12. Thursday, Nov. 10th, 1844, 1015 p. m., was called to visit 3 women who were said to be in a dangerous condition from the use of some article that they had taken in the course of that e. It was soon ascertained that they had steeped, as they supposed, about half an ounce of horehound in a pint of water for a slight cold, but the herb proved to be stramonium, and they had each of them taken a portion of this infusion. M. L – was upwards of 60, previous health feeble and delicate. J. L -, aet. about 30, constitution good. E. B -, upwards of 80, naturally of a very vigorous constitution, had suffered lately from bronchitis, but was now convalescent. Appearances.-they lay in bed stupid, with a muttering delirium unable to articulate a single word. There was a certain and peculiar wildness of countenance. Their faces were flushed; pupils much dilated; conjunctivae highly injected, with a total insensibility of pupils. Lips and tongue parched; no vomiting; breathing at times stertorous and laboured. Hands cold, with a trembling and slightly convulsive movement. Great rigidity of the muscles of the back and neck. At times active attempts at utterance. For the space of 3 hours at intervals various emetics were given, with little effect. Stimulants were then substituted, apparently with some beneficial effect. Their use was continued at intervals. 12a. M. L -, Friday, 3 a. m. There is a decided improvement; can raise herself in bed, but mutters. 9 a. m., is conscious, through there is a wildness in her look; pupils dilated; talks at times coherently and then wanders. A purgative was ordered to each patient. Saturday m., complains of soreness of the throat and fauces. Has a loose rattling cough with some expectoration. Mucilaginous drinks were ordered. She continued to droop gradually, and died apparently without suffering the following m.
12 b. J. L – could sit up, but was unable to stand, and resembled one intoxicated. Her symptoms were somewhat of an hysterical character. Friday, 3 a. m., is conscious, speaks distinctly, and seems aware of her condition. 6 a. m., pupils continue dilated. Saturday m., well. An incident in her case is perhaps worthy of remarks. She is a seamstress by trade, and is much occupied in sewing. At times, when under the influence of the poison, she would seem to herself to be enlarged in her usual avocation, and then would thread the needle, tie the knot at the end, and imitate in every respect the routine of procedure of one thus engaged.
12c. E. B – drank the most freely. The wildness of countenance in her case was very striking and almost startling. Pupils very much dilated, and almost insensible. Friday, 3 a. m., but little if any improvement. 9 a. m., is conscious, though the wildness continues. Pupils considerably dilated, is much excited, talks thickly, and articulates with difficulty. Saturday m., is better, but complains of great soreness and dryness of throat. Has improved slowly since then. Has at present some hoarseness of voice and cough, for which she is under treatment. (SPENCE, Bost. Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., xxxi, 361.)
13. On July 23rd, 1797, at 11 p. m., I was called in great haste to visit a child of Mr. S -, et. about 2 years, suddenly attacked and said to be dangerously ill. When I arrived I found her apparently in the greatest agony, with a high fever, and burning heat and redness of the skin, attended with an itching eruption over the whole face and trunk of the body, but her feet and legs were paler and cooler than natural, her countenance appeared suffused and bloated, the pupils were greatly dilated, the tongue furred and dry; pulse weak, and no frequent as hardly to be counted. She had an incessant hiccup, and frequent ineffectual retchings to vomit. Sometimes she would appear for a moment to be relieved from her anxiety, and sit silent with her eyes fixed on the ground as if absorbed in contemplation, whilst her hands were employed in picking at her clothes, or anything that happened to be before her, similar to those in the last stage of some fevers. Then again she would start involuntarily quick as if a shock of electricity had passed through her body, with an air of affright and a loud shriek; her limbs writhed with convulsive motions and her countenance and body distorted in every direction, apparently affected with great pain and anxiety. At other times in her intervals of ease she would sing and sometimes laugh, but could not be made to utter a word, neither did she appear to take notice of anything that was said to her. In short, the function of her mind appeared to be entirely deranged. These paroxysms occurred at irregular intervals of 5 to 10 m., and continued about the same period. She manifested great aversion to fluids of every kind. When a cup of water was brought to her lips she would instantly start from it, and sometimes relapse into her paroxysms; so great was her aversion that it was with the utmost difficulty a teaspoonful of any fluid could be forced down her throat. On particular inquiry I found that she had been in the garden that afternoon, and some of her playmates had observed her to take some seeds in her mouth, which from a specimen brought me proved to be the thorn-apple’s. I exhibited an emetic. When it operated she brought up a tablespoonful or more of the unripe seeds, and diffused the rank smell of that plant over the whole house. After this the child appeared to be better and easier; her pulse became somewhat stronger and slower, and her skin a little cooler. 24th. – At daybreak I found her in a stupor, from which she could with great difficulty be roused, resembling a person in the highest stage of intoxication from spirituous liquors. She had frequent startings and twitchings of the limbs; her pulse was fuller, stronger, and slower than last evening; skin a little cooler; feet warmer; eruption stationary. I ordered a dose of castor oil to be administered immediately. Towards evening the oil had operated; she had somewhat recovered; stupor diminished; pupils not quite so much dilated; eruption not so red; she looked sullen and fateful. 25th. – Slept well last night; has recovered rapidly, but is much debilitated; staggers a little when she walks; skin nearly of its natural colour, but rough and dry; pupils of the eyes contracted to nearly their natural dimensions; eyelids swelled, and face rather bloated. At 12 o’clock was attacked with high fever and slight return of the eruption; was much disposed to sleep. She now became thirsty, and inclined to drink; was directed to use lemonade. The pupils of her eyes were now contracted more than natural. Ordered repetition of ol. ricini. 26th. – Fever continues; pulse preternaturally tense. I administered a more powerful cathartic. 27th. – Purgative had operated well, it brought away a large quantity of greenish faces; no fever; pulse natural. 28th. – Observed a great many vesications on her skins, filled with a pellucid fluid; they were extremely numerous and very small, many of them not larger than a pin’s head, covering her whole face and trunk of her body. Ordered a continuation of laxatives, and the lemon juice for common drink. 29th. – She recovers strength fast; plays about the house; appetite increases; vesications drying up. (DEWITT, Medorrhinum Rep., ii, 27.)
14. A young married woman had taken a decoction of more than a tablespoonful of the dried seeds as a cure for some trifling complaint. Shortly after, she was seized with a delirium; her tongue furred; her cheeks flushed; skin warm, and her pulse full and tense. I immediately administered 6 grs. of tart. antimon. in divided portions. Three hours afterwards the emetic had operated but little. She was now in a furious mania, requiring several persons to hold her. She passed large quantities of urine involuntarily as she walked over the floor. Pulse quick and tense; directed venesection to fifteen ounces, and administered a brisk cathartic. In 2 or days she entirely recovered, without the least recollection of anything that had happened during her illness. (Ibid.)
15. About 10 a. m. a child was observed to catch at the blaze of the fire in a very singular manner, and a few m. afterwards fell on the floor as if she had been paralyzed on one side. In a short time symptoms of violent fever came on, with delirium, and a scarlet efflorescence over the whole body, which had not entire disappeared when I saw her first at noon. This efflorescence was much more bright and lively than that which characterizes scarlatina. Through the day the delirium continued, with short intervals of reason. An unceasing disposition for motion in all the muscles, weeping, screaming, laughter, and rapid, incoherent exclamations formed the leading features. Once or twice the child had made feeble efforts to vomit. On presenting a candle to the child I discovered an unusual dilatation of the pupils and a remarkable squinting of the right eye. which, however, was not constant. The pulse was extremely irregular; sometimes it was hurried and fluttering, sometimes it was tense and strong and frequently its action was not discernible. The motions of the limbs and body resembled those which mark the highest grade of chorea Sancti Viti, but were much more convulsive and violent, and excited in the spectators rather a painful then a ridiculous emotion. I administered a strong dose of emetic tartar. It was long before I could produce nausea; and, as the first efforts to vomit were abortive, I made use of a feather, which excited one feeble motion. No seeds were discharged, and I found great difficulty, even by the feather, in awakening the powers of the stomach. I then gave 18 dr. of ol. tartar., per deliquium, in a teaspoonful of warm water. It had not reached the stomach 2 m. when full vomiting took place, and 7 seeds of stramonium were thrown up. In the m. I found that, notwithstanding she had slept well, some slight convulsive symptoms, together with wildness of countenance and dilatation of the pupils remained. (SAMUEL BROWN, Ibid., v, 36.)
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.