In the 5th and the last but one lecture on the drainage and canalisation on the circulatory system Dr. Bernoville describes a series of homoeopathic remedies acting specially on the heart, remedies that are used according to the law of similars and physiologically as tonicardiacs.
Let us consider these remedies one after the other:
Apocynum canabinum. This remedy is only used in Homoeopathy and it is a valuable remedy used in lower dilutions 1x or 3x. It acts specially on the heart and kidneys and secondarily on the digestive apparatus and uterus. It is used specially for cardiacs and cardio-renal patients.
The patient is weak, Oppressed specially in the Decubitas. He has a sensation of weakness specially localised in the epigastrium (like that of ammonium carbonicum) and has oedema. The oedema may be localised (Malleoral, hydrothorax, cardiac pleurisy, ascites) or anasarca. The patient has thirst (inverse Apis) but drinking aggravates. He has watery stools which seems to compensate insufficient urine. Rapid and profuse vomiting (thus Apocynum comes near to Phosphorous an important remedy of kidneys and has vomiting immediately the liquid becomes hot in the stomach.). Aggravation by cold and aggravation by heat (like Arsenicum another important remedy of cardio-renal patients). The skin is very dry (like that of Petroleum, an important remedy of pre-uremic state). Thus placed among Phosphorus, Arsenic and Petroleum, Apocynum will be indicated in patients suffering from Bright’s disease, from hypersystole, and in rheumatic endocarditis with the menace of cardiac collapse. It is very much related to Digitalis with which it may be alternated with good results. We will give for example: Digitalis 3x or 6x at noon, Apocynum 3x at dinner with Phosphorous 200 as a ground remedy.
Prunus spinosa. Very much related to Apocynum.
Renal deficiency is here very important with marked oliguria, big oedemas, frequent ascites. Prunus spinosa is a satellite of Digitalis specially in Ascites. Boerick advises 3 or 6 but Dr. Bernoville advises 1x or M.T. Let us mention here that Prunus spinosa has some headaches some neuralgias of the right eye ball. Piercing pains going from the frontal bone to the occiput and right sided ciliary neuralgia. We know that it is a remedy of ophthalmic zona.
Now let us consider a group of three important remedies :
Veratrum vivide. In toxic doses it is a congestivating drug. It cause a violent congestion, sudden, either of the brain or of the marrow, of the thorax or of the lungs, by the intermediary of the vaso-motors. It has an elective action on Pneumococcus infection and will act in Pneumonia and generally in fever with great Oscillation; septicemias. In these cases Dr. Nebel uses it in very high dilutions whereas according to Dr. Bernoville it is more valuable than Pyrogenium from cardio- vascular point of view. Veratrum viride has an important action: The patient has strong pulsations throughout the body with systolic stoppage of the heart. There is great Prostration and sometimes Muscular rigidness. Veratrum viride is a good remedy of asthma with hypertension but a deeper study of this medicine is necessary from the point of view of cardiology, specially in auricular fibrillation in paroxysms. We know that the allopaths use it in sclerosis.
From the pathogenetic point of view we must know one of its typical symptom: medial red line along the tongue which is cracked (compare with rhus tox of which the tip of the tongue has a red triangle). The patient of Veratrum viride is Weak and Prostrated: Vomiting and Weakness with hot sweat. He has aggravation while standing up, by cold; Amelioration while lying down with the head bent (inverse Spigelia) and by rubbing.
(About the action of Veratrum viride in pyrexia Dr. Bernoville has given a lecture which is very interesting and one should keep it in mind: Don’t forget that in septicemias Echinaecea, used for the first time in the 19th century by the American electric school. Echinaecea is particularly used in puerperal fevers and in infectious-endocarditis. It should be given in M.T., 15 to 20 drops daily. Dr. Mondaine gets good results by using it in this manner. In very grave cases it may be used by intravenous injections).
Veratrum album. An important remedy of Collapse stage with extreme coldness, cyanosis, weakness, notable hypotension, deficiency of the heart, blueness of the extremities. The patient is very weak, face very pale, thready rapid pulse. Cold perspiration on forehead. Veratrum album is an important remedy of choleriform stage with Camphora, Cuprum and Arsenic. The patient of veratrum album has diarrhoea and vomiting, cramping pains in the abdomen and cramps. It is also a remedy of Post operative shock. It is also a remedy of Drowned persons when artificial respiration is given and the patient is becoming conscious veratrum album and Camphora often give very good result. From the cardiac point of view Veratrum album is an excellent tonicardiac in lower dilution but not always as valuable as Camphora in cardiac collapse. One important fact is to be noted: The value of the mental symptom of Veratrum album: the patient is melancholic and has a stupid and indifferent look. He is hopeless of his fate and tears his clothes. Sometimes he is depressed, sometimes hyperexcited. It is a remedy of puerperal mania.
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.