7. A spare woman, aet. 51, having a goiter as large as a fist, took for its removal during 2 mo 3ss of U. S. P. tinct (= about 15 gr. of iod.) March 6th, 1864, Dr. Hawks was called to see her. She said her strength had failed rapidly during last fortnight; was unable to ascend stairs; no appetite; frequent nausea; pains in various parts but principally in chest; dyspnoea palpation, and dry hacking cough. He found sallow, distressed countenance; small, very quick, and irregular pulse; crowing in nares, like vibrations of a string, not synchronous with heart; bowels regular; urine red and turbid, usual quantity; tongue brown and dry; skin cool; much thirst; resp. 30; hands and feet cold; dyspnoea, cough palpitation and pain all increased by movement. Pains were sharp, quick, piercing, and movable, but their was constant heavy oppressive pain in region of heart. An effort to expand chest produced cough, but no pain; tenderness of epigastrium; food distressed her; trembling of whole ideal sleeplessness; some emaciation. Perfect rest was ordered; a starch, milk, and sugar diet; arsenicum and phosphorus as medicine. By 13th nervous excitement had subsided, but emaciation had advanced; goitre was sensibly diminished. On 16th, attempt to engage in some domestic work brought on a sort of shock, and she had to be carried to her room. She had much nausea, for which she took veratrum. 17th. Nausea relieved; nervous erethism worse than before; palpitation so severe as to shake whole body; tongue hard dry, and brown; pulse very small and irregular; cough severe, sputa thick, yellow, and greenish; rattling in bronchiae; great restlessness and anxiety; anxious perceive feeling in precordia;frequent syncope; skin cool; respiration 30; thirst; tenderness in epigastrium; sleeplessness; emaciation progressing and goitre diminishing. Hyoscyamus and phosphorus. On 20th nervous agitation was less, but thirst still severe. Arsenicum and hyoscyamus. She improved up to 27th, when after eating an egg and several raw oysters, all symptoms returned; pulsatilla. 28th. – Symptoms show a typhoid character; palpation more spasmodic or convulsive cough more severe, and usually ending in vomiting of thick, tenacious mucus; tongue red tipped syncope oftener than formerly; pulse very irregular and intermittent. Rhus and arsenicum. 31st. – Dyspnoea and cough worse Phosphorus and rhus. April 3rd. – Slight chills; cough and oppression of chest worse; towards night, slight increase of heat of skin, which feels harsh and dry; dullness on percussion, no true respiratory murmur on either side. 5th. Slight chill in morning and hot skin towards night, going off with sweat; sputa brown and streaked with blood; cough and dyspnoea worse, and syncope more frequent; metallic click discovered in upper part of right lung. Phosphorus and hepar sulph. From this time she continued to fail, hectic being more pronounced; on 8th was suddenly attacked with convulsions, followed by nervous rigors; by 10th these had subsided, but she got excited in telling some story, palpitation and agitation increased, and she died at 6 p. m. was refused. Emaciation was very great; goitre nearly gone; skin saffron yellow. (J. HAWKS, M. D., N.Y.State Hom. Medorrhinum Soc. Transactions, vi, 331).
8. A blooming young lady, aet. 18, of pale habit, consulted her physician for goitre. Iodium was prescribed externally and internally, the dose being gradually increased to 15 dr. of tinct. thrice daily. Six weeks thereafter she was scarcely to be recognized, so great was the change; her form was sunken, the mammary glands had entirely disappeared, the countenance was pale and sallow, with blue circles under the eyes. She complained of oppression of the chest, dry cough, palpitation, loss of appetite, and pressure at stomach. The menses, which had always been regular, were suppressed at the next period after taking the medicine, after which time they became profuse, and finally she had at intervals of every 3 or 4 days a discharge of thin watery blood from the vagina. She was treated with ars. and china, followed by ant. crud. and hepar sulph. and at the end of 6 mo. recovered her health again. (A. h. Z., xliii, 119.)
9. A healthy young lady, aet. 19, had a goitre, for which she took Iodium, 5 dr. of tinct. morning and evening, gradually increasing the dose, and used an ointment of Iodium and K. iod. From 3vj-3viij of Iodium were taken, and a corresponding quantity of the ointment applied, during the treatment, which lasted 5 mo. No effect was experienced for 3 mo., when each dose (now 7-9 dr.) caused burning and sensation as if throat were filled with vapour of sulphur, obstructing breath. After 4 mo. treatment goitre had considerably diminished in size, but patient had become seriously affected by medicine. She was attacked first by shortness of breath and cough, chest seemed oppressed and as if too narrow; burning in throat became constant, forcing her to drink often in order to obtain relief; there was moderate perspiration during day, but so profuse at n., especially about neck, that it might be wrung from the clothing (this debilitating sweat continued for nearly a year). Patient was only able to walk slowly a very short distance, and even effort of speaking was very exhausting. Oppression of chest became nearly constant, with burning tearing and sticking pain, which for first half year expended from chest to both shoulders, but afterwards were confined exclusively to left side. Emaciation was extreme, with sallow complexion; at night pains in all limbs, restlessness, alternating with various and frightful dreams. Menses gradually decreased in quantity during treatment, and on 2nd day were accompanied by tearing and cutting pains in abdomen; finally, they ceased altogether, and at times when they ought to have appeared she for 3 mo. had only the pains. They then turned and a end of 2 years had become normal, serve for the pains. But patient was still much emaciated, very irritable, and suffered from continual tearing pain in extremities, mostly upper ones. L. arm is thinner than right, and, indeed, seems completely atrophied; motion is impaired, and attended with pain in shoulder. (VEHSEMEYER, Medorrhinum, Jahrbucher, iii, 202.)
10. a. A young English lady, at a boarding school in Paris, took I. for goitre by advice of her brother, a medical student. The remedy succeeded, as usual, in greatly diminishing the tumour; and for some time no bad effects were apparent. A small hard knot only remained in the situation which had been occupied by a considerable swelling before; and the desire to get rid of this little tumour was the cause of the remedy having been pushed too far. Its deleterious effects first showed themselves by gnawing pain in the upper part of the stomach, great, anxiety, and oppression. These symptoms were disregarded, and the remedy was persevered in for a week longer, during which time the patient became very much emaciated; she was frequently affected with vomiting, pain in abdomen became more frequent and more severe, and thirst was very distressing. I was sent for early one morning in consequence of an alarming diarrhoea which had come on during the night. I found her suffering the most excruciating pain at stomach, violent cramps, and convulsive action of muscles of arms, back, and legs, from which she had scarcely any intermission. Vomiting and purging were almost incessant. The dejections were bloody, slimy, and very scanty, but at first had been copious and feculent. The matter vomited was of a dark green colour streaked with blood. The tongue was loaded with a thick crust, resembling in colour the matter vomited. The countenance was pale, contracted, and with that peculiar expression which announces abdominal suffering. The pulse was small, hard, and frequent, scarcely indeed to be numbered. The whole appearance of the patient was such as to excite well- grounded fear for her life. During 10 days she remained in a very doubtful state, subject to frequent severe attacks of diarrhoea, with intense pain of the bowels. Her emaciation during this time was most extraordinary. The expression of her French nurse,” decharnee,” was literally applicable to her; her arms and body were almost fleshless-her breasts, which had been large, were now perfectly flat-the calves of her legs and quite disappeared, and her thighs were not much thicker than her wrists when in health. I never witnessed anything like such extenuation in so short a space of time.
10 b. By the steady and very liberal use of opium she recovered to a certain degree; but when I last saw her, many months after her illness, she remained subject to frequent very violent spasms of the stomach. Her nervous system had been much shattered. She repeatedly declared to me that she seldom enjoyed an hour’s respite from the most wretched depression of spirits, and since her illness had never felt anything like her former buoyancy of mind. The few moments of ease she knew were purchased by large doses of laudanum, to the habitual use of which her sufferings had forced her. She was still very pale, and her emaciation, though much less, was yet very great (GAIRDNER, Essay on Iodine, 1824.)
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.