Syphilinum is prepared from the serosity obtained by scrapings of syphilitic chancre. Skinner and Swan, two American homoeopaths first made its provings. Its pathogenesis is incorporated in Allen’s Materia Medica of Nosodes.
In France we use Hepato-syphilinum, extract of the liver of a still born heredo-syphilitic child and Rachi-syphilinum, extract of Cephalo-rachidian liquid of a specific patient having positive biological reaction in the liquid. Rachi syphilinum will act better than Syphilinum in the specific nervous troubles. This nosode is generally used from 200 to 10,000 dilutions.
In primary syphilis, Syphilinum has little or no effect. When Mercury is used in strong doses or Arseno-benzol has caused the disappearance of the useful symptoms that are necessary to find out the similimum, Syphilinum will be useful as a reactional remedy. This remedy is very useful in old syphilitics whose convalescence takes particularly long times after an acute disease. Thus when a patient takes a long time to recover from his typhoid fever a single dose of Syphilinum will increase his appetite, his forces, sleep and he will soon take up his weight ( Kent).
It will act in old syphilitics aggravated by Sulphur, who has the symptoms of this remedy. Syphilinum is an antidote of Sulphur. When the patient is aggravated by Sulphur and when Pulsatilla, another antidote of Sulphur, does not give any result, we must always think of latent syphilis.
Syphilinum is to be used like any other remedy of the Materia Medica according to the law of similars, even when syphilis is not a cause and it is in such cases syphilinum will give the best results.
On the contrary in some cases its etiology will lead us to prescribe it –
1. In prolonged convalescence of old syphilitics,
2. In patients aggravated by Sulphur
3. In old syphilitic when well chosen remedies do not act Syphilinum will lift the barrage and the selected remedies will act.
4. In old syphilitics who suffer without precise symptoms syphilinum will “make the symptoms to come out.”
Syphilinum has some important characteristics which we are going to mention here without entering into details.
The pains of Syphilinum begins at dusk and ends at dawn (like Mercurius and Phytolacca).
Consequently the patient is aggravated at night, specially he suffers from insomnia. The nightly pains increase gradually and decreases gradually like the pains of Stannum and Strontium carbonicum. The pains are generally of ophthalmia (Agglutination of lids at night), of neuralgia, headaches, asthma, cough, whether it is the question of Syphilis or not.
Syphilinum is useful like Sulphur as a restorer of sleep. It is an excellent remedy of insomnia.
It is an important remedy of ulcerations of the mouth, of nose, of genital organs and of the skin. Nauseating ozaena, with bits of foul smelling discharge.
It is indicated in all foetid ulcerations. It is a good remedy of repeated abscesses.
The patient has great desire for all sorts of alcoholic drinks. Here you will find alcoholic heredity as in Asarum, Psorinum, Tuberculinum, Sulphur and Sulphuric acidum.
Since some years the patient has stubborn constipation as if his rectum is strangulated and drawn in. Syphilinum is a remedy of anal fissures. Prolapsus of the anus of persons having syphilitic antecedents.
The leucorrhoeic flow is so much abundant that is flows out of the napkins and flows down to the heels like that of Alumina.
The falling of hairs is often related to very violent headaches of neuralgic character, causing sleeplessness, delirium at night. Generally, headaches begin at 4 p.M., become maximum at 10 to 11 p.m. and ceases immediately with sunrise. The neuralgias of Lycopodium ceases at 11 to 12 p.m.
In syphilinum the tibias and the cranial bones are painful.
A curious symptom which is very real is that the patient very often washes his hands.
The patient is ameliorated during cold season and in hot season; some symptoms are ameliorated by hot applications, some by cold air and by cold applications.
Considerable emaciation of the whole body.
Interesting sensations are:
Boiling, as if hot water and oil flowing through veins.
Mania and paralysis of the tongue are possible.
Head drawn backward as if by a weight.
Sand in the eyes.
The right eye is wide open, as if cold air is blowing within it.
Something living in the teeth, as for example a worm.
Sternum drawn backwards.
Coccyx swollen.
Bones are sawed.
Soles of hands and feet as if pierced by needles.
Aggravation
By touch (tibia and neck of the uterus).
By movement, by stretching the arms.
At night ( very important)
In wet weather, hot weather, on the seaside.
In hot or in cold weather.
Amelioration.
In toothache by pressing the teeth one upon the other.
Pains of the buttocks are ameliorated by walking; headache by heat.
Pains of the wrist and of the limbs are ameliorated by heat.
Toothache ameliorated by heat or cold.
Ophthalmic pains by cold water.
In the mountain, or in the fields, inverse of Medorrhinum – amelioration on seaside.
Comparisons.
in bone and syphilitic troubles think of Aurum, Asafoetida, Kali iodatum, Mercurius and Nitric acid.
Aggravation at night, compare Aurum, Mercurius, Sulphur, Medorrhinum with Syphilinum and the antisycotics have aggravation early in the morning.
Aggravation on the seaside: Syphilinum is opposite of Medorrhinum and of Natrum muriaticum, the latter has sometimes amelioration on the seaside.
Pains gradually increasing and decreasing: Besides syphilinum we have Stannum, Strontium and Strontium carbonicum.
In ozaena one may use Syphilinum, but Anthracinum, Arnica and Gunpowder give good results.
When emaciation is very much marked use: Syphilinum, Abrotanum, Iodium, Natrum muriaticum, Tuberculinum and Sanicula.
In lancinating pains of the heart:
1. Going from the base to the point: Syphilinum.
2. From point to the base: Medorrhinum.
3. From the base to the clavicle of shoulder: Spigelia.
I have said that there is a sensation of tension of the body and the mind after waking up in the morning. You know that Lachesis has the characteristic.
Causticum like Syphilinum has ptosis of the upper eye lid.
In dipsomania, i.e., exaggerated desire for alcohol, besides Syphilinum you have Asarum, Psorinum, Tuberculinum, Sulphur, Sulphur iod, etc.
In stubborn constipation with pains as if of labor: Syphilinum, Lac defloratum.
Syphilinum is also a good remedy of chronic rheumatism, rheumatism of the left shoulder. It is aggravated while raising the right arm like that of Rhus tox. Sanguinaria or while raising the left arm like Ferrum.
Syphilinum has aphonia during menses like that of Gelsemium.
It has nasal voice before or during menses, like that of Graphites and Magnesium ( to be compared with Calcarea, Graphites, Spongia nasal voice during menses)
In lympho-sarcoma, think of Syphilinum and Cistus canadensis.
Pathogenesis proper of Syphilinum.
Mind. Loss of memory, specially for names and dates. Afraid of the night; the patient is aggravated at night. For this reason he is afraid of the approach of night. Thinks that he will become mad, apathy, indifference to future. The newborn who weeps incessantly is ameliorated by Syphilinum.
Head. Vertigo while looking in the air; headache aggravated at night or being exposed in the sun. General aggravation of the headache at 10 to 11 at night and ceases with the rising of the sun. Headache with insomnia and agitation. Syphilinum will give good results in headaches of old syphilitics, piercing, unbearable headache since months. Pains is specially extremely painful on the right eye; the pain is radiated into the brain. There is also a headache with falling of hairs.
“Linear” headaches, following a line.
Eyes. Ophthalmia of the new-born: syphilitic iritis; chronic phlyctenular inflammation of the cornea with photophobia (very marked), pustular conjunctivitis in scrofulous children of the angles of eyes.
Profuse lachrymation, redness of the eyes with intense pain; agglutination of the eyelids in the morning and sensation of cold air blowing in the eyes (Fluoric Acid).
Ears. Calcium deposits on the tympanum, caries of bones of the ears of syphilitic origin; otorrhoea of watery or purulent discharge; deafness gradually increasing without any objective symptom.
Nose. Caries of the bones of the nose, perforation of the palate, ozaena, chronic catarrhal rhinitis in heredos, burning sensation in the nose, itching, formation of crusts in the nose which is also a capital symptom of Kali bichromicum, of Mercurius and of Hydrastis. Stuffed nose: chronic coryza with abundant, foetid, thick, greenish-yellow discharge.
Face. Facial paralysis of the right side causes difficulty in speaking, difficult mastication. Pale face with herpetic eruption. Intense facial neuralgia.
Mouth. Curious teeth, crumbling above the gums. Sensation of having a worm in the teeth; herpetic eruption of mouth, of tonsils and of palate. Foul and thick coating of the tongue. Painful ulcerations, burning as if from fire, profuse salivation and imprint of teeth on the tongue. Salivation is profuse at night, when the patient wakes up, the pillow is completely sodden. Foetid breath.
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.