2. A girl, aet. 16.1/2, was tapped for ovarian dropsy on February 5th and again on July 17th. As the fluid again collected it was drawn off, November 29th, at 10:30 a. m., and mixture of 5 oz. tinct. iod. with an equal quantity of water and 1 drm. iod. pot. injected and allowed to remain for 10 m. in the sac. It took 10 m. to flow out The patient was put to bed, and on account of pain got 1/6th gr. morph. acet. At 5 p. m., having drunk a great deal of water and some milk on account of the great thirst, she vomited. Her cheeks were blue, icy cold, extremities also cold, pulse hardly perceptible, it had risen from 84 to 90. 7 p. m., vomited again, the vomit of a grass-green colour, pulse 96. Thirst continued urine very scanty. – 30th. After midnight vomited, pulse intermittent, 120. On account of pains in abdomen and sleeplessness she got 1/6th gr. morph. 10 a. m., pulse hardly to be felt in carotids. Sleep twice disturbed by vomiting of clear fluid. Hands and face cold, first intense. 1 p. m., pulse 136, temperature 37.0 degrees, complains of dryness of mouth and throat. 7 p. m., pulse 132, respiration 20. Vomited sour, grass- green stuff. Even while vomiting, mouth remains dry. Afternoon slept, on waking talked incoherently; urine scanty. – December 1st, 9 a. m., pulse 132, respiration 24. Vomited twice in the night. The first time the vomit was bluish green, the second grass green, both sour and clear. Gastric region very painful to touch or some hour after vomiting. Pulse could only be felt in carotids. Cheeks bright red and hot. She had no recollection of having been delirious yesterday. 1 p. m., pulse 132, respiration 20, temperature not above 37.1 degrees. Pulse very full and soft, can easily be felt at wrist. No vomiting since morning. Complains of pressure in back. Mouth very dry, great thirst. 7 p.m., pulse 132. – 2nd 9 a. m., pulse 144. Vomited towards morning. Menses came on 9 days too early. A bright red, popular eruption on neck and bosom, which faded about noon and left here and there slight desquamation. 1 p. m., pulse 132, respiration 24, temperature 38.3 degrees. – 3rd, 9 a. m., pulse 132, respiration 26. Complains of difficulty of swallowing, fauces dark red, parotid glands swollen, making face appear very broad. On clavicles, large reddish=-yellow spots. 7 p. m., pulse 140, respiration 24, temperature 38.6 degrees. After some spoonfuls of milk, vomited – 4th, 9 a. m., pulse 120, respiration 24, temperature 37.2o. Vomited frequently in night. After an enema, 5 liquid stools. Complained of difficulty of breathing. The spots on clavicles darker yellow. Catamenia still going on though scanty. 1 p. m., vomited brown stuff-5th, 9 a. m., pulse 108, respiration 24, temperature 36.6 degrees Vomited once at night and again in morning Complains of short breath. Stomach tender, distended, as also abdomen. 6 p. m., pulse 1/2, respiration 22, temperature 36.7 degrees. A papular eruption from clavicles to groins, at latter place the spots (size of a pin’s head) become more red and fluent. Tonsils red. Nose and mouth dry. Gastric region painful on pressure. -6th, 9 a. m., pulse 96, temperature 36.9 degrees The spots extend to knees. 7 p. m., has vomited again, urine scanty, clear amber coloured. – 7th, 9 a. m., pulse 66, respiration 24, temperature 36.7 degrees. Complained of pain in throat, sordes on lips and gums. Tongue slightly furred. Tonsils red. Parotid glans swollen. Spat twice bloody saliva,
though she had no cough. Feels pretty well, wants to get up. Eruption has disappeared, got some roast meat for dinner. 7 p. m., pulse 60, respiration 24, temperature 36.6 degrees. Had during day 7 thin stools and vomited 3 times was rather hoarse. – 8th, 2 a. m., died suddenly. The P. M. revealed nothing of importance. The kidneys only seem rather pale, the cortical substance containing small opaque bodies of brownish or ruby-red colour, and their pelvis exhibited red spots the size of a pin’s head. (ROSE, Virchow’s Archiv, xxxv, 19.).
3. A gentleman, aet. 70, had an enlargement of the abdomen which was obscure in its nature, and variously diagnosed as dependent on liquid effusion or a solid growth from the under surface of the liver. Attacked one day with rigors and sudden, violent pain, he became jaundiced and collapsed, and when seen by me was semi-comatose and apparently dying. Some obscure fluctuation being detected in the enlargement, a trucker was inserted and 21-23 pints of thick, grumous fluid, with some pus, were drawn off, and 16 oz. of pure tinct. of iod. (B. P.) injected, allowed to remain 20 m. in the sac, and then some of it to escape. Severe effects soon followed the injection, salivation, soreness of mouth and throat, sickness eructations, headache, giddiness, tinnitus aurium, muscae volitantes, &c., accompanied by palpation and pyrexia; pulse was 140, weak and irregular, temperature 101.8 degrees. Epistaxis occurred twice during the first 36 hours; tightness across chest and pain at epigastrium were complained of, and frequent thin watery stools were passed; the general condition was one of extreme nervousness, prostration, and unrest. On 2nd and 3rd day temperature, which was highest p. m., varied from 101 degrees to 104 degrees and pulse from 110 to 140 Pains in limbs and in loins set in, and were felt also in the long bones, which presented all the evidence of periostitis; synovial effusion distended the left knee-joint; urine, which was at first pale and profuse, became scanty and bloody, and both it and saliva contained large quantities of iod.; salivary glands were painful and swollen, and palate and fauces sore and inflamed; there was constant short, dry cough, with more or less aphonia. All these symptoms continued to increase until the end of the 4th day, when an eruption, somewhat like measles, appeared, with apparent relief to many of the urgent symptoms. By the 5th day the periostitis had considerably subsided, and by the 9th day most of the other symptoms had disappeared. Iodium was, however excreted by the urine for about 16 days, and albumen for 25 days. During the whole time nourishment was taken well. After this severe attack convalescence proceeded favourably. (PHILLIPS, op. cit.)
4 Two hours after the injection of a small quantity of the tinct., diluted one-half, into a traumatically – distended tunica vaginalis (the fluid which it contained having first been withdrawn), FONSSAGRIVES saw a swelling of the scrotum, attended with high fever. During the remainder of their also appeared irritation of the bronchial tubes, discharge from the nose, redness of the eyes, oedema of the epiglottis, and increased flow of saliva. The fever lasted 5 days. (LEWIN, op. cit.)
5. On November 24th, 1824, I was called to see a robust man of over 40, who for a large goitre had taken without precaution and without consulting anyone a considerable quality of tinct. When I visited him, he had violent agitation, extreme head, palpations, coated tongue, pasty mouth, pulse nervous, tremulous, alternately soft and hard, but always very frequent. He told me that at night he had erections so constant and violent that he could have satisfied the desires of twenty-five women; the following days were marked by heat so great that (in November) he remained day and night naked on his bed in a cool room, yet complaining that he burned. A very fatiguing diarrhoea had been set up, obliging him at first to go to stool every 1/2 hour. This became moderated, but the inflammatory symptoms increased. He was bled several times, and his blood showed a marked buffy coat; after this his tongue became dry, he drank largely, and complained constantly of thirst and of burning all down the digestive tract; sleep was very restless, dreams distressing, he woke with a start. He emaciated fast, his eyes became cavernous; he had, from the beginning of his illness, a remarkable trembling
of the whole body, but especially of the arms; the urine, seldom clear, was often red and sedimentous. Upon the palpitations supervened faintings, with cold sweats. He continued thus for 5 weeks, when he died suddenly. No autopsy could be obtained. (ZINK, Journ. Compl., xviii, 126.)
6. Z- was called to make a P.M.; examination of the body of a lady, whose illness had supervened upon the abuse of the tinct., taken for a long time for goitre. Much serum flowed out on opening the peritoneum. The intestines were distended, much inflamed in certain spot, and presenting in others the tint which precedes sphacelus. The stomach showed at its exterior over two thirds of smaller curvature some excoriation; internally, a general redness, and near pylorus ulceration; at point corresponding to external excoriation coats ear pierced with small roles as if made by pins. Liver was a little increased in size, pale, and of lilac hue; spleen of natural dimensions but of dark grey colour, and sprinkled with little black spots. Whole abdominal contents were glued by inflammatory adhesion. Similar appearances were observed in the chest. (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.