30. Sister of foregoing, aet. 39; married, two children, youngest 10; nervo – sanguine temperament. Dyspeptic for 10 years. Suffered since last confinement from leucorrhoea, partial prolapsus uteri, and hypochondriasis. Has smoked and snuffed tobacco fifteen years. Eight years ago began to have shocks at epigastrium, with sinking, cardialgia, acid eructations, sense of rushing of blood to head, palpitations, sleeplessness, and starting when first going to sleep. These symptoms kept increasing, and there came on tenderness all along spine, especially in cervical and lumbar regions, rigidity of limbs, costiveness, derangement of catamenia, &c. Snuffed and smoked more to soothe her feelings, with temporary relief; but on abandoning these habits the dyspeptic and nervous symptoms soon got well, the spine recovering under cupping, counter – irritation, anodynes, and tonics. Frequently afterwards, venturing on moderate use of tobacco, the same symptoms invariably returned in slighter degree. (Ibid)
31. S. E. -, aet. 40, in good health until 1838, when he began to emaciate and grow pallid; his food did not digest well; he had acidity, heartburn, gastralgia, palpitation, sinking at pit of stomach, and a host of nervous symptoms; gloom, hypochondria, and apprehensions of sudden death. Shocks in epigastrium when just falling to sleep followed, and his sleep became a succession of starts. After 2 hours these shocks came upon him during the d. Quite unfit for business, was weak, irresolute, and desponding. Was a heavy smoker, and on abandoning the habit rapidly recovered, the shocks in epigastrium leaving him after the first 3 day of abstinence. (Ibid.)
32. C. P. -, aet. 43, farmer, temperate, nervo – bilious temperament; has been a tobacco smoker twenty years. Complained of similar symptoms to S. E. -, which rapidly subsided on leaving off use of T. Was healthy until resuming it again after 18 mos. In 2 mos. shocks came on with great severity. they were now felt in chest and cardiac region, at first always in n., but a after a while in daytime, with rushing of blood to head which would momentarily deprive him of consciousness. The shocks also now took place in head. On abandoning T. again the shocks left him, sleep became quiet, dyspepsia disappeared, mind became calm, spirits elastic, and he was able to work. (Ibid)
33. S. J. -, aet. 54, nervous temperament, farmer, has used T. 10 years. It has frequently salivated him. Is emaciated, nervous, and hypochondriacal. shocks commenced 2 years ago in bowels, first on just falling asleep, afterwards in daytime, with epigastric sinking, costiveness, and general dyspepsia Gradually improved on leaving off T. Similar symptoms to the foregoing though to a much less extent, were observed in A.C. -, aet. 27, farmer, who had used T. excess for 4 years; and in Rtev. Mr. H -, aet.30, who had used it 15 years. they both quickly recovered without medicine on abandoning the T. (Ibid.)
34 Bridget V -, wife of a miller, aet. 46 with regular catamenia, extremely emaciated, see Feb. 7th, 1864. had been much tried by domestic and other sorrows. Four years ago lost a daughter by typhoid fever. Since then had been so wretched that she resorted to all sorts of means to stupefy herself, drank much alcohol and ate all sorts of tobacco, the kinds used for smoking, chewing, and snuffing. She ate about two francs’ worth every week. When seen was aphonic; she could hardly utter some inarticulate sounds in a hoarse voice. Breathing difficult, sighing; pulse weak, slow. The heart scarcely beat. Pupils dilated, insensible to light, her haggard eyes could hardly direct her hand to any object offered to her; almost total blindness. Hearing extremely dull. Face pale emaciated, stupid looking; tongue trembling, red, dry, pointed. Painful dysphagia in consequence of spasms of the throat. Abdomen retracted. Stools like sheep’s dung, had long been only passed by means of enemata or purgatives; at first on the contrary, she had copious evacuations and vomiting. Soon, however, she lost her appetite, her gastro-intestinal walls seemed to be affected with the stupor the rest of her body showed, and she became prostrated. Involuntary emission of urine, feebleness, sweats sleeplessness When seen 2 day later the voice was completely extinct, like that of one suffering from cholera; swallowing was impossible, her thorax scarcely moved, respiratory sounds and movements of heart scarcely perceptible. All the organs seemed to be, as it were, sent to sleep by the influence of the drug. Death ensued a few hours later. (LE BRIERT, Gaz. de. Hop., July 21st, 1864.)
35. In 1849, the Academy of Medicine, at the request of the Minister of the Interior, appointed a commission to inquire into the sanitary state of the work people employed in the manufacture of tobacco. The report of the commission was drawn up by Dr. Mellier. e writes: _ “The first impression on the new workpeople is always more or less disagreeable; all, or nearly all, find a certainty difficulty in accustoming themselves to the work; many cannot succeed, and are obliged to leave the manufacture We ascertained that of 5 who entered at the period of our visit 1 only had been able to remain…. If they persist, their employment produces in course of time a peculiar alternation of complexion. this is not a simple loss of colour, an ordinary pallor; it is a grey hue, somewhat dull, a mixed shade between chlorosis and some cachexia. the physiognomy assumes a peculiar character, by which the experienced eye can to a certain degree discern those who have long been employed in a tobacco manufactory; for this kind of countenance is never seen except among the old hands. the preparations iron cure this state and restore their original complexion to the workers…. M. Hurteux (the medical attendant of the manufactory at gros – Caillon) has remarked that when the work people are bled, it is rare to observe a buffy coat on the blood, or if there be one it is very slight; and the coagulum is very soft. This the blood becomes modified to such a degree that a portion of its fibre has disappeared… The men grow thin, and alter rapidly. We saw one who, when he first came into the manufactory, was fresh and stout; now he is thin, and his complexion is assuming the dull colour above alluded t; he is also much weaker than he was. Another inflamed me that he lost 10 lb. in a very short time.: Finally, the reporter says that though he cannot positively prove from statistical manufacturers than among other classes of men, still there is much reason for believing that it is so. “all that we know,” he says, “is, that if among the workpeople there are some old men, there are very few or none in a flourishing state of health, most of the old hands being asthmatic or at least subject to dyspnoea.” It is fair to state that most enquirers into the subject take a more favourable view than did the French Commission of the influence of tobacco-working on health.(See STILLE, sub voce.)–EDS (TASTE, Ioc. cit.).
Experiments on animals
1, Schubarth, in a series of 22 experiments (Horn’s archiv, 1824), upon horses chiefly, found the action of T. On these animals more strikingly indicated by infrequency of pulse, which feel from 37 to 26 after administration of about 4 oz., and remained depressed for 24. Brodie (Phil. Trans., ci) found a strong infusion produce death in dogs by arresting action of heart; while the empyreumatic oil killed the animals without such cardiac effects. There was retching, vomiting faintness, tremor, and when the oil was employed spasms and convulsions also, before death. Wright found that from 2 or 5 gr. of the essential oil, given to dogs 2 or 3 times a day, induced gradual and complete marasmus; a peculiar dragging action of the hind legs; loss of venereal power, and softening and shrivelling of the testicles; shedding of hair; and, before death, sloughing of eyelids and blindness. After death the blood was invariably found fluid, deficient in fibrin, and particularly so in red globules; the heart was pale, soft, and smaller than natural; the body never stiffened, and decomposed very rapidly. The gums began to swell and bleed early in the experiments, and the teeth became loose and some times dropped out. The mucous membrane of mouth, nose, and trachea was softer, more tumid, and more vascular than usual. (STILLE, 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.