7 a Experiments on healthy persons. The watery extract was given in doses of 5,6, 10,15, 20 and 29 gr., the alcoholic extract of the root gathered in October, 5, 10 and 15 gr., or the alcoholic extract of the May root in doses of 15 gr. The altered extract of the October root in 5,10, 15 gr. In none of the provers was there any increase of stools, in several a certain amount of slowness of evacuation of the faeces was observed. The most noteworthy alterations were observed in the organs of circulation, in the brain and organs of sense, and in the alimentary canal. Pulse always became slower, either immediately, or after a transient quickening. But the change did not last long, 2 or at most 3 hours. If the pulse was at first quickened the increased rapidity lasted only 1/2 or at most 1 hour, and amounted to 5, 20, or 25 beats per morning. The slowing never exceeded 2 hours, often much less, and amounted to 5 to 10, at most 15 beats per morning. The cerebral symptoms were never absent; they showed themselves in confusion, weight of head, dull headache in forehead and sinciput, vertigo, drowsiness, and either in deep sleep or in restless sleep disturbed by dreams, or in coma-vigil; at same time head and face were sometimes hot and extremities cold. There were also roaring and tinnitus aurium, and moderate dilatation of pupils, and in one prover the shift was clearer. Usually there was dryness of mouth. Pain is in stomach and bowels usually after 2, 4, or 6 hour. In addition there was inclination to vomit, mostly late in evening, sometimes in morning, but actual vomiting never occurred. Rumbling in bowels and uneasiness in abdomen continued the following day, but diarrhoea never occurred. The large doses caused more or less prostration, weariness, malaise, which lasted over the next day. In one prover there was unusual depression and sadness, which lasted several hour.
7 b. A delicate, emaciated man, aet.31, commenced with 1/2 scruple night and morning and this was continued 3 days. 1st day, no stool; 2nd, a normal stool; 3rd, none. 4th and 5th days, the dose was increased to a scruple twice a day 6th days, 2 scr. morning and evening, a firm stool evening. He now got 3j morning and following day. 7th, no stool. 8th and 9th, firm stool. Hitherto nothing abnormal had been noticed except some increase in quantity of urine. 11th days, at right, some pain in abdomen. After walking in garden remarkable pallor, sunken features, unsteady gait; violent cutting in abdomen and weakness. He leant on a tree supported by an attendant, the arms hung helplessly down, hands cold, face pale, eyes deeply sunken, lids closed, pupils uniformly dilated, hardly responsive to light, lips bluish, tongue clean skin of face covered with sticky perspiration, pulse thread- like, 102. He did not speak was put to bed, and was hardly in before he was seized with violent, painful purging, followed by some retching, and he vomited twice a slimy yellowish fluid. The pains in belly and retching, lasted 3 hours, during which time he had 3 liquid stools, with violent tenesmus. (SCHROFF. Viertelj. f. d. prakt. Heilk., lxxii, 72, 1859.).
Poisonings
I. Two men drank each a glass of decoction of rad. Helleb. nig., Sig. Salomonis and Fol. Hederae. After 3/4 hour violent pains came on; one of them took another glassful, whereupon the pains increased. Vomiting, having, violent twitchings, extreme cold feeling, and lastly death, were the consequences. The other died with similar symptoms 2 1/2 hours after taking the poison. P. M. 16 hours after death. Lungs congested with blood, m. m. of stomach inflamed, of brownish black colour. almost gangrenous. (FERRARY, Journ. univ., 1818, April, p. 121; in Wibmer.).
2. A woman who had just been confined took a few grains of extr. Helleborus nig., and had loose stool; some hour later vomited mucus, sneezed about 12 times, and died sneezing. (HILDANUS,; Cent. 4, Obs. 12; in Wibmer.).
3. A man, aet. 50 took 1/2 drm. extr. aquos. Helleborus nig. He had pain in bowels and vomiting, and died in 8 hours.P. M., whole intestinal canal inflamed, especially large intestine; 42 hours after death limbs were supple. (MORGAGNI, De Sed. et Caus. Morb., epist. 59, art. 15; in Wibmer.)
4. A youth, aet.19, took by mistake a tablespoonful of powdered Helleborus Soon frequent vomiting. When seen by the doctor after 2 hours he had vomited 60 times, was covered with cold sweat, face pale and altered, small trembling pulse, abdomen distended, slightly painful to touch. The retching and vomiting continued, spasmodic jerkings in muscles of thighs, violent burning in stomach and oesophagus. After 3 hours almost all symptoms gone. (FAHRENHORST, Rust’s Mag., xxv, pt. 1, p. 190; in Wibmer.).
5. A woman took a teaspoonful of an infusion of 1 1/2 oz. of root in 12 oz. water (kept in a covered jar in an over all night). It caused pain and pricking in tongue, fauces, and throat “as if 100 pins were pricking her. ” Painful sense of constriction and strangury (? strangulation) of throat, with difficulty of swallowing; pain at epigastrium, very violent sickness. Tongue and other organs of deglutition began to swell; much viscid mucus voided from mouth. Eyes sunk, excessive prostration, discoloration about eyelids, great collapse of vital powers, like collapse of Asiatic cholera; extremities cold, surface of body covered with cold, clammy sweat. Pulse from 30 to 50, very small, at times scarcely perceptible. After sulph. zinc emetic, camphor, coffee, hot application to extremities, she rallied in 3 or 4 hours. Pulse rose to 68; complained of headache. Purgatives given and she soon recovered. (MASSEY, LANCET, 1856, II, 100).
Experiments on animals
left a. The activity of the several species of the genus Helleborus has been found to depend upon the presence of two glucosides, helleborin (C36H42O6) and helleborin (C26H44O15). The former is not found so largely in the H. nigger as in certain allied species. It is a very energetic substance, though having no action on the skin, and acting less intensely on mucous membranes than its fellow. Administered by the stomach to mammals, it caused licking and chewing movements; teeth-grinding; a certain amount of salivation in cats and dogs; vomiting in dogs and birds; pains in the belly (apparently in dogs and rabbits; efforts at evacuation in dogs. On dissection, mouth an oesophagus were healthy; in pigeons the crop was always extensively inflamed; in mammalia stomach and intestines showed signs of irritation in varying degrees, from simple increase of secretion to irritation in varying degrees, from simple increase of secretion to inflammation of high grade with extravasation of blood. The remoter action of the drug fell upon the nerve- centers, especially the brain, paralyses of which appeared to be the cause of death. In mammals a period of excitement and restlessness was followed by paresis of the hind limbs, with tremor and vacillation of he whole body; a further stage was marked by profound paralysis and anaesthesia; cats alone recovered comparatively soon from this state. Marme and Husemann always detected marked congestion of he membranes of the brain and cord. In rabbits there was also diminished consistence of the cord and extravasation of blood into the cranial cavity. Functions of other organs were affected in much the same ways as by narcotic agents in general; urinary secretion somewhat increased (in cats only); respiration slowed (during narcosis); hypostasis and hyperaemia in lungs after death. Heart’s action was not reduced, except by heaviest doses; especially in frogs and dogs cessation of pulsation was very late. Pupils dilated widely in narcosis, but contracted post-mortem under electric stimulus.
1 b. The experiments of Marme with helleborine show interesting differences of effect from the above. The action is both local and remote. Locally, it does not affect skin, but is intensely irritant to mucous membrane. Absorbed, it exerts a powerful influence on the heart and the intestinal canal; yet it does not seem so deadly to animals, in equal dose, as helleborin. Very small doses administered by the stomach for a long period produce a cumulative effect, shown by loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, which disappear rapidly on suspending the drug; and occasionally this mode of administration has produced (as larger dose will) pain, increased secretion, and gastroenteritis. The special action of helleborine on the heart resembles that of digitalis, but is quantitatively much weaker. Small repeated doses slow the heart; larger does hurry its action, and then usually started it suddenly; the action is through the vagus, and blood-pressure is heightened both in the slowing and in the hurrying grade. Respiration lasts longer than the heart’s action; it is nevertheless affected, – first quickened, then made slow and difficult. Salivation is always produced, whatever way the drug is introduced into the system; diuresis is constant, and the kidneys are hyperaemia after death; in female animals the uterine mucous membrane is invariably congested. There is semi-paralytic weakness of the limbs, and after very large doses there are severe convulsions. (PHILLIPS, 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.