25. Herbert L. NORTHROP, Seymour, Conn., aet. 23, single, medical student. Height, 5 feet 6 in.; weight, 127 pounds; eight years ago had attack of eczema, probably of inherited origin, as father is suffering constantly; temp. sanguine; uses no stimulants; normal pulse, lying 70, sitting 74, standing 78; normal resp., 13; normal temp., m. 97.3/5, evening 98; urine between 2.1/2 and 3 pints daily, perfectly normal; stools free, daily movement. Sac. lac. test, frequently tried, has always been followed by itching of skin in various portions of the body.
25 a. Took 3 gr. of 2x trit. of phosph. at 4:30 p. m., 2 hours after dinner. No effects. After interval of one week, proved 3x trit. in 3-gr. doses. 1st day – Took 1 powder 11:30 a. m., 1.1/2 hours before eating. 2:55 p. m., dull right frontal pain. 7:40, itching and soreness of left deltoid. 9:30, took powder. 10:15, pain in right parietal region. 10:30, itching of scalp and forehead. 10:50, itching of right knee, right cheek, right side of scalp, 1. cheek. 11, itching of sternum, upper end. 11.14, itching, marked, of right scalp and right ankle. 11.43, itching of right thigh posteriorly, of umbilicus, of left thigh. 12, intense itching of scalp, right leg, and right side of scrotum. 12:15 a. m., took powder. 2nd day – At 8 a. m., 12:15, and 5 p. m., took a powder. 9:45 p. m., severe itching of left wrist and right side of head. 3rd day – No further effects.
25 b. Same, after an interval of 3 day, proved 1x, in 3-gr. doses. 1st day – At 6:20 p. m. took powder shortly before eating. 6.33, eructations of gas, tasting metallic, or like gas from coal – stove; eructations of same kind every few m. during meal and for some time after. 6:50, suddenly – appearing sharp itching at left wrist, quickly disappearing, and immediately followed by same on right side of head; this soon disappearing, and immediately followed by itching of chin. 7:45, eructations still continue, but less frequent; sharp, stinging sort of itch on right leg. 8:10, no eructations; acute, stinging, “high – pitched,” interrupted pain in styloid process of right radius; heart – beating jars all through head, making glasses on nose pulsate; placing hands together, can feel pulse in fingers; pulse 82, very hard, full and strong. 8.16, itching of scalp. 9:40, occasional eructations. 11, itching, during entire evening, of all parts of body; increased thirst; itching invariably relieved by scratching. 2nd day – No symptoms up to 12 m., when he took powder. Soon eructations and itching, as upon previous evening 12.16 p. m., dull, deep pain in left half of brain. 12:40, deep, dull pain under sternum, as if in cardiac end of stomach; head feels awfully heavy, inclined to fall forward, and particularly backward. 12:55, dull, but severe, pain in left wrist, lasting 30 or 40 seconds. 1:50, very severe undulating pain in right leg, outer side, just below knee, lasting 10 m.; soon dull pain in right half of head. 3, regurgitation of sour fluid, with gas. 4, took powder. Dull steady pain in right half of head; pulse strong and hard, making eye – glasses pulsate, and also felt at end of penis; pulse sitting, 72. 4:15, itching and eructations, same as before. 4:25, headache increased upon going up stairs. 4:35, headache localised in left temple, quite severe. 5.21, dull pain deep in right chest, near sternum. 5:45, rheumatic pain in left hand; eructations. 6:40, involuntary jerking of left leg while sitting; colicky pain at umbilicus while eating a little mashed potato and turkey. 7.5, after supper, nausea; desire for stool. 7.17, eructations, almost a hiccup; sickish feeling in stomach all evening 8, took powder. 3rd day – At 1:30 a. m., took powder. Eructations immediately; after sleeping no symptoms. 11:30 a. m. took powder. 12:20 p. m., qualmishness. 12:25, eructations. 12:40, hiccup, lasting about 1 m. 2:15, severe, sharp pain in left side of head, migrating to right, and continuing as dull pain; itching of face. 2:20, took powder. 5:10, excessive nausea; strong tendency to vomit; desire for stool; passed stool, which relieved nausea. 6:30, took powder. 7.8, nausea and eructations. 10:10, loud belching; right – sided headache all evening 4th day – At 7:40 a. m., dull pain in right part of head. No further effects. ( Ibid., p. 207.)
26. Everett B. FINNEY, Philadelphia, Penna., aet. 22, single, physician. Height, 5 feet 11 in.; weight, 177 pounds; constitution, good; temp., nervous; uses no stimulants; normal pulse, lying 80, sitting 92, standing 100; normal resp., 16; normal temp., m. 98.4, evening 98.4; urine about 1.1/2 pints daily, amber – coloured; stools daily, but have a diarrhoeic tendency. Sac. lac. test, negative. Proved Zx trit., in 3-gr. doses. 1st day – At 2:30 p. m., after diner, took drug. 6 p. m. took drug. No effect. O 2nd day took drug twice, and on 3rd and 4th day once, without appreciable effect. Same result followed later trials of 2x and 6x trits., – a diarrhoea occurring while taking the former being invalidated by the statement that he had a similar attack some days previously. ( Ibid., p. 210.)
27. Sarah N. SMITH, M. D., May 9th – 13th, 1880, took every 3 hours a dose of Z. acet. 6x – about 30 dr. a day 10th. – L. ear set up a great burning and itching that continued all day; there was also great itching of scalp on that side. 11th. – Soon after first dose, peculiar tingling prickling in fingers of left hand; later on same feeling in left foot, and in 1/2 hours whole left side of body was similarly affected, but with increased intensity, especially left half of spinal column and parts adjacent, accompanied with hot feeling and slight perspiration. Same prickling and tingling in left side of head, with itching of scalp. Fingers of right hand were soon affected, and experienced same sensations, but in slighter degree; also right foot. 12th. – All symptoms less, save burning and itching of left ear, which is still very annoying. 13th. – Burning and itching of left ear still, and this m. 1. hand and lower arm are quite red, but without much eruption; more or less itching on left side of head most of the time. 14th. – Last evening and this m. experienced a lame sore feeling in left hypochondrium when attempting to turn in bed; felt some discomfort again in right foot, but not so severe. Bowels constipated most of the time throughout proving. 16th. – Itching and burning of left ear still continues. ( Trans. of Amer. Inst., 1888, p. 260).
Poisonings
1. A man, aet. 52, swallowed by mistake a wineglassful of a very concentrated sol. of the sulphate. He was seized almost immediately with pain at the epigastrium and sickness, and came at once to the hospital. On admission countenance was pale, expression anxious, pulse about 70 and small, skin cold and clammy. He still complained of pain and sickness. Bowels acted freely soon after. A mustard emetic was given, and followed by demulcent drinks, with opium and brandy. Towards evening pain and sickness had decreased, and general condition had improved; which it continued to do, though very slowly, for 3 day; but on the 4th he sank into a very exhausted condition, and died on the 5th. P. M. – All tissues of the belly were found loaded with fat, heart especially fat and flabby. Mucous membranes of pyloric end of stomach and of duodenum were reddened and inflamed in patches. No other morbid appearances were detected. ( Medorrhinum Times and Gaz., 1862, II, 252.)
2. A young lady swallowed (by mistake) 3ij of sulphate in solution. Countenance immediately became pale, eyes dull, extremities cold, pulse fluttering. She then complained of burning pain in stomach, and vomited violently. Potass now being administered in syrup, pain ceased, vomiting gradually abated, and patient soon recovered completely. (ORFILA, Tox., sub voce.)
3. A man took Ziv of the sulphate by mistake for Epsom salts, in 3v of warm water. He immediately experienced a sense of violent distension in head, and was seized with coldness, shivering, and prostration; his features were contracted and of a leaden hue, and he felt a choking sensation with constriction around the chest. Spasms affected the eyeballs and upper extremities; there was tenderness in throat, epigastrium, and abdomen; resp. was 15 and feeble, pulse 60 and languid, and there was incessant vomiting and purging; the mind was clear. Patient recovered, but diarrhoea continued for several day (STILLE, op. cit. )
4. TOULMOUCHE found that in 2 gr. doses the sulphate seldom produced vomiting. In 4 gr. doses it occasioned some, with liquid stools in more than half the cases. Doses of 6, 8, 10, and 12 gr. almost always produced vomiting, and purging about half as often. Doses of 15 gr. caused vomiting in one third only of the cases, the diarrhoea in two thirds. In nearly all there was more or less colic, but very little nausea. (Ibid.)
5. a. After taking the oxide in doses of (for adults) 2 gr. and upwards a feeling of nausea is sometimes perceived, but seldom to the extent of inducing vomiting. After persevering with the treatment for some day the medicine is in most cases tolerated, and the nausea and uneasiness produced at first diminish and even disappear. A slight giddiness, attended with the appearance of black specks before the eyes and rumbling noises. Sleep is frequently produced. (6 cases are mentioned, in none of which had insomnia previously existed.).. It is not a little remarkable that oxide of zinc should in some cases produce the very symptoms it is intended to cure, viz.: giddiness and faintness. Sometimes also, though rarely, an apparent increase of the existing symptoms will occur in cases of chronic alcoholism treated with it; but, on diminishing the dose, the unfavourable symptoms at once disappear. b. C. G., aet. 26, complains of headache and giddiness. Previous to her marriage, 6 years ago, she had been subject to fainting – fits, but since then the affection had not returned. She was treated with small doses of the oxide, and after taking first dose felt very sick, and fainted. After taking a second dose, she again fainted, remaining unconscious for 2 – 3 m. on each occasion. (MARCET, Chronic Alcoholic Intoxication, Lond. 1860, p. 81.)
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.