2b. The above includes about all that can be said against tobacco, and it is an indictment that is heavy enough. Indeed, we cannot but feel a little of the conscious guilt that comes when ruthlessly proclaiming the frailties of a friend. It is in the cause both of justice and scientific truth, therefore, that we hasten to state some modifications of the very damaging charges given. Tobacco is essentially a functional rather than an organic poison. It modifies the special energies and not the structure. It does not, like alcohol, leave a knobby liver behind to proclaim past indiscretions at the autopsy. This is the strongest point to those who argue for its use. It is an evasive poison. Then again, it is a drug that works its bad effects on a minority of those that use it; and these bad effects disappear very rapidly when the habit is given up. Tobacco is eliminated chiefly by the kidneys, and it leaves the system very rapidly; both acute and chronic symptoms of tobacco poisoning, are, as a rule, in adults quite transient The effect, of tobacco upon the throat is not very often injurious; Dr. Richardson’ idea that it has a tendency to produce dyspepsia is opposed by the experience of many. Tobacco amblyopia is not at all common.
2 c. All this, and still other things, can be said in favour of the drug, but it is to be remembered that they apply almost entirely to tobacco upon the young. Here it is unqualifiedly and uniformly injurious; it stunts the growth, poisons the heart, weakens the sexual organs, impairs the mental powers, and cripples the individual in every way. Not that it does all this to every youth, but it may be safely asserted that no boy of twelve or fourteen can begin the practice of smoking without becoming physically or mentally injured by the time he is twenty- one. We refer to this with especial emphasis, because the practice among boys of smoking, and especially of smoking cigarettes, is now very prevalent. The most prominent cause of rejection of candidates for apprenticeship in the navy, says Dr. Magruder, is irritable heart – caused, in most cases, primarily by tobacco. Ten out of every thousand applicants, in the year 1879, were rejected for “tobacco heart.” It is the duty of our public – school instructors to make the facts in regard to tobacco known and impressively felt by their scholars, and we and we hope that this field of sanitary mission work will be actively occupied. Sewer-gas is bad enough, but a boy had better learn his Latin over a man-trap than get the habit of smoking cigarettes. For we may lay it down as certain that tobacco is a bane to youth, though it may be the proper indulgence of manhood, and a solace to old age. (N. Y. Medorrhinum, Record, 1881, p. 349.)
13. A young Catholic priest complained of incessant ebullitions of blood, extraordinary heat, vertigo, stupefaction, headache, sleeplessness, humming and roaring in ears, anorexia, constipation, burning in urethra during micturition, feeling of great debility, great dryness of mouth, violent thirst and pains in all limbs, pulse 120, face hot and bright red. The patient was in the habit of smoking 3/4 lb of tobacco daily. He was persuaded to lessen this consumption of tobacco by 1 pipe a day, and at length he had reduced the quantity to 5 pipes. Seen 5 weeks later all the above symptoms had disappeared. (SCHMIDTMANN, Hufeland’s Journal, xci, pt. 6, p.112; in Frank’s mag., ii, 813.)
14. M. le Comte de -, aet. 42, had ever since he was 20 smoked 7 – 8 cigars daily, without having ever – as he asserts – experienced the least inconvenience. In 1853 I frequently met him, and he seemed to be enjoying perfect health. It was quite otherwise when, at the commencement of 1856, he came to consult me. He then had considerable emaciation, especially noticeable in lower extremities; sense of general weakness; chilliness; pulse rather weak, but regular, 70 – 72; temp. equable and mild, notwithstanding serious apprehensions about his health; sleep not good, frequently disturbed, sometimes without apparent cause, but also often by cough and colic; sinking at stomach if his meals were at all delayed beyond usual time; attacks of ravenous hunger; immediately after eating pricking in stomach, soon followed by a diarrhoeic stool, of which he usually has 3 or 4 daily; frequent irritation of throat and larynx, causing fits of dry cough, especially at night; dull pains in loins, which seem to alternate with the sore – throat; stools usually soft and often diarrhoeic; lastly occasional violent diarrhoea with severe griping, sometimes lasting several day, and followed by constipation. (Treatment of all kinds had been tried, but in vain, nor did T – ‘s prescriptions benefit save that veratr. alb. 3 arrested the diarrhoea and griping when it occurred. he was then ordered the water cure, which, after several weeks, produced considerable amelioration; but the abdomen was still tender, and every meal was immediately followed by an acrid – smelling stool, pale and not formed. At last T became convinced that the tobacco he smoked was the cause of his sufferings.) He adopted my advice, and was soon obliged to yield to the force of evidence. The less he smoked, the better he became – the stools formed, the pains diminished, &c. At last he gave up smoking altogether, and almost immediately the digestive functions were restored to their normal state. A week later he made the experiment of smoking for 1 day only, the effect of which sufficed to convince him for ever. Two months later M. de – had regained his stoutness, and the rosy colour he had when I knew him in 1853. (TESTE, Journ, de la Soc. Gallic., 1858.)
15. a. Captain C – -is affected with an obscure disease, but which is generally agreed to be serious. He is 43, and originally of good constitution. He first consulted me October 5th, 1856. The following description of him is taken from the notes I made at the time: – Pale, or rather yellowish complexion, reminding me at first sight of one affected by cancer; expression severe, melancholy, stamped with that indifference to everything going on which proceeds from excessive discouragement; eyes are dull, lusterless, sunk in the orbits; lips are colourless; mouth dry; tongue yellowish, not furred; no thirst, alteration in breath or taste. He has appetite, but dare not eat; every meal, even of the lightest sort, is followed in 2 or 3 hours by the most horrible sufferings in the stomach, soon succeeded by vomiting. Walking, driving in a carriage, and especially the motion of a train, cause same symptoms; he then feels exactly as if sea – sick, has the same nausea and giddiness, coming on by fits, during which skin is covered with cold perspiration. Generally the vomiting affords relief; it sometimes occurs in morning, fasting; the matter vomited is a watery fluid, sometimes tasteless, sometimes acid; on two or three occasions he has vomited blood in considerable quantities. He has habitual constipation, all the more obstinate the worse he is in himself; never diarrhoea. The whole abdomen, but especially epigastric and hepatic regions, is so sensitive that the pressure of his uniform coat is intolerable. Great heat or cold, and above all stormy weather, aggravate the symptoms, which on the other hand sometimes get better of themselves for a longer or shorter period, under the influence of atmospheric conditions which the patient cannot precisely indicate. These days of respite are becoming rarer, but while they last abdominal pain becomes more tolerable, and he can eat without vomiting. Pulse was normal. b. Cancer of pylorus of duodenum having been diagnosed, T – carefully examined abdomen, but could find no tumour. Staphisagria 12 was prescribed, and at first with striking benefit; but on his return from Paris to Cherbourg, the old symptoms recurred in force, and other medicines failed to touch them. At last treatment was given up, and T – saw no more of the patient till Jan., 1958, when he met him looking the picture of health; his face fat, jovial, rosy; his eyes sparkling; a frank smile on his lips; his step elastic. He seemed ten years younger. On inquiring who had cured him, he replied “Myself; I used to smoke, which you did not know. One fine day I gave up smoking, and from that day I date my cure.” (Ibid.)
16. a. It cannot be less than 23 or 24 years since I commenced to smoke. The discomfort it at first produced grew less and less, but I have never altogether ceased to feel some inconvenience. The immediate effects precisely resemble the secondary action of coffee – dulness of cerebral functions, confusion of ideas and inability to find words for their expression; squinting if I attempt to read; noise in ears; slight tremor of head and hands; dislike to movement and society; depression of spirits and desire to lie down, though I would take care never to go to bed in that state, being certain that I should be unable to close an eye. Soon the reaction commences. It begins by a slight disagreeable feeling about the heart and strong pulsation of temporal arteries then the brain gets excited and there comes an immense flow of ideas. These intellectual paroxysms (if I may be allowed the expression) often last all night, leaving me quite exhausted and ill the next day.
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.