4 b. 8 a. m., 6 gr. sant. of soda. Yellow vision came on in 20 morning, was very intense, came quite suddenly, lasted hardly 1 hour. Vertigo, slight headache. Urine reacted as above.
4 c. 8 a. m., 10 gr. sant. of soda. 8:30, intense yellow vision, urine reacted distinctly purple – red like raspberry juice. Urine passed with pain, burning in urethra, constant urging to urinate, but often only a few drops discharged; the linen was stained deep yellow. Then he had headache, vertigo, pressure in eyes, eructation, nausea, rumbling in bowels, copious discharge of flatus, for about 2 hours; confusion of head and weariness lasted longer. Yellow vision lasted 1.1/2 hours.
4 d. In order to observe the yellow modification of vision caused by sant. he took 10 gr. sant. that had been exposed to light, rubbed in a mortar, and repeatedly exposed to sun – light. After 2 hours the yellow vision suddenly came on and disappeared in 1/2 hours. Reaction of urine evident, slight gastric symptoms. (Ueber die Wir. k, des Santonins, 46.)
5. a. Mr. R – took at 7 a. m. 2 gr. rubbed up with sugar. The urine passed at 2:45 p. m. when mixed with carbonate of soda and warmed, or allowed to stand, showed a scarlet reaction. 7 p. m., it still reacted. No gastric symptoms and no yellow vision.
5 b. 7:30 a. m., he took 3 gr sant. of soda. 8:15, yellow vision. Another time at 8 o’clock took 6 gr. of sant. in water. After 1/2 hour yellow vision, which was gone by 10 a. m. Usual reaction of urine. (Ibid., 48.)
5 c. a body, aet. 6, who was in the hospital for a broken clavicle, got on Sept. 20th 4 gr. sant. After 1 hour he passed water like a saturated solution of saffron, the secretion of urine was increased, the colour content unchanged till the 21st. He then got 6 gr. sant. The urine became still darker, and though he only tool 2.1/2 paints of fluid he passed 4 paints of urine. The colour disappeared on Sept. 24th, and the pale yellow urine had an alkaline reaction. (MAUTHNER, Journ. f. Kinderkr., xxii, 1).
6. On August 30th, a bright clear day, I took 5 gr. 1/2 hour after luncheon. While engaged in reading some 3 hours after, I became gradually conscious of a yellowish tint on the paper, and fancied there must be a yellow haze in the air. My own hands and the complexion of others appeared of a sallow unhealthy colour, and the evening sky, light green. Vision was not perfectly distinct for some hour, and was accompanied by a certain vagueness of definition. This effect has followed each time a does of 4 or 5 gr. I felt prostrated and nauseated in the evening, was chilly and unable to sit up writing, but after the night’s rest all unpleasantness had disappeared. (WALTER S. SMITH, M. B., Dublin Quarterly Journ. of Medorrhinum Sc., 1, 266 (.
Poisonings.
I. A little girl, aet. 3.1/2 years, was given by her mother, who suspected the presence of worms, some pastilles of santonine, each containing 0.025 milligramme of the drug. One night and morning producing no effect, she was one evening given 3 at once. a few hours after she awoke complaining of feeling ill generally, and of pains in abdomen. Soon the malaise increased, and she tossed about in bed and complained of general feeling of illness; she vomited glairy matters. Her features became drawn, and she was so terror-stricken that with cries of alarm she nestled in her moth’s arms. Frequent desire to urinate then came on, and with effort small quantities of high-coloured urine were passed. From time to time she had rigors, which made her relations think it was fever. These symptoms lasted 3 hours, and then the child rapidly recovered. (E. LABBEE, Journ, de Therapeutique, 1878.)
2. A child, aet. 3 years, took in 1/2 hour 125 milligrammes of santonine in pastilles. In 3/4 hour he lost consciousness completely. His head was hot, face swollen and purple. The eyes rolled convulsively in their orbits, the pupils were covered with froth and the jaws were tightly locked. Respiration snoring, and convulsive movements of upper extremities. (LOHRMAN, quoted in Ibid.).
3. A child, aet. 4.1/2 years, took 12 pastilles of chocolate, in which were 30 centigrammes of santonine. In 2 hours he was very drowsy, with eyes fixed, bloodshot, and insensible to light, lips red and swollen. Respiration jerky and stertorous, pulse 45, soft and small, skin cold and covered with viscid sweat. Incontinence of urine, which pasted drop by drop, staining his clothes an orange yellow (turning blood red on addition of nitric acid). This condition lasted 24 hours in spite of treatment, and objects appeared yellow to him during the crisis. (DUCLAUX, in Ibid.)
4. A child, aet. 2 years, was given 2 tablet containing 25 milligrammes of santonine each. IN 10 hours slight convulsions in left side of face, beginning at angle of mouth and spreading to muscles of orbit, were noticed. Similar clonic convulsions appeared in left upper limbs. Voice became tremulous and aphonic. Soon these symptoms passed away and he appeared quite well. But in an hour a new crisis appeared, and whole left side was convulsed. Soon convulsions became general and invaded abdominal and respiratory muscles, so that artificial respiration became necessary. Pupils were very dilated, but pulse remained quiet. It took 5 days for the child to get well, and during that time he had 2 or 3 convulsive attacks a day, less severe, however, than the first. (BINZ, in Ibid.)
5. A child, aet. 4 years, was given 3 gr. of santonine with her tea. Very soon vomiting set in accompanied by a severe rash, described as urticaria, and covering greater part of body. These symptoms not being referred to the drug a similar dose was given the following night. Almost immediately a white wheal appeared on the nose surrounded by an erythematous blush, and a similar eruption rapidly covered the body. Violent vomiting, without abdominal pain or purging, set in, and the entire face became swollen. In a 1/4 hour the swelling had increased so as to render the face almost irrecognisable. The lips, from which some viscid saliva issued, were enormously swollen and glistened from oedematous distension, and the eyes were almost closed. The child was put into a hot bath and rapidly recovered. (SIEVEKING, who reports this case, Brit. Medorrhinum Journ., 166, left 1871, says that he never saw so great an exudation of serum in so short a time.)
6. A girl of 5, in good health, took 6 gr. in divided doses. As soon as she went to bed she was restless, and coughed incessantly all night. at 11 p. m. vomiting of yellowish slimy mucus set in and continued till next forenoon; also purging of watery, flaky, foul – smelling stools every 10 or 15 morning. Dr. Burdick found the child at this time collapsed, face pinched, extremities rather cold, great restlessness, drawing up of lips over teeth, with pinched expression of mouth and nose; continual thirst for iced water, which she swallowed greedily. Consciousness clear when awake, e but delirium during (restless) sleep. Complains of seeing things yellow; urine orange coloured. Very restless; throws her whole body about from one side to another. Abdomen very sensitive, child compelling of dull pain at pit of stomach. In evening abdomen. was somewhat tumid, but soft; breathing quick and catching; tongue deep red, without coating; perspiration, hot on occiput, clammy on forehead, icy cold on feet, latter creeping steadily upwards. Slight twitchings of facial muscles now set in. At 9 p. m., left pulse was gone, right thready and soft; consciousness clear. After midnight convulsions like tetanus set in, – head thrown backwards, eyes rolling about, countenance distorted, body sometimes nearly curved, with legs turned back; in intervals grasping at everything, gnawing of fingers, forcing everything into mouth. After four convulsions she died about 2 a. m. (N. Am. Journ. of Hom., xiv, 139).
7. Two gr. were taken by a child, aet. 2. IN 1/4 it was seized with convulsions; and within 1 hour it lay unconscious, with hot head and congested face, eyes twitching convulsively, pupils largely dilated and insensible, mouth foaming, teeth clenched, breathing stertorous, and upper limbs occasionally jerking. On the morrow recovery was complete. (Ann. de Therapeutique, xxii, 180.)
8. A strong boy, aet. 4, had been troubled for some months with ascarides, for which he had occasionally got 2 gr. of santonine. On November 4th (on recovery from a severe catarrhal attack), the mother gave him for ascarides 2 gr. of sant. at noon, and the same in afternoon. After his dinner he complained of sickness and inclination to vomit, stomachache, pain in abdomen, and at length vomited his food and a quantity of viscid mucus. a stool he then had brought away a quantity of ascarides. After the vomiting the child was very ill, lazy, and sleepy, and complained constantly of bellyache. Thinking it was from ascarides remaining, another dose was given. After 1/2 hour vomiting and faintness reappeared. The nausea contained, the complexion became pale, blue rings round eyes, he sought staggering a quiet corner on his mother’s lap, complained of constant stomachache and griping in bowels. At p. m., the skin of all the body became cold, lips and eras bluish, face snow white, eyes turned up so that only the whites were visible, twitching of hands and feet, breathing hurried, crowing; when seen by doctor he lay quite stupid on his mother’s lap, the arms and legs hung loosely down; they were quite cold, eyes dull, expressionless, pupils not dilated, but did not react to light, nausea, pain in belly, which was not painful to pressure, but was drawn in, pulse small, 135, face and forehead cool, moist, with cold sweat. He was so apathetic he allowed anything to be done with him. He only desired to drink. He was put to bed with warm bottles in a darkened room, got warm milk to drink, and getting warm he went to sleep in an hour. Sleep restless, he started up, tossed about, but in morning was pretty lively, was still pale and poorly, pulse 110, but soft and full. A dose of calomel was given, and next day the child was well. (SPENGLER, Deutsche Klinik, November 16th, 1850, p. 507.)
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.