Introduction
Alkaloid derived from Tabacum, C20H14N2.
Provings
1. FALCK and WACHENFELD proved Nl. on themselves in doses of 0.2 to 0.3 mgrm. It caused frequent eructations, nausea, weariness, drowsiness. A third prover and Wachenfeld experienced after 0.04 headache and vertigo, with trembling and oppression of chest. (Husemann, Planzenstoffe, p. 470.)
2.. REIl took of 1st dil, f N., at first dr. increasing the dose gradually by left dr. till he reached 15 dr. After 1 dr. he experienced slight scraping and burning in tongue and throat, headache in forehead and temples, coming on after 10 m. and lasting i hours, with slight symptoms of dysphagia. After 2 dr. these symptoms were more intense, at same time moderate vertigo and transient pains in right arm thigh, and leg. After 3 dr. extreme weakness in lower extremities, dazedness of head, slight lachrymation, heaviness of eyelids, and after another dose great eructation and trembling. After 4 dr. frequent need to draw a deep breath on account of oppression of chest. After 10 dr. throbbing in temporal arteries, indisposition to mental work, dilated pupils, weakness of vision, and hiccup. During the 16 day the proving lasted the stool were delayed, the pulse and respiration very irregular, sometimes quicker, sometimes slower Urine not much increased. (Ibid)
3. DWORZACK and HEINRICH proved N. in doses of 1,2,2 1/2 and 4 1/2 milligrams. In all doses it caused a sharp burning sensation on tongue, scraping in fauces, and in the larger doses as though a sharp brush was drawn through oesophagus to stomach; increased saliva. Immediately sensation of warmth commencing in stomach quickly spreading over chest and heart and extending as in a stream to finger and toe tips. Along with this great excitement, in smaller does generally marked headache, feeling of an aura in superior maxilla; from the larger doses great confusion and heaviness of head, vertigo, stupid feeling, sleepiness, indistinct vision with great sensitiveness of eyes to light, imperfect hearing with feeling as if ears were stuffed with cotton wool, rapid and laboured breathing, oppression, feeling as if a foreign body were sticking behind sternum, dryness of fauces. About 10 minutes after the larger doses uncommon feeling of weakness and exhaustion, so that the head could with difficulty be kept upright, pale face; features distorted, extremities very cold; the coldness began in tips of fingers and toes and spread equally over trunk; premonitions of syncope with commencing loss of senses and consciousness. A disagreeable feeling in stomach spread upwards and downwards, causing eructation, nausea, inclination to vomit and actual vomiting with some relief; the sensation spread downwards over whole intestinal canal, abdomen distended, urgent call to stool, with discharge of flatus and urine and relief throughout the whole body, which, however, did not last long. In the first half of the 2nd. h. one of the provers had clonic spasms throughout the whole body which, however, did not last long. In the first half of the 2nd. h. one of the provers had clonic spasms throughout the whole body which increased for 40 m. and lasted altogether about 1 hours the extremities began to tremble, this trembling spread further until the whole body shook violently, the muscles of respiration were most affected, the respiration was laboured and tightened, each expiration consisted of a series of short impulses in rapid succession, the air was as it were jerked out of the thorax; the inspiration was similar. In the other prover during this period there occurred uncommon muscular weakness, very laboured breathing, and on one occasion rigor. the gastric symptoms, eructations and inclination to vomit were repeated several times; vomiting brought some relief; the coldness of the extremities was repeated in the same proportion; from the tips of the fingers a feeling of formication spread at first to wrist, later to elbow. After 3 hours the intensity of the symptoms abated, there only remained confusion and heaviness of head, feeling of great weakness and emptiness of stomach and intestines great exhaustion and drowsiness. A cup of tea and a roll were eaten without appetite. When going home both the provers felt uncommonly weak; their gait was unsteady, and on reaching home they felt very cold; in one of them the above – described spasms returned with urgent call to urinate and much urine passed. Both passed a restless sleepless in., felt hot and excited; and all next day they were very ill, – inability to fix their mind on any subject, great exhaustion, drowsiness, violent headache, anorexia and desponding humour. The next n., though they slept well, did not completely relieve their sufferings on the 3rd d. In one of the provers the amount of urine was considerably increased; in both, the skin was dry. the pulse at first, even after small doses, was a accelerated, and the larger the dose the quicker it became; it then varied much, so that it was sometimes several beats faster and then as many or more beats slower, and this variation went on but not with any regularity. But it always commenced with acceleration. In both there was a great loathing for tobacco – smoke. One, a smoker, thought to mitigate his sufferings by a pipe, but he could not take more than a smoke of a pipe in his vicinity. In both the expired air had a smell of alcohol (qu. nicotine?) perceptible to themselves and to those about them. (SCHROFF, Lehrb. d. Pharm., 577.).
Poisonings
1. A young gentleman, poisoned by his brother in – law, died in 5 m. after ingestion of the poison. His symptoms before death are unknown, bit there is reason to believe that they consisted mainly of tetanic convulsions. The P. M. appearances were those of corrosion in face and in alimentary canal as far as duodenum. N. was found in stomach. [TARDIEU. OP. CIT.)
2. A marine officer, for some time melancholic, was found dead in his room. The body showed remarkable rigidity, and this continued longer than its usual time; the surface was of a polish colour. A small vial of N. solution was nearly empty. There were no signs of irritation in alimentary canal. (Ibid).
Experiments on animals
1. a. According to NUNNELEY, 1 or 2 m. after the injection of m 1/30 under the skin, a frog falls into a state of rigid spasm; shortly after the eye becomes insensitive, and twitches occur in the limbs, except in that into which the injection had been made, in which the reflex power is abolished, although it is not so in the animal generally for 1 – 2 hours the heart beats regularly, but more and more slowly, until after death it remains in diastole filled with blood.
1 b. MELIER gave 1 – 8 dr. doses dogs and cats, generally hypodermically. the breathing was, in most of the cases, affected first, and is noted as difficult and anxious; the pupils were dilated, and the animal staggered in walking. Violent efforts at defecation were observed in several cases, and a copious discharge of urine, apparently followed by relief. At a more advanced period there was vomiting, and a slavering of frothy or ropy mucus; at variable stages from the commencement, agitation and trembling, and in several instances a lively movement of the ears. When death occurred, it was immediately preceded by sings of complete exhaustion, and more remotely by convulsions. The exhaustion or paralysis appeared to effect the posterior extremities chiefly.
1 c. Very carefully conducted experiments were substantially instituted, among others, by Albers, Kolliker, Bernard, and van Praag. they agree in their main results, which may be thus epitomized: – N. uniformly renders the respiration slower, after having, in some instances, increased its frequency; the larger the dose the more speedily does the former effect ensue. The breathing has generally a very characteristic peculiarity, which consists in a hissing sound, and is probably owing to a spasmodic contraction of the larynx and air – tubes. the pulse, like the breathing, becomes slower after being accelerated. The muscular apparatus of various parts of the body is affected with alternated tonic and clonic spasms, and the eyeballs usually protrude, and are spasmodically drawn upwards and outwards. General relaxation succeeds these phenomena, with a tremulous movement of a particular muscles of the whole body. In some cases which are more rapidly fatal, no spasmodic movements are observed, but immediate and complete prostration, with the tremulousness before mentioned. When the poison acts most promptly, the animal sometimes perishes without any convulsive or muscular agitation whatever. In general, its application does not elicit signs of pain, and the effect in some instances is to destroy sensibility. The pupils are uniformly dilated under its primary action, bit afterwards may become contracted. Sometimes but not generally. there is abundant salivation. In experiments which did not destroy life, and in these only, was there vomiting and purging; yet recovery is possible without these symptoms. (STILLE, Opium 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.