14b. Dec. 17th. – 11 a. m., 30 dr. of tinct. Slight pain in umbilical region after 10 m.; no further symptoms through day 18th. – Repeated dose with same lack of effect. 20th. – Took 100 dr. in m. Slight huskiness and dryness of throat, with sense of dryness and heat in nose and eyes, for an hours after; also eructations with taste of medicine. At noon strong desire to urinate. P. m. slight pain over right eye, better when walking in open air, worse in warm room, with sense of heat and fulness in head, dryness of eyes, and irritation of throat, with slight expectoration. (Ibid.)
15. Miss. S. WESSELHOEFT, aet. 20, in perfect health, Dec. 8th, took 2 dr. of 3x dil. at 8 a. m. 5 p. m., after a long walk, felt shooting pain across lower part of back for 1/2 hours; pain then settled in left side, where it remained during e. Continued to take a dose m. and evening till 12th. 10th. – Pain in bowels after eating at 10 p. m. 11th. – Headache at intervals all day 12th. – Pain in bowels and diarrhoea. (Ibid.)
16. Miss A. G., aet. 18, took 3rd dil. twice without effect. Now took 2 dr. of tinct. at 10 a. m. In 3 hours throbbing pain on top of head, very severe; at 4 p. m. face became red and hot, continuing so till bedtime. Slept well, and had no further symptoms. Three day later put 3 dr. of tinct. into 3j of water, and took half at a dose. In 3 hours had same headache as before. At noon took second half. Headache worse; 4 p. m., hot face and very cold feet; during evening pain in left side, under arm, more towards back, severe; lasting till bedtime. Perfectly well in m. (Next period was a week too soon; but, instead of dark flow with pain as usual, all was natural and painless.) (ibid.)
17. Dr. A. BROWN, aet.38, took 3rd dil., 3 dr. in 6 spoonfuls of water, taking one n. and m. After 3rd dose soreness in right calf; slight pain while walking, very painful on going downstairs, soreness is like that following cramp in the leg, or bruised feeling. In 2 day slight soreness in left calf and lameness of muscles of right upper arm. Soreness in right calf continued about 3 day, and then disappeared with the other symptoms. (Ibid.)
18. Mrs. M., aet. 30, mother of 4 children, took 1 dr. of 3rd dil. on going to bed. Woke next m. with dull pain over top of head, which lasted all d. In evening took another dr., and had same pain all following d. On 3rd evening took same dose, with same result; also in evening of 4th day slight leucorrhoea (unprecedented). [ “A few doses of 2nd dill. given to my wife, suffering from pleurodynia but otherwise well, produced flour albus of a mild kind, but so profuse and attended with so great depression and weakness and the refused to take any more” (Dr. OEHMS, in Ibid.)] Omitted medicine next 3 e. On 5th day same headache, less severe; and more leucorrhoea. For next 2 day no symptoms. Again took medicine for 4 successive e. For 2 day no symptoms, and she felt uncommonly well. On 3rd day, at 4 p. m., had flow of whites, about a teaspoonful, without pain. On 4th return of pain on vertex, not so severe as before. On 5th felt small sore spot in upper windpipe, continuing all day; and in evening had nervous pains in legs, especially left, feeling as if she could not sit still. Took no more medicine. Next day throat same, but it went off the day following, on which also the vertex pain was felt, with sense as if head was too heavy for neck. (Ibid.).
Experiments on animals
Anemonin (a crystalline alkaloid contained in root of p. nigricans and its allied species) has been shown by J. Clarus and others to possess powerful toxic properties; 4.1/2 gr. affected rabbits, and 9 gr. killed them in 3 or 4 h. The special phenomena were diminution of frequency and strength of heart’s pulsations (sometimes preceded by a period of excitement) and slackening of respiration; finally, diarrhoea and stertorous breathing, sinking of temperature, semi – paralysis of hind and then of fore limbs; stupor; mydriasis and immediately before death myosis, but no convulsions, such as have been seen to be produced by extract of p. itself. P. M. there was more or less congestion and oedema of lungs, and relaxation of heart walls; heart cavities and great vessels were full of dark clotted blood, while blood everywhere else was fluid; there was also marked hyperaemia of membranes of brain and cord, especially in neighbourhood of medulla oblongata. (PHILIPS, 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.