8. Dr. LEWI dissolved about 2 gr. of the Ist trit. of Salicylic acid in a small tumbler two thirds full of water, and took a mouthful of the solution, June 17th, 8 p. m. After 1 hours slight difficulty of swallowing. Went to bed at 10:30 and fell asleep. At 3 a. m. woke with strong inclination to swallow, which was rather difficult. Felt a great longing for fresh air, which caused him to open the window. Gradually the pain of swallowing, especially on right side, increased, combined with a painful shooting drawing out from the mouth about the region of the Eustachian tube to the external orifice of the ear and the concha. At the same time he felt a swelling of the right tonsil beneath and to the side of the angle of the maxilla, which was painful to touch, and there was increased heat of the whole region. The pain out at the ear became so intense that he could not sleep, that he got out of bed, and the pain got to such a height that he took as an antidote 2 dr. of nitr. ac. 6x at 4 and 7 a. m. About 1/2 hours after the Ist dose great drowsiness came on, and he went to bed and slept for 1 h. On rising the pains continued in the same degree, pulse 78, contracted. After the 2nd dose at 7 a. m. the symptoms diminished, and between 8 and 9 a. m. he found it difficult to speak. At 10 a. m. he got a colleague to examine him, who found swelling and redness of the m. m. of the throat and back of palate, also swelling of right tonsil outwards, and a slight membranous deposit the size of a pin’s head. After the 2nd dose of nit. ac., at 8 a. m. when working, there came by retching a cheesy substance the size of a fly’s body of penetrating odour, covered with bluish-red blood, and along with it some blood – tinged saliva. This substance evidently came from the affected tonsil, and its discharge gave him momentary relief. The retching and inclination to vomit recurred repeatedly when speaking. For this he took apis 6x. This relieved the retching, but the other symptoms continued and increased towards e. In the early m. he could only take cocoa and sopped bread on account of the pain, especially on right side, on swallowing and chewing. At midday he could swallow better, but could not drink anything cold. On attempting to drink beer in evening the pain and heat of the right side increased. He passed a good n., but the pain in throat on swallowing and the ear symptoms continued in slighter degree on the 19th and m. of the 20th, but all went off in the afternoon of that day (N. Z.f. hom. Kl., xx, 106.)
9. Dr. H. L. CHASE got no marked symptoms from doses of 5 gr. of the crude acid, but from doses of the 3x dil. he experienced soreness and pain in right deltoid and gastrocnemius, changing next day to left wrist and forearm. There was some soreness to touch, and great soreness on moving the limb. No heat. On following day same pain on palmar surface of left forefinger. When pain appeared in a new part it left that previously affected. (N. Engl. Medorrhinum Gaz., xii, 564.)
10. A boy, aet. 8, was convalescent from an attack of acute rheumatism complicated with pneumonia; temp. had been normal for 7 days before we commenced, and he appeared quite well. Throughout the experiment we took his temperature in the rectum hourly, from 9 a. m. till 12 p. m., noting pulse and resp. each time. For first 2 days we gave no S. acid. Course of temp. on these day was peculiar, possibly owing to the previous illness. From 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. it fell about 1, then rose and remained at normal height till evening fall began, which happened later than usual in boys of his age, and amounted to as much as 2.7. On next 3 day we gave him S. ac. hourly, in 5 or 10 gr. doses Ist day, and 10 gr. and 2nd and 3rd. On Ist day he took 110 gr., on 2nd 155 gr., on 3rd 160; in all 425 gr. These doses had but very slight effect on temp., and not in the direction of depression, but rather the other way. The acid also produced no symptoms, the body seeming, in all respects, just the same as usual. During his rheumatic attack we treated him with same medicine in 10 gr. doses hourly, with the production of symptoms so marked that after he had taken 130 gr. we found it necessary to discontinue its administration. (RINGER, Therap., 10th ed., p. 606.)
11. Mr. NORTH observed his temp. (under tongue) May 6th – 23rd, and again Aug. 5th – 7th. It was subnormal early in day, 96-97, but rose gradually, and reached 98, 99, or 100 in evening, especially after rowing or strong walking exercise. On Aug. 8th took 0.5 grm. of S. ac. at 3 p. m., and 1 grm. at 5 and 11 p. m. It apparently produced no effect save slight nausea and sick headache, and this (he thinks) might be attributed to heat of laboratory in which he was working. No alteration in temp. On 9th he woke with sense of numbness in fronto-parietal region; no headache. Took 1 grm. at 10:45, 1, 3, and 6. After Ist dose irritability of bladder, buzzing in ears and slight deafness. 2 p. m., slight dizziness and headache. 5:40, hearing decidedly indistinct, singing in ears very annoying; considerable depression and languor. 9, conversation sounds distant and subdued; pupils considerably dilated; slight nausea; numbness and insensibility of scalp very marked. E. temp. did not rise above 98.4 till 9:30, when it reached 99.2. On 10th and 11th took no medicine. Scalp was still insensible on 10th, but hearing greatly improved. E. temp. was 98.8 at 7 and 98.9 at 11; on 11th it was 99 and 99.2 at these h. On 12th took 1 grm. at 4.57 p. m. Just before, 10 m. rapid walking had raised temp. to 99.1, but at 5.16 same exercise brought it only to 98.5, and it did not again reach this point in evening (Practitioner, xxiii, 184.)
12. MARAGLIANO experimented on action of Salicylate of soda on heart. He made a triple series of observations. In the first, patients who were taking the drug regularly were examined sphygmographically before, during, and after the m. and evening dose. In the second the pulse – curve, and in the third the arterial pressure, of other persons was taken during and after the exhibition of a single 5 grm. dose. The result showed–Ist. As the dose was gradually increased in patients of the first class, the pulse became progressively stronger and the systolic line of the tracing higher. 2nd. After the single dose pulse was stronger, systolic line higher, and arterial pressure increased,- all this coming on in about 1 hours, and lasting about 3 hours ( Centralbl. f. med. Wiss., Dec. 2nd, 1882.)
13. REISS gave S. of soda of in doses of 5 to 7.5 grm. to adults, 2.5 grm. to children between 6 and 12. The experiment was made on a large number of persons (number not stated). Most had no symptoms, a few had slight confusion of head, moderate sweat, transient roaring in ears, also amblyopia. A diminution of temperature was always observed. With the exception of one case the temp. after 5 grm. fell on an average 0.9 in 4 to 6 h. If the med. was taken for a series of days the temperature was persistently subnormal. In one case, a convalescent from cystitis who got daily 5 grm. at the same hour, the following was observed: Ist day from 37.9 to 36.7 in 5
h. 2nd ” 37.3 ” 36.4 ” 3 ” 3rd ” 37.2 ” 35.6 ” 6 ” 4th ” 37.0 ” 35.9 ” 7 ” 5th ” 37.0 ” 36.2 ” 4 ” 6th ” 37.1 ” 36.9 ” 3 ” 7th ” 37.4 ” 35.6 ” 7 ” 8th ” 37.5 ” 36.4 ” 7 ” 9th ” 37.5 ” 36.4 ” 5 ” 10th ” 37.6 ” 36.5 ” 5 ” (Berlin klin. Wochensch., 1875, 674.)
14. KOLBE made experiments on himself and 8 colleagues with 1 grm. of S. acid daily for several days without any effect whatever. (Centralblatt f. Prakt. Chemie, N. F., xi, 21; in Lancet, 1876, ii, 681.).
Poisonings
I. Rebecca Horn, aet. 15, a robust, healthy-looking girl, had undergone, on Jan. 11th, resection of left ankle-joint on account of chronic fungous arthritis with fistulous opening on both sides. On the 15th January there was some fever, the wound looked bad and smelt ill. On 19th and following days she got natr. salicyl. 1 grm. every hour without any effect. From 22nd, her temp. being 38.6, she got 4 grm., when temp. was 39.4 and upwards she got 6 grm. Very little effect. – 25th. By mistake she got the following doses in the temp. indicated. 6 a. m., temp. 38.4, 4 grm.; 12 noon, temp. 38.8, 4 grm.; 2 p. m., temp. 39.6, 6 grm.; 4 p. m, temp. 39.4, 6 grm.; 6 p. m, temp. 39.4, 6 grm.; 8 p. m., temp 39, 4 grm.; 10 p. m., temp. 38.6, 4 grm. The last 2 doses were vomited. Thus from 6 a. m. till 6 p. m. she took 26 grm. When seen in forenoon of 26th she had a very anxious expression, was very restless, face red, pupils very dilated, very little sensitive to light, marked strabismus divergens. Respiration 60 in the minute, but not superficial; pulse hardly affected. Sensorium free, speech very difficult. At 6 a. m., temp. 37.2; at 8,37; at 10,37.4 At noon she commenced to be delirious. Temp. 38.4. Got brom. of pot. 2 p. m., temp. 39 (brom. of pot. 2 grm.); 4 p. m., temp. 38.8 (brom. of pot. 2 grm); 6 p. m., temp. 38.6. – 7 p. m. Patient has become quieter. There is a constant variation in her condition; sometimes she has hallucinations, sometimes she is half asleep, sometimes she is rational for a short time, knows those about her (she seems not to see distant objects well) and answers questions. Speech hoarse, indistinct, stammering, some words she cannot pronounce. Eyes have a peculiar sparkle. Respirations 40, deep and noisy. Pulse very irregular, sometimes very quick sometimes of nearly normal velocity, small, weak. Injection of ol. camph. 1 grm. Since afternoon a swelling of left inguinal glands, sensitiveness to pressure of thigh on its inner side where the middle and lower third meet-nothing to be seen. Ice – bags and cold compresses to head and body. 8 p. m., temp. 38.2; 10 p. m., 38.1. Resp. 30, pulse still irregular but rather fuller. Kal. brom. 2 grm. – 27th. 1 a. m., temp. 37.8. Kal brom. 2 grm.; 6 a. m. 37.6, kal. brom. 2 grm; 8 p. m., 38.5; 10 p. m., 39, resp. 36. Pulse small and irregular, 120. No sleep at n. Wounds look bad. Urine dark dirty brown, contains about 2 per cent. albumen. 12 noon, temp. 38.4, kal. brom. 2 grm.; 2 p. m., 38; 4 p. m., 37.8; 6 p. m. 38.3; 7 p. m., complained of great thirst and feeling of dryness in mouth and throat. On forehead and rest of face, on neck and legs, the skin is very red in several circumscribed patches; the redness disappears on pressure, but immediately returns; the spots are neither elevated nor painful. Mydriasis and strabismus less. 8 p. m., temp. 37.2; 10 p. m., 38.2. – 28th, 8 a. m., temp. 39.4; 9 a. m., 39.2; 10 a. m., 38.6. The redness of skin has partly left the original spots and gone to other parts. A decubitus the size of half a crown in the middle of the sacrum; after removing the slough it is dressed with benzoin and compress. Resp. still 30, pulse irregular, sometimes slow and strong, sometimes quick and small. Wound still looks bad. Has had no restful sleep. Urine still dark coloured, contains about 1 per cent. albumen. 12 noon, temp. 38.1; 2 p. m., 38.6; 4 p. m., 39.1; 6 p. m., 38.4; 7 p. m., hoarseness increased, relieved by application of hot sponges to neck. 10 p. m., temp. 38.6. – 29th, 7 a. m., temp. 39; 9 a. m., 38.4; 10 a. m., 38.2. Slept soundly for several hours in n., feels pretty well. Sensorium clear more frequently and for longer periods, less apathetic. Resp. nearly normal, pulse more regular and stronger. Strabismus and mydriasis gone. Speech better, hoarseness in throat diminished. Feels well all day in spite of higher temperature. Noon, 38.8; 2 p. m., 39.3, kal. brom. on account of restlessness; 3 p. m., 39.2; 4 p. m., 39; 5 p. m., 38.8; 6 p. m., 39; 10 p. m., 39, kal. brom. – 30th, 2 a. m., temp. 38.4, kal. brom; 7 a. m., 38.3; 9 a. m., 38.4; 10 a. m., 38.4. Slept well last n. Mind generally clear, but has occasional hallucinations. The redness of skin gone, albumen in urine diminished. Inguinal glands still swollen, the place on thigh still sensitive to pressure. 11 a. m., temp. 38.2; 1 p. m., 38.4; 5 p. m., 38.2; 7 p. m., 38.5; 10 p. m., 38.5. – (The remainder of the case has reference to the operation, the decubitus, and an attack of erysipelas in operated leg.) (petersen, Deutsche med. Wochensch., Jan. 13th, 1877.)
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.