Introduction
An alkaloid obtained from Dulcamara; C43H69NO16.
Provings (made with acetate).
I. CLARUS took, December 11th, 1853, at 8 a. m. 6.1/2 gr., having previously taken 1/2 and 1 gr. without perceptible effect. In first hours p. m. he experienced weight in head; pain in occiput; itching in neck; feeble, somewhat prolonged, but not impeded respiration, and acceleration, with feebleness of pulse-ordinary respiration of 15-16 sinking to 14, and pulse of 72-75 rising to 88. At same time pretty copious perspiration, without faintness. At 5 p. m., almost without any previous nausea, violent vomiting thrice repeated, without any pain or other intestinal symptom; this, about 6, was followed by distressed breathing, especially on inspiration (14 -15); pulse 95 – 100, strikingly small and feeble. Great debility; sensitiveness to light, sound, and touch. At night sleep often interrupted; but without dreams. Next morning, save slight sense of weakness in lower extremities, every morbid symptoms had subsided. Urine, completely neutral, coagulated on boiling. (Journ. f. Pharm., i, 245.)
2. S. was proved in doses of 0.002, 0.005, 0.007, 0.01, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.2 grm. on 4 persons. Put on the tongue it caused a slight cooling, sourish and salt taste, and when chewed a feeling of stickiness in fauces and throat, and a sensation of scraping; this latter sensation extended down to stomach, where in one person who took 0.15 grm. the feeling became of a peculiar shooting character. After small doses the following subjective symptoms occurred: – increased sensitiveness of skin, perspiration along the spine, when the skin was touched, increased sensitiveness to tickling, frequent yawning, stupefaction without previous excitement, drowsiness, slight tonic convulsions in lower extremities, pulse rose immediately (25 beats), and with slight fluctuations maintained this height 4 hours (the following morning it sank below the normal), it was small, weak, even thready; difficult breathing, oppression of chest, constant eructations, nausea, very violent retching without result, rumbling in belly, scraping in throat, hoarseness, salivation; head hot, heavy, confused, painful, vertigo, great drowsiness, but inability to sleep; at the same time, extremities cold, skin dry, itching of it, feeling of great weakness. Stool and urine normal, pupils also normal. Very restless sleep disturbed by frightful dreams. (SCHROFF, Pharmakologie, 623.).
Experiments on animals.
I. CLARUS experimented on 4 rabbits with in doses of 3.1/2, 6.1/2, 13 and 19/1/2 grs. respectively; and on 2 with dulcamara itself, one taking 3ij in decoction, the other 3x of extract. (These animals are represented in the summary by figures, according to the order in which they have been mentioned.)
1 a. Digestive functions during life normal, and no p.- m., morbid appearances, gave slight reddening here and there a alimentary m. m. in No. 4. In same subject liver was much congested, slightly so in No. 3.
1 b. Copious discharge of urine, in Nos. 1 and 3. P.M., great congestion of cortical substance of kidneys in Nos. 2, 3, and 6; great reflection of bladder, with reddening of parietes, in No.6; moderate repletion without reddening in No. 2; emptiness in No. 3.
1 c. In all cases at fist gasping breath, especially short in expiration, with increased working of nostrils. Respiration decreased gradually in frequency after a brief increase. Decrease stood in inverse proportion to increase of pulse, and was directly proportioned to dose of medicine, greatest in Nos.3(36), 6 (34), 2(12), and 5(11). A moist rattle during inspiration was exhibited in all these animals. In Nos. 3 and 6 there was a frequent violent outcry; this, no local pain existing, was evidently a sign of seizure of medulla oblongata and spinal cord. P. M., in all pretty considerable masses of mucus in larger air – passages.
1 d. A constant symptom was increase of rapidity of pulse in proportion to dose, greatest in first hours of poisoning, and in inverse proportion to frequency of breathing. Fresh doses of either S. or D. immediately raised speed of pulsation when already flagging, whilst that of breathing became slower in same ratio. Maximum of increase was in no. 6(148); then in No.3 (130); then No. 2 (128); then No.5 (93). As frequency advanced, strength diminished. In No. 3 heart’s pulsation intermitted. P. M., constant symptoms were rigidity of muscular tissue of heart, and repletion of all its cavities with dark, cherry-red coagulated blood, clots extending into venae cavae (ascendens and descendens).
1 e. From 4-8 after poisoning, convulsions of muscles of thorax set in, with which were soon associated tonic spasms of extremities – at first gentle, then gradually increasing, and a short time before death suddenly attaining an enormous height. These spasms were aggravated by touch. In no. 3 there was a pendulum – like swinging of head, and in almost all a snapping with the mouth. P. M., in all he animals that died was exhibited intense redness and injection of vessels of membranes of cerebellum, of cord, but especially or medulla oblongata. Substance of centres seemed healthy.
1 f. Pupils were in all cases slightly contracted during full medicinal action. Animal heat was rather decreased. Death ensued in 3 case, – after 6 hours in No. 6 later (during night) in Nos 2 and 3. (Loc. cit.)[*In the summary with which he concludes, Clarus speaks of the congestion of the kidneys as “always associated with albuminuria,” and of “filling of the pulmonary tissue with a serous exudation, and emphysematous distension of isolated portions of the lung” as “observed in the rabbits killed by solanine.” There is no mention, however, of these phenomena in the antecedent text.*]
2. a. According to Sobernheim, a single grain of S., made soluble in water by means of sulphuric acid, killed a small
rabbit in 6, and a larger one in 8 hours. About an hour after taking the poison the animals became incapable of moving their hinder feet forward; the hind legs of the smaller ones were also quite stiff, and the toes stretched out; then followed great dejection, retching, and signs of pain. No evidences of inflammation were discovered on dissection; the veins were distended with blood.
2 b. Caylus concludes from his experiments that S. exerts a paralysing or depressing influence on the medulla oblongata, but acts as a stimulant to the nerves. According to him, its poisonous operation consists in its paralysing the nerves of respiration, as conia and nicotia do. (STILLE, op. cit.).
3. Fraas and Martin, injecting 4.1/2 gr. subcutaneously into a dog, saw death ensue in 7 m. with sudden rapidity and convulsive embarrassment of respiration, general convulsions, tetanic spasms, and strong dilatation of the pupil. Leydorf administered it to pigeons, tying the oesophagus to prevent vomiting, which otherwise occurred, and observer hurried breathing, tremors, slight convulsions, and great mydriases…As to its physiological action on the vascular system, there are cases recorded by several observes in which S. has produced congestion of the vessels of the cranial meninges; and the vessel of the kidneys and liver have been found engorged simply (Clarus), or these again have been found actually inflamed (Malik and Spatzier, after very large does of impure S.I.e.mixed with solanidine.). (PHILLIPS, op. cit.).
4. Husemann shows that although the effects of solanine and solanidine are in some points identical, yet there are essential differences in their action. In general, both, when given to animals, produce first a stage of apathy, manifested by indisposition to voluntary movements and diminished susceptibility to outward impressions, not so much of mere contact as those which are painful. Slight muscular trembling, especially in the muscles of mastication, accompanies this state; respiration is at first much accelerated, afterwards much retarded; the pulse is irregular, and bears no relation to the respirations. After this stage has lasted some time, a greater or less degree of cyanosis sets in, the animal falls suddenly forward, and passes into a state of convulsions, which soon ends in death. So far the effects of both poisons coincide. But a difference between them soon appears in their action on the eye. Both when directly applied to the conjunctiva, cause redness with increased secretion, solanidine causing more irritation than solanine. But the effects which they produce upon the pupil are unlike, solanine leaving it unaltered, at most contracting it for short time by local irritation, whereas a very perceptible mydriasis is one of the first effects of the action of solanidine. An essential difference is observed in the manner in which the two substances affect the temperature of the body; whereas pure solanine often lowers the temperature by 5.4oF.,
solanidine raises it by 3.6o or over. (VON BOECK, in Ziemssen’s Cyclopaedia, xvii, 692.).
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.