11. Topography


Hydrastis and Kali bichromicum have almost similar indications: Thick yellow thready discharge. They may be used together because they reinforced the actions of each other. …


A TOPOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION

1. Upper Respiratory tract.

(a) Lachrymal gland and Lacrymal duct.

Guarea.-A capital remedy of dacryocystitis with obstruction of the lacrymal duct. Less known remedy, but very much used by Dr. Parteneau in 1x. It acts specially in Dacryocystitis, Acute or Chronic. Dr. Bernoville prescribes in granules, two granules once a day. Corresponding ground remedies are very often: Thuja, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Hepar sulphur (Suppurated dacryocystitis).

(b) Nasal mucous and cavum.

1. Acute coryza, Allium cepa, Euphrasia, Arsenic, Mercurius.

Pulsatilla-with sometimes, Hepar sulphur from the small group of remedies of acute rhinitis.

Allium cepa-Irritating nasal flow with non-irritant lachrymation.

Euphrasia-Non irritating nasal flow, irritating lacrymation. These two remedies may be alternated. They are also indicated in the catarrhal phase in the beginning of measles and in hay asthma where it should be used in the 30th, repeated every day, often simultaneously with 1000 in long intervals (Nebel).

Arsenicum album is opposite of Mercurius solubilis Arsenic: acute coryza with catarrh directed towards the exterior with red nostrils; great irritation of the mucous membranes and even of the upper lid. Amelioration by hot applications. Mercurius: catarrh directed towards the interior, towards the pharynx, with possible erythematous angina. First stage of suppuration, the second stage is marked by Hepar sulphur and the third stage (chronic stage) by Silicea.

Pulsatilla-Used at the end of the acute stage when the flow is yellow, non irritating and sweet.

All these remedies play an important role not only in the acute stage of coryza but also in the treatment of sinusitis.

II. Chronic Rhinitis.

Hydrastis and Kali bichromicum have almost similar indications: Thick yellow thready discharge. They may be used together because they reinforced the actions of each other. When the nasal discharge requires increasing, they are to be used in lower dilutions 3 and 6, for Hydrastis, 6 and 12 for Kali bichr. On the contrary when the stoppage of the discharge is necessary the 30th dilution is to be used. Let us insist on the symptom of Kali bichr.: Thick, elastic, greenish yellow crusts, thrown out of the nose when the patient sneezes.

Kali muriaticum and Kali iodatum-They act in chronic non- thready nasal discharge. Lump of mucous difficult to detach in Kali mur. with whitish discharge. action on the eustachian tube. In Kali iod, the discharge is very fluid, like the white of an egg, colorless and very much abundant.

We know that the upper respiratory tract, particularly the cavum, forms a real cross-road between the different bonny stages of the face and between the digestive and the respiratory apparatuses, which explains the existence, from physiopathological point of view, the Naso-hepatic syndromes Naso-intestinal symptoms like that of Naso-urinary syndromes or Naso-genital syndromes. It is a capital rule in homoeopathic drainage to search. What is the other pole of the organism: Which has the nasal pole for the toxinic equilibrium. The nose is undoubtedly an output of derivation, which is most used by the human organism. Unfortunately we have not yet any sure rule by which we can envisage in a clear manner the syndrome in question. Perhaps one may think of the right passage of the cavum when the liver is the cause. The right nostril is particularly affected; we may think of the urinary and the genital apparatuses when the cavum and the nose are affected bilaterally. But this fact remains to be cleared.

The most important fact to note: when Lycopodium is the ground remedy (hepatic insufficiency), the elimination is marked through the right nostril. The second interesting point: In the pathogenesis of the remedies having elective actions on the liver, we note always the symptoms of pharyngitis (Chelidonium, Chionanthus, China and Myrica). The third example is of the same nature: Some remedies like Argentum nitricum and Capsicum always respond to a balancing between the urinary and genital apparatuses and the nasal mucous membranes such, as it is seen in some cases of acute Rhino-pharyngitis with Albuminuria. We have already had the occasion to stress on the point that, that idea action of medicines and their polarity of action dominate the importance of drainage and of canalisation. Dr. Rouy has begun a research in this sense. He has been able to show that in some cases, such part of the crystallin was related to such remedy which should orient the mind towards such lobe of the liver.

III. Pharyngitis.

If we have to draw a chart of the remedies of diphtheria we will indicate:

Lachesis-Elective action on the left tonsil.

Lycopodium-elective action on the right tonsil. Lachesis is very important.

With Arsenic, it is the remedy of serious infections in general, even gangrenous.

Mercurium cyanatus-It is the most effective salt of mercury.

Mercurius protoiodatus-It has an affinity for the right tonsil and Mercurium biiodatus for the left.

We have still other important remedies such as Apis (Oedema of the uvula) and Kali bichromicum, which we have already studied.

Some other remedies have action specially on the glottis. Hepar sulphur is classic. Dr. Bernoville says that its acts better in children having short neck, the head being pressed between the shoulders. They have tendency to spasm of the glottis. Apis is an important remedy of the oedema of the uvula. Then come Cantharis and Arsenic and in the case where the oedema of glottis is caused by bee sting, we must think of Ledum palustre and Calendula.

IV. Laryngitis.

The most important and dominating remedy is Drosera, which is used in all sorts of laryngial phenomena in relation to a tubercular state. It should be given in rather high dilution 200, but rarely repeated and with great care because its action is like that of Phosphorus and that of Tuberculines. On our schema we have drawn an arrow downwards vertically and we have indicated Sambucus, a remedy of laryngitis (stridulous) with Belladonna (in Sambucus the mucous falls in the throat which causes the spasm of the glottis). We have drawn an ascending arrow and we have indicated Bromium (of which the mucous has a tendency towards the exterior), a remedy of laryngo-trachitis and of Asthma ameliorating on the sea side. It is also a remedy extending to larynx and to the trachea. On the point of the sternal fork, the most important remedy is Rumex crispus, acting specially on the lower part of the larynx and trachea. The cough is caused by pressure above the fork, or while breathing cold air. It is better used in tubercular condition and to patients of oxygenoid constitution who may have diarrhoea towards 4 in the morning like that of the Sulphur type.

Hyoscyamus has cough with congestion of the brain in horizontal position with the impression that the uvula is tickling on the posterior part of the pharynx. These troubles disappear in a vertical position. Hyoscyamus is a remedy of pharyngeal cough like that of Capsicum (sensation of burning with the menace of otitis) and Mentha pipereta (the patient has the sensation of swallowing cold air, and cold air aggravates). It is equally a remedy of trachitis (aggravation at night in lying position) like that of Rumex crispus. Finally, Hyoscyamus, Kali bich and Apis form the trio having elective action of the uvula.

With Bromium and Rumex, we may compare Chlorum, Ammonium iodatum, Ammoniacum, which are the remedies of the secondary importance.

Sulphur is our important polychrest. It should not be neglected in laryngo-tracheal cough.

In recurrent cough, nervous cough of cardiac origin. Let us think of Naja and Spongia. We must not forget digitalis (action on the heart).

Let us consider a series of remedies having special action on the larynx.

Aconite Spongia and Hepar sulphur, the classic trio of croupal cough. Aconite and Spongia have croupal cough at night. Hepar after midnight. Aconite has much anxiety. Spongia has noisy cough, having sawing sound. We may use Aconite 6 and Spongia 6 alternately every four hours and Hepar sulphur once in 24 hours. Use the 30th potency.

Arum triphyllum is specially indicated in the acute stage and even in grave stages of a secondary streptococcic infection. The patient has very much nasal voice bi-tonal voice, and continually pricks his lips and tears the skin.

The remedies of chronic laryngitis are related to Carbo vegetabilis, Phosphorus and Causticum as ground remedies.

Phosphorus. It is the remedy of congestive or inflammatory stages. Hoarseness in the evening, after overwork of the voice which causes congestion of the larynx. Phosphorus is the Bryonia of larynx.

Causticum is the remedy of paresis and of atony. Its hoarseness is worse in the morning; Causticum acts on the motility of the larynx. Causticum is the Rhus tox of the larynx.

We know that Causticum and Phosphorus are incompatible.

Carbo vegetabilis is an important remedy having elective action on the larynx. We should think of it on all cases of acute laryngitis or of chronic laryngitis specially when all other remedies have failed, or have caused the acute stage to enter into chronic stage. There is at the sametime atony and congestion. But the congestion is more passive than inflammatory. The patient has a sensation of heat or even burning in the larynx and trachea. Aphonia is often complete. There is the possibility of cyanosis and hyposphyxia.

Mauritius Fortier-Bernoville
Mauritius (Maurice) Fortier Bernoville 1896 – 1939 MD was a French orthodox physician who converted to homeopathy to become the Chief editor of L’Homeopathie Moderne (founded in 1932; ceased publication in 1940), one of the founders of the Laboratoire Homeopathiques Modernes, and the founder of the Institut National Homeopathique Francais.

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.