5b. January 4th, 10 dr. 1x. Taste and smell of acid repugnant. Immediately increased heat of chest along course of oesophagus. – 5th. Same dose. Immediately same sensation in chest. In evening twitching jerks in right upper hollow tooth, very painful and often preventing speaking. evening, stool, at first hard, then soft; before stool strong urging; after stool extreme burning in anus with urging to stool preventing sleep, only a little lumpy yellow mucus was evacuated. – 6th. Same dose. In m. confusion of head with pressing and weight, especially in left frontal eminence, going off p. m. At n. towards m. same toothache as yesterday in same tooth, but more drawing, and relieved by suckling at tooth with tongue.
5c. June 1st, 10 dr. 1x; immediately nausea with rush of water into mouth making him spit frequently. Soon afterwards empty eructation, at first without, afterwards with taste and smell of acid, with relief to nausea. After 20 m. incessant disgusting eructation with smell and taste of acid, whereby the nausea is so much increased that vomiting is momentarily expected, but it did not occur; much spitting of the constantly accumulating saliva, which is very watery. Soon after this vomiting of much slimy water mixed with smell and taste of acid with many blackish grey specks like the sediment the acid causes when in contact with organic substances. The vomiting comes in jerks, at first of the above – described water, later of yellowish but non bitter – tasting viscid water which draws into threads. After vomiting eructation of air with taste and smell of the acid and continuance of the flow of saliva. After 2 hours exhausted, tired, drowsy, dislike to work and to intellectual occupation, as weary as after a long walk. Taste metallic, as is also smell before nose; nausea and salivation continue. Tobacco not relished. Head feels stupid and full, with irresistible sleepiness, limbs feel heavy as lead, weariness and heaviness of legs, especially knees, cannot stand long, must often sit down. Taste blunt, smell of acid constantly before nose, great loathing at it and its odour. At 10 a. m. a normal stool. All m. till noon eructation of air with smell of radish. Sticky and pasty in mouth as after a long illness, feeling in body as if a serious disease were coming on. Sinking sensation and discomfort under navel with feeling of weakness, occasional rumbling in bowels. At 9 p. m., a soft, almost pappy, but afterwards thin formed stool. At n. slept well, confused but not frightful dreams of conflagrations. Slight nausea and discomfort in scrob. cordis in m. – 2nd. Same dose. Soon same array of symptoms as yesterday with nausea, vomiting, salivation, exhaustion, drowsiness, & c. Later, when driving in street, sinking feeling in scrob. cordis and nausea as if about to vomit. Sinking feeling in whole abdomen with profuse salivation. After eating sinking feeling, extreme discomfort, dull pain and weight in scrob. cordis. Appetite much diminished. – 3rd. Same dose, and immediately the same symptoms, but longer continued and more intense; great general malaise preventing him from working all d. Visible and sensible twitching of right levator palpebrae superioris, m., relieved by rubbing, but always recurring, lasting 2 hours 4th and 5th Dull paralytic pain, deep in left radius, aggravated by lifting anything or by allowing arms to hang down, lasting 3 days and going off very gradually; on 3rd day the same pain went into right forearm, but was much less severe and soon went off. During whole time from 1st to 7th June, clear urine with brick – coloured sediment, sometimes sinking to bottom, sometimes adhering to sides of vessel. All the time unusual attacks of nausea by day without any apparent cause, continued till 10th. (Intern. hom. Presse, v, 275).
6a. Prof. BRAUELL observed from small doses (taken by self) burning feeling in conjunctiva, discharge from nose, irritation of Schneiderian membrane like that caused by snuff, sneezing, coryza, hoarseness, tickling, in larynx and constant short cough. In evening the candle flame was surrounded by a bluish – green halo with ash – grey border. The nasal discharge, hoarseness, irritation of larynx and cough lasted 3 or 4 days; they were aggravated in open air.
6b. Larger doses caused the same symptoms in a greater degree, and, in addition, salivation, frequent hawking of mucus with inclination to vomit, tickling in larynx and trachea, taste of blood, oppression of chest and dyspnoea, as if the lungs were collapsed and the access of air hindered, hence difficulty of breathing (relieved by deep inspiration), exhaustion, laziness, sleepiness and disinclination for all work. Exposed to the fumes he got heaviness of head, compression in forehead and temples, pressive pain in eyeballs, diminished acuity of vision, so that distant objects seemed enveloped in a thin mist, pressive pain in sacral region and shivering especially in back. There was also crossness, irritability amounting to anger, and the greatest repugnance to the acid, all which lasted a long time after the trial (Ibid., 230.).
Poisonings
1. HELLMANN, exposed for a longer time to fumes had at first burning in eyes, copious lachrymation, constant mucous discharge from nose, followed by profuse salivation, constant expectoration of phlegm causing inclination to vomit, a peculiar irritation in nose, fauces, larynx, oesophagus and trachea as though scalded by hot water, at same time sensation of constriction of trachea, in consequence of which and of oppression of chest there is dyspnoea. In addition heaviness of head and peculiar pressing and aching in back from scapulae to sacrum aggravated by movement and coughing, and pain in lumbar region. On walking in open air after 1/2 hour he had to rest frequently on account of weakness and dyspnoea. He went to bed but found no relief from drinking warm milk or from medicine. No appetite. On trying to read the letters ran together. He felt the greatest disgust at coffee and tobacco, which he was passionately fond of in health. During evening the flame of the candle appeared surrounded with a green red – bordered halo. No sleep at n. Next day was much better, the following n. slept well, but the vision was only perfectly restored on the 3rd d. From the 4th day he regained his appetite for tobacco and coffee, but he still saw the halo round the candle – flame on the 5th d. Although he went on steadily improving he had to keep his bed for 10 day on account of want of strength. It was not till the 3rd week that he felt quite well. ( Ibid., 227.)
2. In April, 1845, at 1 p. m., Prof. CLAUSS sniffed up for an instant the fumes from osmic acid in a bottle. Immediately violent burning pain in eyes (with lachrymation), nose, fauces, larynx, and trachea. Later, copious salivation with constant expectoration of mucus, with retching but not nausea, constant discharge from nose with oppression of chest, difficult whistling respiration, dry spasmodic cough, heaviness of head, pain in sacrum and pressure in both groins, which when he coughed extended to testicles. After these symptoms had lasted 1 hour he got 6 dr. laudanum, mustard to chest, and warm milk to drink. After 3 doses of the laudanum at 5 m. interval the retching and respiratory distress were much relieved, and in 1 hour more he could eat his dinner. After dinner he attempted to read, but the letters ran together. and he had to give it up. In the evening he was troubled with salivation, hawking of mucus, and the pain in groins, but the other symptoms had disappeared. The candle – flame all evening was surrounded by a yellow halo. Next day he complained of pain in testicles, which had kept him awake all n. The lachrymation continued, but the salivation and sacral pain were relieved; no stool. On 3rd day stool, pain in spermatic cords to testicles, and inflammatory swelling of right inguinal glands the size of a pigeon’s egg; sight normal. From the 4th day the pain in spermatic cords and testicles decreased, and ceased entirely on 7th d. The swelling of inguinal gland continued till the 10th d. The irritation of fauces, trachea, and larynx, the oppression of chest with cough, the dyspnoea, hawking of mucus and nasal discharge became less every day, but were not all gone till the 15th day (Ibid., 229.)
3a. A man, aet. 30, began in December to work at separating O. from its compounds. At first in good health, he began to suffer from extremely acute pain in eyes without disturbance of sight; his sleep became heavy, unpleasant, interrupted by nightmares. Towards end of February he had a copious eruption on forearms, hands, and on side of face. On entering hospital, April 1st, he stated that he had for some little time had 9 – 10 diarrhoeic stools in day, preceded and followed by colic, and accompanied nearly every time by emission of a certain quantity of blackish blood (he had no haemorrhoids). He had also suffered since commencing his work from violent and obstinate headaches, which even prevented his sleeping. A fortnight before admission he had nausea without vomiting, followed by cough; and 4 day later was seized with chills and dyspnoea, recurring every other d. I was struck with the difficulty he had in breathing; he seemed threatened with asphyxia. Skin was dry and hot; temp. 40.6 degree. Examination of chest showed generalized bronchitis, and on left side pretty extensive pneumonia. Surface of forearms and hands was dotted with papules, some large, some small; they were reddish brown; the epidermis came off in scales. Albumen was found in large quantity in the urine. Patient lived a week in hospital, gradually growing weaker. Fever and albuminuria continued, also pneumonia, which had the mobile character noted by Vulpian as on ominous prognostic.
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.