17. Louisa K – aet 19, came into hospital July 4th, 1863; confessed on 11th that on the 20th June had taken a quantity of tops of Ph. matches, dissolved in hot milk, which she drank when cooled in evening, making two draughts of it. Soon she vomited for 1/4 h. Slept well at n. Next m. appetite gone, frequent eructations, sense of fulness and pressure in gastric region. After 2 day these symptoms declined, and the stools were retarded. After 3 day skin coloured yellow and this gradually increased. Appetite returned to normal state, and she could do her work. For the constipation she took pills. – July 2nd. Observed slight swelling of joints, and the next day the swelling had spread up legs to abdomen. The left labium majus was much swollen when she came to the hospital. – 5th. Skin and conjunctiva deeply jaundiced. Upper extremities and left labium majus edematous. Pulse m. 88, evening 96; temp. m. 37.7 deg. C., evening 38.2 deg. Abdomen much distended, tympanitic all over, also in right lumbar region, dull sound in left lumbar region. On account of this distension the size of liver could not be determined. Spleen enlarged. Tongue clean, appetite so ravenous it cannot be satisfied. Stools clay coloured, partly soft, partly lumpy. Urine deep yellow, sp. gr. 1007, little albumen, much bilious colouring matter. Breasts and uterus show she is pregnant. – 6th. M. temp. 36.9 deg., pulse 96; e temp. 37.9 deg., pulse 100. Abdomen more distended, fluid can be detected. Patient slept well. One pultaceous clay – coloured stools. Urine not so deep coloured. – 7th. M. temp. 37.7 deg., pulse 100; evening temp. 39.7 deg., pulse 120. Patient tossed about at n., and called for food to satisfy her hunger. Icteric hue remains. Lies all day with closed eyes and sleeps much. Complains of headache, answers questions hesitatingly. Pain on percussion in middle of abdomen, where, as also in left lumbar region, the percussion sound is duller than yesterday. A distinct clearing of the dull sound on percussion. Absolute dulness in right side, not complete in left side. The only tympanitic sound in abdomen is in its upper part to the left of the navel. In chest posteriorly slight dulness of both lungs where the respiratory murmur is diminished. – 8th, M. temp. 37.5 deg., pulse 100; evening temp 37.8 deg., pulse 104. Last n. very talkative and restless, rather delirious the first part of n., became quieter afterwards. This m. she is quite sensible and seems well. Abdomen still rather tympanitic; 2 stools whitish in colour and of pappy consistence. – 9th. M. temp. 37.3 deg., pulse 112; evening temp. 40 deg., pulse 132. Last n. raved much and made a great noise. This m. she looks stupid, answers irrationally. Some effusion in peritoneum is perceptible. One stool. The edema of labia majora, especially the left, is increased; latter has become gangrenous. At noon she had a rigor, followed by great heat; in evening is delirious. Tenderness of hepatic region on percussion. Liquid stool of a yellow colour. – 10th. M. temp. 38.9 deg., pulse 130; evening temp. 38.1 deg., pulse 116. Raved much deliriously in the n. This m. quieter but sings in low voice. Abdomen continues the same. Yesterday she had a large pultaceous stool, of yellowish colour, bilious. During n. and this m. has passed several similar stools. After puncturing the labia they collapsed; aromatic infusion was applied to the gangrenous part. P. m. 2 stools, partly dull yellow, partly bright yellow. – 11th. M. temp. 36.9 deg., pulse 100, evening temp. 39.4 deg., pulse 120. Was quite last n., and slept the greater part of it after an opiate. About 3 a. m. had a violent rigor, which lasted 25 m. and was followed by heat. Is quite sensible, appetite not disturbed, tongue not furred, no increase of thirst. Abdomen still tympanitic. Liver not painful on strong pressure. A yellow stool in the n. – 12th. M. temp. 37.8 deg., pulse 116; evening temp. 39.6 deg., pulse 120. She had 1 gr. opium and slept well, no delirium. This m. still rational. Complains of nothing, appetite holds good; 2 stools yesterday and 1 in m., of grayish colour and moderately consistent. Urine of reddish colour, contains biliary colouring matter and a large quantity of albumen than before. The gangrenous sloughs are beginning to separate. This caused p. m. a considerable hemorrhage from the labium majus, which was arrested by chloride of iron. – 13th. M. temp. 36.7 deg., pulse 112; evening temp. 39.6 deg., pulse 140. After 1 1/2 gr. opium she slept soundly and was not delirious. This m. rational. Yesterday many pultaceous and yellowish stools. 8:30 a. m., a rigor. In right side of thorax, posteriorly and inferiorly there is some dulness with slight bronchial respiration, and consonant rales. At the base of the heart a blowing systolic sound is heard. Ecchymosis in abdomen, on the thighs two pustules with bright red areolae and dusky centre. The liver does not project beyond the border of ribs. In the afternoon labour pains came on suddenly, and a foetus of about 6 months was quickly expelled. – 14th. M. temp. 39.5 deg., pulse 124; evening temp. 39.8 deg., pulse 136. Last n. after 1/2 gr. opium she slept quietly, but before dawn she had a rigor. She is quite sensible, and complains of pains in chest and. right side of abdomen. Percussion on the lower half of the right side of chest posteriorly gives a kind of dull tympanitic sound; bronchial respiration cannot be distinctly perceived; many medium and small rales, rather dry, distinctly consonant; in the lower half of the left side of the chest, the respiratory sounds are sharply vesicular, with some medium – sized moist rales. No expectoration. The systolic murmur in the heart is less than yesterday, not audible at all in apex. Abdomen very much distended. Percussion in hepatic region as before; signs of increased effusion into peritoneum. Some foetor from vaginal discharge. There have been two or three stools of a grey colour. Pulse of medium tension. All p. m. she spoke and sang in a quivering voice, and showed much restlessness. Complains of abdominal pains; the whole belly is painful when pressed. In spite of fomentations the pains increased. Next n. she was very delirious; towards m. she became quiet, and died about 6 a. m. – P. M. on the 18th. Endocardium stained with blood. Heart’s valves act normally. A large quantity of ascitic fluid of an icteric colour. In the fundus of the stomach beneath the m. m. there are depressed spots of the size of a pin’s head, and of a dusky blackish colour. Liver very lax; gall – bladder collapsed, contains only some bile – tinged mucus. The length of the liver is 11″, right lobe 6″, left 5″; its greatest depth in the right is 6 1/4″, in the left 5 1/4″; thickness, right 1 1/8″, left 3/8″. The colour of the right lobe is reddish, of the left blackish yellow. In the yellow parts there appear some hemorrhagic points, as also upon the yellow parts of the peritoneal covering. In the yellow parts the hepatic tissue is extinct, whilst in the red parts the hepatic lobules are still visible. Their periphery is grey, and between this and the yellow cortex a reddish zone is perceptible. Spleen much enlarged, length 9″, breadth 4 1/4″, thickness 1 1/8″; its substance is of a bluish – red colour, its connections soft. right kidney enlarged, length 5 1/4″, breadth 2 1/4″; when cut through it has an icteric appearance. Its pyramids are a little more congested than cortical part; they are rather opaque, and show a twigged form (delineation virgatam). In the straight canaliculi many air – bubbles can be seen. left kidney, length 4 1/4″, breadth 2″; same appearances when cut into. The capsules of both are easily detached. The uterus of large size, containing bloody mucus. Some ecchymoses in peritoneum. The intestinal m. m. is normal; it contains a grayish fluid. The muscular substance of heart has a grayish – red colour. (F. A. WEIHE, De Intoxicat Phosphor. Acut., Diss. inaug., Berolini, 1867.)
18. X -, a woman, aet. 45, swallowed the Ph. from 120 matches in water. Half an hour later she was seized with violent vomiting, brought up almost all the poison, and, not wishing to betray herself, said nothing about it. After 3 1/2 d. Dr. Ozanam was called to her. He found the following condition: – The general aspect was that of a typhoid febrile state, with profound prostration. Patient can with difficulty raise herself, and complains of vertigo. The tongue is red, dry and coated; much thirst. Stomach sensitive; patient had vomited several times each day, but had not taken much notice of it, as she often vomits when in her ordinary health. Pulse 90, skin cold; respiration painful, though no rales were found; there was a well – marked bruit with first sound of heart; urine red and scanty. Neither urine nor breath smelt of Ph. Next m. patient was less restless, pulse 90, slight general yellowness commencing to appear in eyes, chest and limbs; had vomited twice freely. The vomited matter was black like soot. It was chiefly fatty matter and blood cells, mostly altered or even changed to shapeless molecules; it was acid. No other haemorrhage found, or brown patches of skin, as is sometimes the case; patient complained of frequent palpitation. She did not appear to suffer much, and only asked to drink, calmly remarking that the poison had done its work, and that it was too late for remedies. She died on the 7th day (L’Art Medorrhinum, xix, 1146.)
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.