Tremblings, Parkinsons, Multiple Sclerosis


Senile tremblings have some symptoms very similar to Paralysis agitans or Parkinson’s disease. Theoretically Baryta carbonica is one of the best remedies because it acts in sclerosis accompanied by senility. But we should also think of Phosphorus because of the medullar-cortico degeneration….


Before studying the Homoeopathic treatment of tremblings, we will draw up a general semiological picture in order to fix our ideas and classify our medicines according to the clinical basis.

General picture of tremblings:

They may be accidental or permanent.

We will eliminate from our study the tremblings associated with paralysis.

1. Accidental tremblings. We may relate them easily to their general cause. They may be emotional pyretic or frigorific.

2. Emotional tremblings. They are due to a fright or a strong emotion: fright, sudden contradiction sometimes joy. Thus they may not be pathological and may happen to any person who is not absolutely phlegmatic and master of his nerves; or it may happen very frequently, or very violently and for a long time in nervous and overworked persons, in emotional and anxious persons, moreover, in hysteria or in psycho-neurotic persons.

We will specially mention here the value of Ignatia and Gelsemium.

Ignatia: Emotional tremblings following or in course of deep sorrow, cares, contradictions or other emotions. This remedy is specially indicated in women or in hypernervous men having the temperament of a woman. Paradoxal symptoms.

Gelsemium: An important remedy for the fright of students during examination; of persons who give lectures or of actors who present themselves before a public. The person, habitually calm, even sometimes slow in a state of torpor, as if asleep, becomes all of a sudden very much excited as a consequence of a sudden emotion or a bad news. This emotion is often translated into diarrhoea not always into tremblings.

Very often the tremblings are not seen outwardly, because they are of very small frequency, but the patient feels it very violently within his body, and feels the trembling throughout the whole body.

2. Pyretic tremblings.

Very great tremblings or tremblings that come in the first phase of fevers specially in the beginning of an acute infection or in malaria.

Gelsemium. Here still Gelsemium is a remedy. Very intense trembling. Must be held on the bed. The bed cracks and tremblings without thirst along the vertebral column. Fever without thirst.

3. Frigorific tremblings.

Gelsemium: This should be the first remedy to think of. There is a case where Gelsemium acts very well. In the case of a swimmer who has sudden tremblings when coming out of water inspite of warm towels, and the movements that make him hot or even when in hot sun.

II. Permanent tremblings.

There may be two kinds of trembling: In movements (intentional or cinematic) or in rest (static tremblings)

Intentional tremblings. Multiple sclerosis is a typical cause. We will study later its treatment.

Hereditary tremblings: The cause is not well known ( hereditary syphilis?). It would be necessary to treat them by Syphilinum and Aurum metallicum, Gelsemium, and also by the remedies that we will study for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease and by endocrinal glands.

Toxic tremblings: Homoeopathic antidotes are to be used in this case.

Alcohol: Gelsemium and Absinthium are the two important remedies. We have already studied Gelsemium.

Absinthium: A remedy of delirium tremens. Intense trembling, acute and violent tremblings, convulsive movements, agitations.

We should not forget to antidote systematically alcohol with Spiritus Quercus Glandium, which acts very well in lower dilutions ( 5 to 10 drops in water after meals).

Coffee: The antidotes are Nux vomica, Ignatia or Chamomilla.

Tea: Ignatia will be required. Two more important remedies are to be mentioned here: Thuja in dyspeptic troubles of tea drinkers and Selenium which acts well in the vertigo due to the drinking of tea.

Lead: Tremblings from lead poisoning is to be treated by Opium or Nux vomica when there is an inveterate constipation with retraction of the belly. When there is no desire for stool use Opium, for ineffectual desire use the second one.

In other cases Mercurius solubilis should be thought of; it is indicated by tremblings, stomatitis, gingivitis and salivation.

Alumina may also be a remedy when there is dryness of the mucous membranes, possible paralysis of the lower limbs, and a constipation due to intestinal atony, constipation even for soft stools.

Mercury: Poisoning from mercury will require Hepar sulphur when there is suppuration. Mercurial tremblings are very well antidoted by Thuja and Nitric acid.

Tremblings in rest. Parkinson’s disease is one of its type. We will study its treatment later on.

Senile tremblings have some symptoms very similar to Paralysis agitans or Parkinson’s disease. Theoretically Baryta carbonica is one of the best remedies because it acts in sclerosis accompanied by senility. But we should also think of Phosphorus because of the medullar-cortico degeneration.

Baryta carbonicum: Cerebral or arterial sclerosis with hypertension and mental troubles. Diminution of intellectual activity and weakness of memory. The persons do not desire society. Palpitations and troubles of the heart, aggravation while thinking of it.

Phosphorus: Evolution of sensorial degeneration which may last for months or even years followed by depression as well as of sexual function (weakness) and of the sense organs ( diminution of sight and hearing).

Exophthalmic goitre and Basedow’s disease. In this affection the tremblings are to be treated by Homoeopathic and organo-therapic remedies that correspond to the clinical picture. The remedies of the first importance are Lycopus virginicus. Thyroidea, Spongia, Iodium, Spigelia, etc.

Peduncular tumours: In this case there is a hemi-parkinsonian symptom. Homoeopathy hardly helps.

Post hemiplegic tremblings: Its treatment will be studied with its cause in a separate chapter.

The tremblings of general paralysis: We will not study this case here. We think it is necessary to study here more completely the treatment of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Let us be full of humility while taking up the Homoeopathic treatment of these two diseases, because we must admit that the results are very often negative.

In the present state of medicine, Allopathic of Homoeopathic it seems that any nerve cell which is destroyed cannot be restored. A cylindrical-axis may be repaired and its action may be prolonged anew. Also we obtain good results in neuritis and in affections of the peripheral nerves. But what can we do in case of sclerosis and specially sclerosis of nerves? Up to the present time we can only check it.

Still we must be prudent in our affirmations. Multiple sclerosis develops slowly with long status quo phases alternating with the phases of aggravation. They may be only temporary or transitory. As regards Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsonian troubles or pseudo- Parkinsonian troubles which is a result of epidemic encephalitis lethargica, let us admit, that we have used classical Homoeopathy in a number of cases, we have cured not a single case, ameliorated only two. But simple amelioration is far from complete cure.

We have tried everything: classical Homoeopathic remedies, isopathy of cephalo-rachidian, osteopathy, sanguin isotherapy, etc……. We also must be sceptic as regards the reports of the cases of great ameliorations or cure reported in foreign countries by Homoeopathic treatment of these two cases.

On the contrary we are persuaded to say that it is often possible to stop the evolution of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease by treating them from the beginning of their disease. The remedies that we are going to study act so long as the sclerosis is not established or old; they stop all new scleroses but they cannot do anything when the sclerosis is already organised. What is destroyed in the architecture of our nervous system, seems to be destroyed for ever and completely. At least we cannot rebuild it.

One may ask if some anatomo-pathological researches will allow to obtain some better results thanks to the conclusion what one may draw out of the researches. Thus, Dr. Pages, professor of the faculty of Montpellier, has said to me that Histamine as well as other toxins may cause degeneration of the mucous membrane of the brain. Accordingly we tried all the dilutions of Histamine. It does not seem to act very clearly. However, we should continue these trials which are still too recent in order to draw any definite conclusion. Histamine 200 may, in some cases, if we believe our personal practice, act as least as a preventive and in the beginning of Parkinson’s disease.

But we must not think that it is sufficient in Homoeopathy to discover similitude between anatomo-pathology of lesions caused by medicine and a given morbid state, so that a remedy might act. The anatomic lesion is but a result, a cross-road where as many remedies and as many diseases are commonly lead to. Our master Hahnemann has based his law of similars on symptoms artificially produced by experiments of the substance on a healthy man. This is not always the case regarding many remedies that we use homoeopathically in classical and routine manner. Thus, Plumbum metallicum, of which we know admirably the symptoms and anatomo-pathology of lesions, is very inconstant in its action on the morbid phenomena accompanied by sclerosis.

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.