Finally let us study the homoeopathic treatment of acute articular rheumatism.
(A) Beginning. Angina- Ordinary red inflammation exists in one third of the cases with some mild functional symptoms and therefore rarely treated except in cases where it coincides with arthritis.
Aconite:- Dry skin, agitation, anxiety, thirst. Attack after exposure to dry cold. Used in lower dilutions (1x to 3x and even M.T.) Ferrum phosphoricum (3x to 6x) Less intense fever than that of Aconite. Sweat. Soft pulse. It is a link to Belladonna: throbbing, sweat, mydriasis.
Mercurius solubilis :- Attack comes after cold at night. Night sweat without relief. Humid tongue, gray coating, imprint of teeth. Salivation, breath and sweat have foul smell. Then comes the stage when the disease is established. In this stage the medicines already described are useful and the disease may be checked.
(B) The disease is established. Bryonia (1x to 6x) A remedy for serous membranes in opposition to Rhus tox which attacks the peri-articular tissue. It has action on temporomaxillary joint.
Bryonia:- It is characterised by its stinging, acute pain. The patient remains immobile. Great thirst with dry mouth. Pains ameliorated by cold application and by wide pressure (with the palm.)
Rhus toxicodendron:- The modalities are inverse of Bryonia. Restlessness aggr. at night. Red triangle on the tip of the tongue. Bryonia and Rhus tox succeed each other mother often than they oppose. Rhus tox will be specially indicated in a dynamic state.
Apis (3x to 6) – Erratic pains, not so severe. Absence of thirst. Stinging and burning pains, worse by cold application, amel. by cold. When there is renal lesions this remedy is to be thought of.
Pulsatilla (3x to 6) -: Erratic pains, not so severe. Absence of thirst. Chilliness.
Lac caninum:- It is not so important but it is to be used with Pulsatilla. Pains alternating from one side to the other.
Chamomilla (3x to 6) :- Used in acute articular rheumatism of children. Very great pains, patient cannot bear it. Irritability. One cheek more red than the other.
Kali bichromicum :- Erratic pains in some fixed places which may be covered by the finger tip.
Benzoic acid(3x to 6) Urine with strong smell of ammonia.
Colchicum:- Sub-acute stage. Symptoms of Bryonia but the general condition is more serious. Sensitiveness to outward impressions, to noise and to light.
Cantharis:- It will be indicated only when there is pleural localisation.
Sodium salicylate:- It may be used in small doses 1/1000 every two hours. In the pathogenesis of Salicylic acid Boericke writes: Articular attack with stinging pains, aggr. by touch, movement. Profuse sweat does not ameliorate (Merc sol).
Burning of the stomach, vertigo.
Temporary deafness.
Dose: 3x, repeated every three hours.
Veratrum album:- Grave adynamic form. Delirium.
End: At this stage we often find the indications of Sulphur 30 (in oxygenoid type it is preferable to give Sulphur iodatum). Heat on the top of the head with cold feet. Jerkings of the arms while sleeping.
Natrum muriaticum (200)- Weeping look. Marked anaemia. Pale mucous membranes. Goneness feeling in the stomach towards 10 A.M.
Natrum muriaticum is indicated when there is trouble of metabolism of salt and troubles caused by abuse of Salicylate. Natrum muriaticum is complementary of Ferrum metallicum, Pulsatilla and China.
Marmoreck 30, Spengler or Aviare in tuberculinics, always observing the rules for the use of tuberculins.
These remedies for convalescence: Natrum muriaticum, Sulphur iod. and the tuberculins are to be well drained by china 6 kali phos 6, Silicea 30 and Avena sativa 1x.
Cardiac localisation:
From the beginning when symptoms of Ferrum phos are seen on must think of cardiac localisation. The very rapidly the following remedies are to be added to the treatment of cardiac localisation. Spigelia 6 Dyspnoea with anxiety (myocardia is affected). Constricting, sensation (Cactus) Aggr. after sleep (Lachesis)
If the condition aggravates:
Arsenicum album(6)- Great anxiety. Fear of death. Dyspnoea aggravates at night from midnight to 3 A.M. Tongue as if roasted. Thirst for small quantities of water repeatedly.
Pyrogenium :- It should be given before the clinical indications. Echinacea M.T. may be used even intravenously.
Streptococcin may be used
Some other remedies are those that we have already studied.
Apis- Stinging pain in the region of heart. Partial oedema. No thirst. Aggr. by heat.
Bryonia:- Dry cough, painful. Cardiac pains. Better when the patient lies on the left side (pericarditis). Dry mouth. Great thirst.
Rhus toxicodendron:- Complementary to Bryonia Restlessness. Pain all over the body.
Kalmia (3x to 6x) lightning-like pains, rapidly change places, and extend below (inverse of Ledum). Slow pulse. Alternance of cardiac symptoms and rheumatic symptoms.
Aurum metallicum :- Very tumultuous beating of the heart. Dyspnoea while sitting down or bending forward.
The development of articular rheumatism in tuberculinic and oxygenoid subjects explains the relative frequency of pleuropulmonary complications, either congestion of the lungs or rheumatic pleurisy.
Classical rheumatic pleurisy of Lasigne type, sometimes bilateral, will require Bryonia and Cantharis.
Convalescence
In order to avoid sequelae of acute articular rheumatism: Natrum muriaticum, sulphur iodatum and Tuberculins in high dilutions. Sometimes Thuja 200, Baryta muriaticum 200 and Rheumatoxin, a nosode obtained from a drop of blood of a rheumatic patient and diluted, which is given alternately with ground remedies and Tuberculins.
Thus we will be able to check the terrible Osler’s disease and the evolution of cardiac rheumatism.
Bernoville was a major lecturer in homeopathy, and he was active in Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis, and a founder of the le Syndicat national des médecins homœopathes français in 1932, and a member of the French Society of Homeopathy, and the Society of Homeopathy in the Rhone.
Fortier-Bernoville wrote several books, including Une etude sur Phosphorus (1930), L'Homoeopathie en Medecine Infantile (1931), his best known Comment guerir par l'Homoeopathie (1929, 1937), and an interesting work on iridology, Introduction a l'etude de l'Iridologie (1932).
With Louis-Alcime Rousseau, he wrote several booklets, including Diseases of Respiratory and Digestive Systems of Children, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Rheumatism, treatment of hay fever (1929), The importance of chemistry and toxicology in the indications of Phosphorus (1931), and Homeopathic Medicine for Children (1931). He also wrote several short pamphlets, including What We Must Not Do in Homoeopathy, which discusses the logistics of drainage and how to avoid aggravations.
He was an opponent of Kentian homeopathy and a proponent of drainage and artificial phylectenular autotherapy as well.