In this lecture Dr. Bernoville concludes his study of the medicines of moist cough taken up in the 4th lecture. He recalls at first in a general way if it is necessary to deal with the therapeutic of the respiratory system from the angle of derivation and of canalisation more than the drainage properly called. In the study of the remedies of humid cough we have to deal with remedies of direct drainage on the respiratory mucous, of expectorants, of medicines fluidifying the bronchial secretion such as Antimonium tartaricum, Kali bichromicum, Hydrastis, etc…
In the last lecture we have already studied two groups of medicines of humid cough. The Antimony group of which the most important is Antimonium tartaricum characterised by abundant expectoration easy or difficult to throw up and by its depressive action on the circulation and on the heart; and the kali group characterised by a fundamental symptom: Physical and muscular weakness.
To-day we will study the Salts of Ammonia, the Heavy metals (tin, mercury and silver) the salts of Calcium, Baryum and Aluminium and then the vegetable group.
Salts of Ammonia They are characterised by weakness, hypothymic tendency, need to use smelling salts. The subject are fat, with hypotension, weakness of oscillometric amplitude, whose heart is weak and the general condition is failing. They have humid cough. The expectoration would be easy to throw up without the weakness of bronchial contraction. In old persons one should think of the Ammonium salts, when there is a cardio renal trouble with great weakness proceeding towards uremia.
Ammonium carbonicum. Cough accompanied by weakness, oppression or nasal voice. Great sensitiveness to inspired air. Ammonium carbonicum is related from this point of view to Rumex crispus. It is an interesting remedy of chronic emphysematous bronchitis of ripe age and of old persons of whose the general condition and renal functions are deficient. It is a remedy of derivation of lungs towards the kidney and of which the association with Coccus cacti 3x (Polarity: lungs-kidney) is often helpful.
Ammonium muriaticum acts on the upper respiratory tract. The subject suffers from catarrh of the throat. Thick, abundant secretion difficult to detach. Thus it is related to Antimonium iodatum and Antimonium sulphuricum, Antimonium phosphoricum. Well studied by Dr. Le Tellier. Congestive tendency of the lungs very marked because of the radical phosphorus. Arthritic subjects sufferings from catarrhs; gouty or rheumatic patients (Polarity is very clear: Locomotor system and respiratory system).
Antimonium iodatum. Chronic bronchitis of rickety children proceeding towards tuberculosis. Dr. Barishac says that it is a good remedy of diabetes.
Antimonium causticum. Difficult respiration, aphonia, burning sensation in the throat, incessant cough with accumulation of mucous. Spasms of the glottis. Uvula covered with thick white mucous.
Ammonium bromatum. Dry and spasmodic cough specially at night with tickling in the larynx and thick mucous. Chronic catarrh of orators.
Ammoniocum. Chronic bronchitis of old persons who are sensitive to cold having much accumulation of mucous in the respiratory tract but little expectoration.
In summary we may say that. In all salts of Ammonia the cough is humid, the subject is weak and failing with a tendency to passive congestion of the lungs.
Heavy metals: Salts of tin.
The most important of this group is :
Stannum metallicum. An excellent remedy, well studied by Charge and afterwards by Le Tellier: Constant oppression, worse at night, Extremely abundant expectoration, sweetish, sweet or fad. Great sensation of weakness in the chest. This is the dominant symptom. General traumatic sensation of the walls of the chest. Sometimes with constrictive sensation (Cactus).
Stannum is an important remedy of ulcero-caseous tuberculosis.
It is a delicate remedy. Dr. Bernoville finds it very inconstant.
Stannum iodatum. It is more preferable than the former, indicated in bronchial catarrh and in tuberculosis. It is a very good remedy.
Salts of Mercury Mercurium solubilis. It has a more important action on the cavum, on pharynx, on bronchuses. Its action is not so important on the mucous membranes of the lungs. However, it may be indicated in acute bronchitis, pulmonary congestion with muco- purulent expectoration and with the possibility to develop into gangrene or abscess of the lungs (Mercurius is used in the first stage of suppuration before Hepar).
Aggravation at night, by the heat of the bed. No amelioration by sweat. symptoms of mouth, larynx and pharynx are classic. Abundant expectoration, yellowish or whitish with metallic taste. Cannot hack up when lying on the right side.
Mercurius corrosivus. It had marked action on the mouth and gums. Small ulcerations of the mucous membranes.
Silver Salts They are rather indicated in laryngial manifestations than in pulmonary phenomena.
Argentum metallicum. Nasal voice, aphonia with some times easy expectoration with sensation of sternal or sub-sternal ulceration. Aphonia after having talked or laughed. Great weakness of the chest.
Argentum nitricum. It acts more deeply. Acute or chronic nasal voice, cough is often provoked by high pitch of voice palpitation aggravated by lying down on the right side. Aggravation in a hot room at night (mercuries).
Salt of Gold
It is curious that the salts of gold are so much used in Allopathy while it is almost disdained in Homeopathy in the pulmonary affections. However if one considers their pathogenesis it will be at once found that there are some respiratory symptoms in Aurum metallicum, Aurum muriaticum and in Aurum muriaticum natronatrum.
In Allopathy they are used to change the bacillary lesions into sclerosis. The results are good but sometimes great intoxication with renal and cutaneous troubles are seen. According to Dr. Bernoville it would be interesting to make more use of these salts in Homeopathy specially in pulmonary affections. We know already the very beautiful action of Aurum muriaticum natronatrum 6x in arteriosclerosis and in fibromes. Let us try this remedy in certain cases of emphysema with chronic bronchitis of old persons. Let us try it according to the law of similars to the antipodes of caseosis in the pulmonary affection with very marked fibrosis. The salts of Gold are interesting to use homoeopathically in bronchitic manifestation of the lungs of syphilitics.
Salts of Calcium
Here they are of secondary importance: Calcarea carbonica, and Calcarea phosphorica are the essential remedies of morbid temperament.
As functional remedies of drainage let us note: Calcarea silicata. It is related to Hepar and is used specially in weak emaciated patients, hypersensitive to cold with yellowish green expectoration and having a tendency to psoric eruptions.
Calcarea sulphurica. It is related to Hepar and is used in dilatation of the bronchuses and abscess of the lungs. Purulent expectoration.
Calcarea iodata. Pneumonia or tuberculosis with hectic fever. Purulent, greenish, abundant expectoration. Chronic cough with swelling of glands.
Salts of Baryum
Baryta carbonica. Morphologically it is an interesting remedy. Man-like woman having a muscular face. This aspect is related to the troubles of pituitary gland. The patient has often arterial hypertension with vascular sclerosis, a chronic bronchitis or asthma. Baryta carbonica is to be given in the 30th or in higher dilutions.
Cartier very well understood the value of Baryum salts in sclerosis and arteriosclerosis. In reality its action is very slow. It seems to be more interesting in localised sclerosis in persons whose heart is dilated and has maximum arterial tension.
Salts of Aluminium Alumen (30 or higher) is indicated in old persons having asthma intricated with bronchitis with copious expectoration in the morning. Weak subjects having the tendency to paralysis. It is also a remedy of schirrus cancer.
Alumina. A remedy of old singers who suffer from chronic bronchitis whose voice has become husky and who are forced to expectorate after singing.
Vegetable group
At first a group of seven remedies of which the first three are of the first importance:
They are Balsamum peruvianum, Phellandrinum and: Allium sativum. They are specially used in chronic bronchitis and in tuberculosis.
Balsamum peruvianum. Profuse, purulent, thick expectoration. The patient fills up the spitoon, he is very depressed, has night-sweats and scanty urine. Tuberculosis with cavity chronic bronchitis with dilatation of bronchuses. Possibility of pulmonary gangrene.
Balsamum tolutanum. Similar indications.
Phellandrinum. Much more interesting than the preceding two. It is one of the best medicines of the respiratory system. Profuse putrid and sweetish expectoration. Same indications as that of Balsamum peruvianum but has more marked action. Phellandrinum deodorises some expectorations of chronic gangrene of lungs. A particular symptom of this remedy Pain of the sternum of the right thorax irradiating to the back through the right lung. Phellandrinum responds to all affections of the lungs acute or chronic when there exists in the expectoration numerous bacteria of secondary infections.
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.