pain in umbilical region, followed by nausea and vomiting of green stuff. One hour later came to hospital. Very violent pain in umbilical region, not affected by pressure, tongue green, pulse contracted, respiration accelerated. From 11 a. m., till 2 p. m., voluntary, green and fetid, liquid stools. 2nd day., free from pain, only quick pulse and red cheeks. 3rd day, bruised pain in limbs and constipation, which went off in 3 day. (RENAULDIN, Four. univ. des sc. med., xvii, part i, 118, 1820).
8. A lady, aet.67, her daughter, aet.39, a maidservant, aet 22, ate a fricassee of fowls that had been cooked in a badly- tinned copper pan with water boiled in a copper pot. E. and night, mother and daughter had violent retching, contraction and dryness of mouth, thirst, violent pains in epigastrium, and colic followed by several watery whitish stools. Next morning these symptoms continued, and, in the case of the daughter, became so bad that she had continued anxiety, general convulsions, painful and hard swelling of abdominal parietes, and repeated faintings. The mother had coppery eructations, violent colic with urging to stool, and liquid greenish stools. – February 2nd, evening, mother had much heat and dryness of mouth and intestines, metallic styptic taste, painful feeling in epigastrium, frequent colics and repeated greenish direct stools painful distension of abdomen, anxiety, general prostration, palpitation of heart, weak and irregular pulse. The maidservant a the same symptoms, but stronger pulse, more violent colics and more frequent diarrhoea of the same character. The daughter suffered in the same way; she had coppery eructations, intolerable pain in epigastrium and abdomen without diarrhoea, bad headache, faintings, cold sweat and a contracted, small, irregular pulse. They all recovered by taking walnutwood charcoal. (BERTRAND, Rec. period de a Soc. de Medorrhinum, lii, pt. 4, 363. 1815.)
9. A large party (50) became ill after taking sausages fried in lard that had acquired a green color from having been kept for 2 days in a copper vessel. Thirty-one of these cases were observed. Traces of copper were found in their urine. Three of them were taken ill in the night with extremely violent colicky, cutting pains, which caused constriction of abdomen, severe headache, cold skin; soon afterwards violent vomiting of green, bilious masses and from 10 to 20 loose stools. Next day weakness, prostration, 3 to 5 diarrhoeic stools; the following day they were well. The remaining 28 were attacked 2,3, or 4 day later. Those first affected showed chiefly symptoms of the digestive organs; those later affected had more symptoms of the nervous system. In the former the symptoms commenced with colicky pains across abdomen, not much aggravated by pressure; many had great sensitiveness of epigastrium and a constant burning pain, or feeling of internal heat, nausea, in some repeated vomiting of yellowish-green mucus; most had constipation; tongue in some red, in others moist with white or yellow fur, great thirst, no appetite, severe pain in frontal region, with pale, collapsed features; skin warm and dry; pulse moderately quick, or normal, soft. After 1 to 2 day. – genially after taking medicine- diarrhoea with remission in of the colic, the abdomen became lax, the vomiting ceased, and the nervous symptoms appeared. Those later attacked were in the first days quite well, and then they gradually complained of increasing weakness and prostration in limbs, with vertigo, heaviness and pain in head, anorexia, constipation in limbs, with vertigo, heaviness and pain in head, anorexia, constipation; occasional transient slight drawing pains in abdomen, collapsed features, staggering. In this period the symptoms assumed a typhoid character; great confusion of head, such intense vertigo they could not sit up in bed, sometimes headache, restless sleep disturbed by dreams, sometimes slight delirium or constant stupor, in some increased to a completely comatose state; in others complete sleeplessness, pale face, with expression of great prostration or stupidity, eyes deep set and dull, pupils dilated, feeling of extreme prostration and weakness, in some amounting to fainting; tongue in the milder cases moist and pale, or only red at borders, in most red, dry, rough, pupils dilated, thirst great no appetite, even loathing of food; abdomen soft, painless, only a few slight colicky pain; stool-generally after medicine-diarrhoeic, skin warm, often covered with profuse sweat, pulse slightly accelerated, small and weak, urine turbid and jumentous. These symptoms lasted from 6 to 10 days., and went off gradually. The last symptoms to leave were the vertigo and confusion, the weakness continued still longer. One case terminated fatally; this was a girl, aet. 4. On the 3rd evening after the dinner she complained of headache, and looked weak and dejected. That night and the next she had constant vomiting, first of what she had eaten, then of a greenish-yellow slimy fluid. Next day she was extremely weak and exhausted, face pale and fallen in, skin soft and cool, pulse small and weak but not quick, tongue moist, with white fur and red borders, abdomen soft and painless, constipation. Very frequent vomiting generally after drinking anything. The 6th day same state, with still greater exhaustion, pulse scarcely perceptible, cold clammy sweat, petechiae on skin, especially on chest and arms brown furred tongue, abdomen tympanitic. On this and previous day frequent epistaxis; intellect not disturbed. Died in evening P. M., – Cerebral membranes normal, cerebral substance somewhat drier and firmer than usual; lungs healthy, a bronchial gland swollen and tuberculous. Heart normal, in both ventricles soft coagula. Stomach empty, its m. m. very red in patches; intestines pale, the solitary and Peyer’s gland rather swollen, the mesenteric glands swollen. (LANGENBER Deutsche Klinik, No.39,418,1851.)
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.