The warts of Dulcamara, like that of Causticum is large and flat.
That of Staphysagria is also pediculous like Thuja. Staphysagria has special action on the sexual sphere. It is a remedy of onanism, and troubles caused by sexual excess. It has also some action on psoric diathesis. It is a remedy of pruritus and of some eczemas. The patient strongly scratches one place and the itching appears further away from the previous seat of itching.
Among the less important remedies of the vegetable kingdom:
Rhus Tox: An important remedy of the hydrogenoid constitution. It is perhaps indicated also in psoric conditions: vesiculous eruptions. It may be secondarily a remedy of the sycotic condition and warts.
Anagallis. It has itchings, specially on the palms of the hands and it may be secondarily a remedy of warts appearing on the place of itching.
Anacardium occidentalis. It has chaps and warts followed or not followed by ulceration.
Ruta. This remedy is more interesting in warts of the hands. It is a remedy of the locomotor system acting electively on the cartilages, while Rhus tox acts on the tendons and on the peri- articular ligaments.
Sabina is a remedy of pediculous warts on the prepuce. It is, therefore, related with Thuja and Phosphoric acid as regards the localisation. The warts are accompanied by itchings and burning sensations.
Finally, we have Semper vivum tectorum. It has corneous warts. It acts specially when there is primitively insect bites and infected wounds. It is one of the most important drainers of pre- cancerous or cancerous conditions.
Here I open a parenthesis. It is interesting to note that these remedies of sycosis and of warts are also the remedies in the pathogenesis of which we constantly find the phrase Easy infection of the skin. Wounds secondarily infected. The person is infected in the least cause. When you find this in the pathogenesis of any medicine indicated here you should know that at certain times of his existence the individual reacted against an infection, but at other times he has entered into sycosis because he never had ephemeral infection. This fact is related to what we have said in the beginning, to mention again, that the individual who has sycosis, is in the impossibility to have acute febrile affections or some violent suppurating infections. One would say that sycosis is a different face of an infectious condition, i.e., the non-apparent face. Silicea is the topmost remedy for this condition.
External Treatment:
Before speaking about the remedies of the mineral origin let me say rapidly a few words about the results that we may get by the external application of these remedies.
We have seen that these remedies may act in an empirical way in warts and that it is classic to apply the Mother Tincture of Thuja. Really speaking its action is inconstant. I think that Thuja should be reserved to pediculous warts. When one tries to burn the warts by application of Thuja the result is inconstant.
3. Remedies of the mineral kingdom. Let us study the acids first.
Nitric acid is an important remedy of the sycotic conditions producing warts, specially when the warts are painful. The warts of Thuja like all other warts in general are painless. The warts of Nitric acid are painful, pediculous and vegetating like that of Thuja but oozing, larger, torn and bleeding while washing. They are sensitive. The patient has the sensation of being stung by needles. The warts grow very rapidly and are very exuberant. Nitric acid acts specially on the warts of the genital organs as for example in women suffering from gonorrhoea, specially during pregnancy. Warts grow very soon are aggravated and provoked by a discharge. In these cases high dilutions of Nitric acid sometimes act, but may also fail because of the rapid growth of the vegetating extension.
It is very interesting to note that the acids used in warts Homoeopathically are of high dilutions used internally. The same acids may be used locally to burn the warts.
Nitric acid is of the first importance when the warts are painful, when they bleed easily and when the sycotic condition goes towards cancer.
Related to Nitricum acidum is Cinnabaris. We will say something about this remedy before speaking of the other acids. It is a metallic salt, the Mercurius sulphuratus rubrum. It is a good medicine of warts very much neglected by our colleagues. It acts marvellously in bleeding warts, specially of the face. Warts that rapidly take a dangerous aspect, specially those that are of cancroid types.
There exists on this subject a beautiful story, which Dr. Le Tellier has told us. It is about Dr. Conan, an old homoeopath who was before the war in a banquet among doctors where there was a surgeon. The surgeon said to Dr. Conan, “You would do better to get rid of that which is in the corner of your mouth, as soon as possible.” Dr. Le Tellier found it to be a cancroid growth but he did not like to go to a surgeon. He met the surgeon after one or one and a half month who asked him “What have you done?” Dr. Tellier had no more the cancroid growth. He replied, ” I have taken Cinnabaris 3 and Thuja 6.”
I have followed that method. Every time I have to treat dangerous warts of the face and even cancroid growth, I prescribe the same treatment which acts marvellously.
This remedy may also act in some kinds of ulcerations.
It is a very important remedy of the occular sphere, of ciliary neuralgias.
Among the three other acids that remain to be studied Acetic acidum is the most important. It has the power to liquefy or dissolve the warts. In Homoeopathy we think of this remedy in cases of anasarca, in dangerous oedematic conditions. Often it is complementary of Thuja.
It has also in its pathogenesis pricking or biting that are infectious.
Phosphoricum acidum is interesting in the warts of the prepuce.
Picric acidum is indicted when thee is the characteristic weakness, tremblings, tendency to suppuration of old wounds, having possibility of warty growths.
All these acids may also act in habitual doses used externally. But to speak the truth the action is only superficial on the sycotic condition in these cases.
On the schema I have indicated Fluoricum acidum only for mnemonic reason. It is not a remedy of sycosis, but an important remedy of cheloidian cicatrices.
Let us now speak about the other remedies of the mineral kingdom.
Let us take first the functional remedies:
Magnesia sulphurica is used in Homoeopathy for cracked warts of the finger tips, specially of the left hand. The cracks are often ameliorated by the use of this remedy and the warts disappear after rubbing. In its pathogenesis are found some urinary troubles which make it often complementary of Thuja.
Let us repeat here what we have said just now. The homoeopaths have insisted that Magnesia is a remedy for the skin, for urinary troubles but they soon pass over to digestive and hepatic troubles saying “It is a violent purgative. If it is given in strong doses we will only have digestive troubles. Let us make a pathogenesis by using small doses.” Thus we have not understood the marvellous action of Magnesia sulphuricum as a cholagogue and choleretic.
On the other hand all the salts of Magnesia are given by some officials for warts. They may in fact cause the warts to disappear, but they may cause great danger by causing some internal troubles and chloruremeic nephritis may be the final result. It is, therefore, very necessary to be cautious while applying ponderable doses of Magnesia sulph.
Natrum carbonicum is complementary of Natrum muriaticum is Cracked Hands, specially when there exists the characteristic digestive troubles: The patient cannot bear any change in diet. This remedy is to be used to persons who should closely follow their diet and who always become ill when there is a change in diet.
We now come to the compound of antimony. The most important is the mineral Antimonium crudum.
Antimonium Crudum is a complementary of Graphites as regards the skin symptoms, as well as of Silicea, of Petroleum and Thuja, even sometimes of Sulphur.
Antimonium crudum is a Homoeopathic remedy of corns of the feet and of all corneous warts. It cures, when repeated for a long time the corns or it may ameliorate them. It should be used in lower potency in the 6th dilution. It may be used in corneous warts appearing on all parts of the body specially on the neck, hands, arms and in feet.
Antimonium tartaricum is less important. Its symptoms are almost the same as that of Antimonium crudum.
Arsenicum bromatum is to be used in persons having warts, who suffer also from herpes. He has a precancerous condition.
Ferrum picricum is the topmost remedy in persons who may have warts combine with lupus with the tendency to hypertrophy of certain organs, such as prostrate, in plethoric subjects suffering from a congestion of the lower abdomen (like Sepia)
It is also indicated in some forms of lupus.
Aurum muriaticum natronatrum and Baryta carbonica are to be studied in relation to Ferrum picricum in the tendency to sclerosis with hypertrophy of certain organs specially of the prostate.
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.