7. Cough



Causticum. It is opposite of phosphorous. It has a paretic action on larynx and on the trachea and not a congestive action like that of phosphorus. The subject of Causticum will scrape his throat and will have nasal voice and cough in the morning. Paresis aggravates during rest at night. Whereas phosphorous will have nasal voice and cough in the evening after having congested his vocal chord during the day. After drinking of small quantity of water the cough stops (which excites this laryngeal contractility). Cuprum has also similar cough ameliorated by drinking water but his cough is related to a spasm and not to paresis (two contrary states producing a common symptom). Other valuable symptoms of Causticum: Cough causes pain irradiating to the right hip.

Drosera. Another important remedy of laryngitis and trachitis. It is always indicated in marked tuberculinism. It is used either in the 6th or in 200th one dose in chronic or tubercular laryngitis. When it is used in high dilution it really acts like a tuberculin. It is for this reason it should not be repeated in these cases.

Some complementaries of Drosera: Cuprum, already studied Spongia, Rumex, Sambucus, Hyoscyamus, Belladonna which we will study in our next lecture. These remedies in association or in alternation with Drosera will soon stop the cough of rebellious tracheitis. When remedies like Bryonia, Antimonium tartaricum will fail Drosera 200 followed by Rumex 6, Sambucus 6 and Spongia 6 may rid the patient of his cough.

Sulphur. It is a centrifugal remedy, a remedy of derivation towards emonctories or towards the skin. We use Sulphur when we want to effect a derivation of the respiratory system towards the skin, specially in asthmatic patient and in persons having hay fever and thus we may transform them into patients of urticaria and eczema. Such an eruption on the skin heals the respiratory mucosa (same phenomena with Psorinum). Besides the alternating manifestations (respiratory apparatus and the skin, digestive apparatus and the skin), Sulphur has a characteristic periodicity. Sulphur, Psorinum and Arsenicum have periodicity. In Sulphur the period is long the subject is ill every month or every year). In Arsenic on the contrary the periodicity is very short (a few hours), Sulphur, Psorinum and Arsenicum are remedies of psoric constitution having periodicity as opposed to Calcarea carbonica and Graphites that have no periodicity though they are antipsorics. The prognosis of Sulphur patient is generally good. The patient has sudden disturbing symptoms. Sulphur in high dilution is risky in these case (best dilution is the 30th), but the patient bears well the aggravation.

The patient of Sulphur has cough with aggravation by heat, he is very hot, wants to open the windows, his lips are red, hacks up large quantity of mucous which relieves him of his dyspnoea Graphites is also an antipsoric remedy and specially indicated in women who have congestion of larynx during menses.

Psorinum is old Sulphur, the old asthmatic who has become lean and chilly. There exists also a young Psorinum, child or adult suffering from ganglions. Psorinum has a dry cough, specially in asthma patients with the sensation of ulceration of the larynx. Psorinum, with Lachesis is a good remedy of hay fever. As regards the frilosity, the important characteristic of the remedy the lecturer cities a very curious fact: Psorinum act favourably on the general condition of the patient but does not ameliorate his sensitiveness to cold. In order to ameliorate his sensitiveness to cold. Tuberculinum should be used or the skin should be rubbed in order that the skin functions well.

Petroleum is nearer to Psorinum and like it has aggravation in the winter. It is an important antipsoric remedy and a remedy of derivation. In the winter the patient has chapped skin, some digestive troubles, specially diarrhoea aggravated by cabbage. Petroleum is related to Nitric acid. Like the latter it is to be used in rhagades of the lips which is a precancerous stage (Condurango). Let us always remember the quarto in old persons suffering from cough: Petroleum Psorinum, Arsenicum and Carbo vegetabilis.

Lycopodium acts on all parts of the respiratory tract, on the nose, cavum, pharynx, bronchus, lungs. It acts less on larynx and Pleura. It has an elective action on the lower part of the right hemithorax.

From the point of view of the respiratory system its indications are: Pneumonia of the right base, asthma, chronic bronchitis always with hepatic insufficiency. In acute stage there is the fanning of the alae nasi specially in children.

Lycopodium should be given with precaution (30 ) in acute stages and should not be repeated. In influenza if there is dragging digestive phenomena Lycopodium 30 will act favourably.

Hepar sulphur. It is also related to Psorinum by its frilosity. The subject is very much afraid of air current. He keeps himself closed in a room but still feels the air. He coughs by the least wind or while uncovers a part of the body. It is an important remedy of larynx. Thick and short-necked child is a symptom mentioned in the Materia medica. It seems that the child’s head is placed deep between the shoulders. These children generally suffer from the spasm of the glottis and very often suffers from asthma.

Calcarea carbonica. An important remedy like Hepar, having suffocation with tendency to the spasms of the glottis. The most important symptom of this remedy is the great sensitiveness of the chest by pressure, by palpitation and by percussion. The patient is big, fat, soft, chilly, indolent and anxious. The child easily weeps. The adult is melancholic and thinks he will become mad. It is a great remineraliser.

Silicea. Another important remedy of remineralisation. From the point of view of the respiratory system it acts on the lungs and bronchus. It is a remedy of tuberculosis, of chronic bronchitis and of old persons suffering from emphysema. In pulmonary tuberculosis one should not go beyond the medium dilution. The high dilutions are dangerous in these patients. Silicea 200 or M may be given advantageously in chronic patients of emphysema before R.T (Residual tuberculine).

Thuya and Natrum sulphuricum. These two are important hydrogenoid remedies specially in patient suffering from asthma and chronic bronchitis. They do not act only on the bronchus and lungs. Thuya acts specially on the nose and cavum and larynx. It is an important remedy of papilies and polyp of nose and larynx. Thuya, Natrum sulphuricum, Lycopodium and Sulphur are all remedies of arthritic coryza and of elimination in renal or peptic subjects who make their derivation by chronic nasal discharge.

There remains four more remedies to study rapidly:

Lachesis. It is such an important polychrest that it is necessary to place it here. It has an elective action on the neck. It acts specially on pulmonary vago-sympathetic nerve and is a remedy of hyposphyxia that we have studied in our preceding lecture.

Ignatia is the remedy of nervous cough according to a vicious circle such a cough is seen in tuberculous patients or in women of 60 years old having laryngo-tracheal cough for which Sambucus, Drosera, Hyoscyamus, Cuprum, etc. fail and Ignatia M acts immediately.

Cimicifuga is related to Lachesis and Ignatia. It acts specially on the vago-sympathetic nerve. It is an important anti-spasmodic remedy. It is a good remedy of mediastinal cough with Silicea (Silicea M alternated every 10 to 15 days with Cimicifuga followed by Bryonia, Arnica 30, etc.)

Sepia is not well known, neither it is used in respiratory troubles. It is an important remedy of oxygenoid tuberculinics and tubercular patients.

In high dilutions it is a good remedy of pulmonary decongestion. The lecturer has often found that after the failure of Natrum muriaticum and Sulphur iodium, Sepia helps the patient to take up weight, causes a diminution of the fever and important ausculatory and radiographic diminution. Sepia should be thought of in vicarious hemoptysis of hypomenorrhic women who have menstruation of black blood with venous congestion not only portal but also of lungs.

Pulsatilla is related to Sepia. Pulsatilla is not a ground remedy. It is a remedy of drainage of the circulatory system and is to be given in chronic tuberculous patients suffering from respiratory troubles.

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.