The effect of stramonium on the pulse is different from that of most narcotics when pushed so far as to produce ultimate narcosis. I have almost universally found it increased in frequency, but not in power. (Ibid.)
8. An Irish family was taken suddenly ill after eating a dinner of corned beef and boiled greens. The family consists of five persons, Mr. T -, his wife, and three children-the oldest about eight, the youngest about five years of age. I saw them about an hour after dinner, when the symptoms were immediately recognized as the effect of the datura. The countenances had a wild idiotic expression, the pupils widely dilated, the sensorial functions perverted, and the muscular system subject to an irregular agitation somewhat resembling that of chorea. The appearance of the family was extremely ludicrous. The children were laughing, crying, singing, dancing, and playing all imaginable antic pranks. They had no correct estimation of distances or the size of objects; were reaching their hands to catch hold of objects across the room, and again running against persons and things which they appeared to view as distant. The nailheads in the floor were pieces of money which they eagerly tried to pick up. A boy, apparently fancying himself undressed, caught a hat belonging to a student, thrust his foot into it, pulled with both hands on the brim, and began to fret that he could not “get on his trousers.” The parents frequently called on the children to behave themselves; but their own actions being equally eccentric, they afforded a ridiculous exhibition of family government.
Emetics brought from the stomach a large quantity of the datura plant with other green vegetables; and under the use of camphor, carb. ammonia, and warm aromatic infusion, the narcotic symptoms soon subsided. (HOOKER Ibid., xv, 60.)
9. On the evening of Nov. 25th I was called to F. S -, a male child aged four years, and was requested to be as quick as possible, as the messenger said the child was in spasms. I saw the child in about 10 m. after I was called. Found him in great distress; pulse 120; throwing his arms and limbs to and fro, and very restless; colour of skin a bright scarlet; pupils dilated. The scarlet colour extended over the face, body and limbs. I questioned his mother as to how he was taken; she replied that an hour before, he had been at play with the children, and came into the house and wanted some water; said his tongue felt big, and he appeared not to want much supper. She put him to bed as usual. He had not been in been in bed long before attention was called to him by a scream, as though he was frightened in his sleep. She found it impossible to do anything with him, and his father was called. As he inclined to be sick and to vomit, they gave him an infusion of snakeroot, which checked it. he being no better as to other symptoms, a messenger was despatched for me. From the appearance of the child, and the mother’ history, I concluded it was a worm fit with stoppage of water, as his father told her he had often complained when urinating, and accordingly I gave him some simple remedies for the urinary trouble, with little or no effect. I then ordered injections, and at least twelve ounces were thrown up the rectum. After waiting one hour, and no movement of the bowels occurring, and the symptoms not much better, I came to the conclusion that there was a want of action some cause, and accordingly gave calomel and jalap at 9 o’clock, and left another powder to be given at 1 o’clock if no movement took place from the bowels. No passage taking place by 1 o’clock, and the symptoms being the same, the powder was given, which caused full emesis and brought to light the cause of the trouble, viz. about a tablespoonful of the seeds of the datura stramonium. How the little fellow lived so long with them in him, it being about 7 hours from the time I first saw him till he vomited them up, and how much longer they had been in him, I know not. The medicinal dose is but 1/2 gr. At the same time the vomiting commenced, the bowels passed off quite freely watery stools mixed with the seeds. (CALKINS, Ibid., liv, 398.)
10. a. L. G -, a boy about 6, was found standing at the back gate of his father’s house at about 6 p. m. on Saturday afternoon. He was known to have gone away from home immediately after dinner, and had not been seen by his family afterwards. He staggered into having said in reply to a question, “I don’t care; ” but these were all the words spoken by him till after midnight. I saw him a few minutes before 9 o’clock. He was sitting in a lady’s lap, his right cheek against her breast. The whole surface was of a bright crimson, but the skin was not dry, and the redness disappeared on pressure, returning very rapidly. His teeth and lips were separated. The tongue was very dry and its tip was curled up, but not touching the roof of the mouth. Both pupils were fully dilated, the iris being scarcely perceptible; the respiration strongly stertorous. The pulse was rapid and feeble. Both sounds of heart were distinct. The abdomen was tympanitic.
10 b. The history, so far as could be made out, was that he had eaten bread and butter with tomato catsup for breakfast; had been at school in the morning; had taken a dinner of bread and butter with milk, and had gone away to play immediately afterwards. With whom or where he had been could not be discovered. His usual companions had not seem him. He had vomited just before I saw him a parcel of seeds, supposed to be tomato seeds. On comparison, however, there was an evident difference. The tomato seed was about the same size but balloon-shaped. These were, as described in the books, “small, kidney-shaped, flattened on the sides,” but white, not of a dark brown, as the ripe stramonium seeds are. Convinced that they were stramonium, I gave him by the mouth about a scruple of ipecacuanha, and as much more in half a pit of warm water as an enema. When removing him to bed I noticed that his limbs, though flexed, were rigid. Soon after, by irritating him, he was made to move, but the power of motion was mostly confined to the right side. Within 2 hours his left side recovered its power. He did not vomit for 2 hours after taking the emetic, and then vomiting was much aided by putting the spoon down his throat. The enema came away in part while vomiting. Before this time his skin was losing its redness, and he was inclined to get up, but would fall asleep in the act of rising. As in once stupefied with opium, his waking was with a start, as though dreaming. He picked the bed clothes as one in the low stage of fever, and if the hand were held before his eyes he felt for it at varying distances. When pinched or tickled after 10 o’clock, he became very angry, and muttered incoherently, turning upon his face and kicking backwards with alternate movements of the feet. There was no strabismus throughout.
10 c. Dr. Ellis, with whom I left him at 11 p. m., reports that he gave him a grain of tartrate of antimony in four doses, in the course of the following hour. After each dose he vomited, but nothing came up except those white flat seeds. There was no bile at any time. About midnight there was a voluntary dejection. He was then moving about, apparently conscious, but could give no account of himself. About that time Dr. Ellis gave him 4 grs. of calomel, which were at once thrown up. The doctor left soon after, directing senna and salts in the morning. This dose operated twice in the morning. On Sunday, at 1 p. m., I saw him again. He was about house and came to the door. The pupils were still somewhat dilated, and he could not distinguish figures from letters. Otherwise he seemed well, except that he could not remember the names of the boys with whom he had been on Saturday afternoon. He must have vomited some 250 or 300 seeds – I think more than the latter number. (BUCKINGHAM, Ibid., lxv, 261.)
11. A girl aet. about 2 1/2 lately died from eating unripe thorn – apple. The child ate it between 5 to 6 p. m. on an empty stomach, but the quantity taken could not be ascertained. About 6 p. m. she was observed to stagger and appeared as if intoxicated. At 8:30 p. m. the symptoms were complete insensibility, dilatation of pupils, swelling of the under lip, voluntary muscles in a state of great relaxation, respiration hurried, the extremities cold, and the pulse little or none perceptible. The torpor gave place at irregular intervals to severe convulsive fits, during which the child shrieked violently, and the voice was particularly hoarse. Full vomiting was excited, and a considerable quantity of stramonium was thus dislodged from the stomach, but without any return of consciousness, or any abatement of the symptoms. At 1 a. m. the paroxysms of excitement of the brain which had produced the convulsions had ceased to recur, and the jaw had become locked. At 8 a. m. pulse 160, strong and regular; heat of whole surface great; eyes half closed and lifeless. At 11 a. m. pulse 120, unequal and intermitting. The child lived till 3 p. m. On opening the body a large quantity of thorn-apple was found in the ileum; some of it in pieces that admitted being felt through the coats of the intestines, but the greater part in a state of minute division. A great part of the poisonous substance was intimately blended with the fluid secretions in the intestines, but as much of it as could be got away separately weighed nearly half an ounce. In the stomach only one particle of stramonium remained, and none in the duodenum or jejunum. The bladder was distended, the blood-vessels of the pia mater remarkably loaded, and more water than usual in the ventricles of brain. (GRANGER, Ed. Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., xvi, 155.)
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.