18. Of a sol. of 1 gr. of Ph. to 3j of alcohol, Dr. HOLCOMBE took 20 dr. at 4 and at 9 p. m. of Feb. 10th, 1858 Glowing sensation in stomach; slight fugitive pains during n., with many (intellectual) dreams. Had to pass a very large quantity of urine before daybreak. 11th, 9 a. m., same dose. After soft easy stool considerable discharge of blood, without pain. (Had been subject to bleeding piles, but had had no symptom of them for several months.) Sensation of heat in lungs; disposition to deep inspiration, with discomfort in it; shooting pains in right chest; occasional sneezing, which aggravates feeling in chest; slight dizziness, with sensation as if muscles in walking would lose their equilibrium; frequent eructations; some twitches in decayed teeth; stitches in lumbar region. 4 p. m., same dose. Fugitive pains in both thorax and abdomen; very unusual and violent pain in teeth, immediately after eating some candy; some hacking, ticking cough; very tired feeling, without having taken even the usual exercise; involuntary starting on someone’s opening door; noise very disagreeable. 10, repeated dose. Micturition more frequent than commonly; colicky flatulence in right side; pains darting from small of back towards splenic region; sleepless, inclined to study much later than usual; violent starting of whole body when falling asleep; many dreams, character unremembered. 12th. – woke with some hacking cough; took 20 dr. more at 9 a. m. First part of stool natural; last part soft, with much florid blood. An hour later, severe griping in bowels, with tenesmic inclination for stool. Headache with dizziness all day; decided malaise, with feeling of exhaustion; flushes of pain in upper part of orbits; considerable tremulousness, especially of hands, while writing; severe pain at back of left lung, sometimes aggravated on inspiration, sometimes not. Could eat no dinner. Deep – seated and very severe pains in bones of left hand and fingers; deep – seated pain in eyes; mental irritability, uncommon vehemence in argument. 10 p. m., 40 dr. Glowing sensation throughout epigastrium and chest; very sharp stitches in sacroiliac region posteriorly; sleepless, with prolonged disposition to study; restless n., waking frequently; erotic dreams. 13th. – 9 a. m., 20 dr. Very considerable mucous accumulation in trachea, with some hoarseness; sharp stitches in lumbar and splenic regions; urgent stool, followed by about 3 ij of florid blood (a less quantity than before); pain in epigastrium for about an hour after dose, with much eructation; frequent stitches through lungs, especially on deep breathing; tenacious mucus hawked up; great sense of fatigue, with mental depression, and a most uncommon fearfulness or timidity. During day 3 or 4 attacks of violent cramp – like pain in breast, high up under sternum, lasting 15 – 30 seconds, and disappearing with flatulent eructations. At n. fearful dreams of being bitten by a ferocious horse, so vivid as to make a very painful impression on the mind. 14th. – Woke with considerable mucous accumulation in throat, expectorated with difficulty; stool partly bloody, as yesterday; violent headache on riding; pains going off. Took 30 dr. at 10 a. m., but no new symptoms occurred, nor were any of the old ones increased. On 15th there were only a few dr. of blood after stool, and on 16th this was perfectly normal. (No blood had recurred 3 mo. afterwards.) (N. A. J. of hours, 1st S., vii, 144.)
19. a. Having just prepared some tinct. of Ph. [strength not stated], I took 5 dr. about 5 p. m. Thinking no more about it, I retired about 10, but was unable to sleep; desire for it was very great, but I could not find a comfortable position. My mind was greatly oppressed with melancholy; tears would start without cause; a feeling of dread, as if awaiting something terrible, while unable to resist or move, overcame me. Sometimes it seemed as if I was beginning to bloat, and then I could hear a multitude of voices saying, in high glee, “Fill him up a little more and he will burst,” followed by denomical laughter, which made cold chills run over me. Darting, cutting pains gave me much distress, starting from separate points and flashing over whole abdomen; I imagined myself an aurora borealis, and seemed to hear distinctly voices shouting, “Beautiful, oh| was not that splendid?” as the pains became more severe and lasting. Soon, however, the agony became so great that it threw off in a measure the stupor that clouded my senses. Springing from bed, I hastily dressed and sat down to collect my scattered thoughts. My fingers were all thumbs; I felt a numbness of the whole body accompanied by sensation as if encompassed by innumerable needles that just touched, and on slightest motion entered, my body. Throat felt dry and parched; a flame seemed passing through me. When I attempted to walk my legs seemed glued to the floor; the slightest motion caused great pain. With great exertion I reached the vessel. The moment the bowels began to move the pains assumed the form of cramps. The passages were like the scrapings of intestines and were almost constant, attended with tenesmus for upwards of 2 hours, at end of which I lay down on bed weak, sore and almost helpless.
19b. Abdomen was now sore but not tender to touch. Thirst intolerable; drink did not quench it, but caused drops of cold clammy sweat to exude from pores of skin the moment water entered stomach. Lungs felt clogged up; troublesome dyspnoea; pleuritic pains through thorax extending into throat and down right arm; vertigo; headache; involuntary passages on least motion; constant desire to urinate, but nothing passed. I lay in this condition for 8 hours, when passages changed to mucus mixed with blood, still involuntary; muscles became flabby, skin dry and wrinkled; tongue was coated with a thick fur, dark centre and red edges; sores on teeth; breath offensive, even to myself; at no time was I free from pain; could not extend my limbs, but lay with them drawn up; least exertion produced great prostration.
19c. At end of 12 hours, passages began to come periodically, at first every 1/2 hour, then every hours, still involuntary, with tenesmus for half the interval. Rectum lost its sensibility, sphincter became paralysed, and there was slight prolapsus and after each stool. About 6 p. m. passage of urine became frequent, – copious, scalding, high coloured, with strong ammoniacal odour; there was dull heavy pain in region of kidneys. After this symptoms began to abate. Appetite was ravenous; but smallest quantity of food the moment it entered stomach produced vomiting and action of both bowels and bladder. My mind now became very clear; memory of past was extraordinarily vivid. As darkness came on, I was disturbed by the most frightful visions and thoughts, constant fear of death, with almost uncontrollable desire to commit suicide. Pulse was thready, intermittent, and extremely variable in rapidity. During n. stools came every 2 hours, still involuntary unless I anticipated them. Next m. I dressed with difficulty and went to office, feeling weak as from a long illness. Stools continued every 3 hours for 2 day, – always (as before) inodorous, save for a slight mouldy smell. After 3 day pains seemed to leave bowels and settle in joints, producing a crackling noise on movement. Every time I went from a warm room into open air my bowels would move. Could eat but little food, as a few mouthfuls satisfied my ravenous appetite. For some time I was not able to assume an upright posture while walking, or endure much fatigue. I did not regain my strength till 2 mo. were over, and during this time could eat nothing but the most digestible food, – spiced food and pastry invariably producing looseness of bowels. (Dr. E. R. HEATH, Amer. Hom. Rev., v, 215.)
20. Mr. H. ROBINSON took 50 dr. of “tinct.” (probably 3x dil.) at bedtime in a wine glassful of water, and had 2 emissions during following n. On another occasion, from 20 dr. taken in same manner, had peculiar kind of painful stiffness in nape of neck. (Brit. journ. of Hom., xxv, 327.)
21. Same gave to a young woman gtt. j of 1x dil. 4 times a d. After 7 or 8 day enlarged tonsils, with much dysphagia, and small ecchymosed spots on chest and face. In another, to whom he gave 2 dr. of 3x dil. 3 times a day, there was noticed, after several day, profuse lachrymation; nose feeling stuffed up; soreness of throat; tightness of upper chest. (Ibid.)
22. Dr. SHARP took at 8 p. m., pulse 74, 1 dr. of 1st dil. (probably prepared from the 3 x as). Pulse rose to 76 during 1st and 2nd m., gradually dropped to 70 during 5 – 6 m., was 72 at 10th, and 74 again at 20th, where it remained. At 8:30 took another dr. Pulse fell at once to 72, and by 4th m. to 70, rising again to 72 from 8th – 10th m., but at 20th found to be 70, and so continued Essays on Medicine, p. 720)
23. After taking, in ethereal tinct. gr. 1/30 each m. for 10 day, and then gr. 1/100 for nearly 4 weeks, I experienced increased thirst and dryness of mouth with coated tongue, flatulent distension and eructation, and uneasy feeling in region of gall – bladder, without nausea or vomiting; motions were dark but healthy, urine natural There was slight headache and sense of fulness along vertex and over left temple, with increased restlessness and sleeplessness. On discontinuing the medicine, these symptoms disappeared in about 3 day, and o n resuming it at the end of a month I felt them return in about 10 day time. (PHILLIPS, op, 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.