Links and reaccepts from Rumex (acetosa and acetosella) and Oxalis Acetosella

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Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.Fresh sorrel leaves are refrigerant and diuretic. An infusion is useful in febrile and inflammatory diseases, and in scorbutic diseases. They may likewise be used as a salad, or boiled like spinach. The leaves, eaten freely, have produced poisonous effects, owing to the potassium binoxalate they contain (see Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1887, p. 7). In poisoning by this agent the same treatment should be pursued as for poisoning by oxalic acid, viz.: the free administration of chalk suspended in an abundance of water; this should be followed by an emetic or stomach-pump, and subsequently by lenitives. Wrapped up and roasted, the leaves form an excellent application to indolent tumors, wens, boils, etc., hastening suppuration. The inspissated juice, applied on leather, is said to form an effectual but painful cure for tumors, and the improbable claim has been made that it will cure incipient cancers. Acting upon this hint, the following preparation has been used as a remedy in cutaneous cancers, viz.: Take of burnt alum, 1 drachm; citric or tartaric acid, 2 drachms; oxalic acid, 2 drachms; rain-water, 1/2 pint. Mix. To be applied by means of a camel's-hair pencil. Related Species.Rumex Acetosella, Linn, Field or Sheep sorrel, has a leafy stem, from 6 to 12 inches in height, with lanceolate-hastate, pleasantly-acid leaves. The flowers are small, reddish, in panicled racemes. Valves ovate, scarcely enlarging in fruit, destitute of granules. Stamens and styles on separate plants; styles adherent to the angles of the ovary. This weed is found in abundance throughout the United States, growing in pastures, waste grounds, and worn fields, flowering all summer (G.W.). A strong tincture of the fresh plant (viii to alcohol, 76 per cent, Oj), in doses ranging from 1 to 30 drops, has been suggested by Dr. Scudder (Spec. Med.) as a remedy where there is a "tendency to degeneration of tissue," and he states that whether "in syphilis, scrofula, or cancer, the indication for its use is the replacement of tissue with lower organizations." The urinary apparatus and renal secretions are influenced by it.

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Rumex Acetosella. (Sheep Sorrel)

Rumex acetosella

Preparation.Prepare a tincture from the fresh sorrel, viij. to Alcohol 50 Oj. Dose, from gtts. x. to ss. It is employed locally in the treatment of cancer, the following formula being employed : "Cancer Balsam.Take the common Sheep Sorrel when in bloom, bruise well in a mortar, and add a small quantity of water; then press the weed so as to obtain all the juice, strain it and place in the sunshine in a pewter dish, and let it evaporate to the consistence of honey. It is then ready for use, and should be put up in sealed boxes or closely stopped bottles, in order to prevent evaporation." A tincture of the Sorrel has a very decided action in those cases where there is a tendency to degeneration of tissue. It makes no difference whether it is called syphilis, scrofula, or cancer, the indication for use is the replacement of tissue with lower organizations. To what extent it opposes the process of degeneration we are unable to say, the use has been so limited, but it deserves a thorough investigation. It influences the secretion of urine and urinary apparatus, but its medicinal action in this respect has yet to be determined. Its use in the treatment of cancer has been quite extensive, and if we can believe the reports given, it has proven fully as successful as any other remedy. A full description of this method of treatment will be found in the Eclectic Journal for May, 1870, page 142.

Oxalis acetosella

Oxalis corniculata

Oxalis stricta

Oxalis tuberosa Oxalis violacea

Rumex acetosa

Rumex acetosella

The whole herb of Oxalis Acetosella, Linn. Nat. Ord.Geraniaceae. COMMON NAME: Wood-sorrel.

Rumex vesicarius

Botanical Source.Wood-sorrel is a small, perennial, acaulescent herb, with a creeping, scalytoothed root-stock. The leaves are numerous, radical, palmately 3-foliate, on long, weak, hairy stalks; leaflets broadly obcordate, with rounded lobes entire, pubescent, of a yellowish-green color, but frequently purplish beneath; they close and droop at night-fall. The scape is longer than the petioles, and 1-flowered, with 2 scaly bracts near the middle. The flowers are white, yellowish at the base, delicately veined with purple, and scentless. Stamens 10, monadelphous at the base, alternately shorter; sepals 5, persistent; style as long as the inner stamens. Capsule 5-lobed, 5-celled, and oblong; seeds several, with an elastic testa (G.W.). History and Chemical Composition.Wood-sorrel is indigenous to Europe and this country, growing in woody and shady places, and flowering from April to June. It is inodorous and has a pleasantly acid taste, which is somewhat impaired by drying. The acidity is due to the presence of oxalic acid in combination with potassium forming acid potassium oxalate, sometimes called potassium binoxalate (HKC2O4). In some parts of Europe this salt was formerly separated from the plant, and sold under the name of salts of sorrel (sometimes under the name salt of lemons), for the purpose of removing ink spots and iron marks front linen. This salt is poisonous when taken internally. It can now be conveniently prepared from oxalic acid. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.The several varieties of sorrel are cooling and diuretic. Useful in febrile diseases, hemorrhages, gonorrhoea, chronic catarrh, urinary affections, and in scurvy, it may be used in infusion, or it may be infused in milk to form whey, or the herb may be eaten, but in neither case to excess, on account of the potassium binoxalate they contain. Externally, the bruised leaves or inspissated juice have been found useful as an application to scrofulous, malignant, and indolent ulcers. The Rumex Acetosa, or Garden sorrel, R. Acetosella, or Sheep sorrel, and R. vesicarius, possess similar properties (which see). The antidote to poisoning by any of the species of Oxalis, or by oxalic acid or potassium binoxalate, is a mixture of chalk with water. Related Species.There are other species of Oxalis possessing analogous properties, as the Oxalis stricta, Linn, and O. violacea, Linn. They all have ternate leaves with obcordate leaflets, and with the exception of O. violacea, bear yellow flowers. Oxalis crassicaulis.Peru. Root edible; the syrup of an astringent, acidulous juice expressed from the leaves, has been employed in catarrhal troubles, gonorrhoea, and hemorrhages. Oxalis corniculata, Linn.Europe. This species has properties similar to Oxalis Acetosella.

No. 68. Oxalis acetosella.

Oxalis

Oxalis acetosella

Names. Common Woodsorrel. Fr. Oxalide alleluia. Vulgar. Sour Trefoil, Cuckoo Bread, White sorrel, Mountain Sorrel. Classif. Nat. Order of Geranides. Decandria pentagynia. L.

Oxalis violacea

Genus OXALIS. Calix five parted, persistent. Corolla of five petals, slightly connected at the base. Ten stamina, monadelphous at the base, five alternate shorter. Five styles and stigmas, capsule pentagone, dehiscent at the angles, five locular cells, two or many seeded; seeds with an elastic axilla. Sp. Oxalis acetosella. Stemless, creeping, petioles and scapes long, filiform and pilose, leaves with three folioles, broad obcordate pilose, ciliate, scapes uniflore, erect. Description. Roots perennial, creeping, white, juicy, with some little fleshy knobs, leaves nearly radical, on long slender filiform hairy petioles, three folioles, subsessile, more or less pilose, ciliated, obcordate, broad, glaucous beneath: scapes similar and equal to the petioles, with two small adpressed bracts on the middle, one terminal flower, white, with purple veins. The five longest stamina equal to the styles. History. This plant is scattered in both continents, in woods, groves, and hedges; but in America seems confined to the boreal and mountain regions. It blossoms in summer. It has many varieties 1. Minor, (figured here) with small leaves, not very broad nor pilose, small erect flowers, with obtuse petals. In Canada, New York, New England. 2. Montana, with large, very broad, and short leaves, nearly glabrous and reticulated, but ciliated, flowers large, erect, with retuse petals, and a yellow spot at the base of each. On the Catskill and Alleghany mountains. These appear almost different species, but they are connected by the European varieties, such as, 3. Cespitosa. Leaves cespitose, flowers bluish-white. 4. Nutans. Leaves broad, pilose, flowers nodding, smaller, &c. Many other species are found in North America, which have mostly yellow flowers on a stem, except the O. violacea, which is stemless, and has purple blossoms. The O. sanguinolaria of Louisiana, has yellow blossoms, with bloody spots inside. They are all called Wood-sorrel; are small scentless plants, with a sharp acid tastes, and have all similar properties. Properties. Acid, refrigerant, attenuant, antiputrid and diuretic. Useful in decoction as a cooling drink in inflammatory disorders, fevers, piles, putrid diseases, &c. Boiled in milk they form a good acid

whey, very cooling. They may also be eaten in sallad: they are peculiarly useful in diseases of the kidneys, bladder, and urethra, when they are inflamed and painful, acting as cooling diuretics. They are often substituted to common sorrel and sheep sorrel; but they must not be eaten to excess, because they contain a violent poison, the oxalic acid; in small quantity, however, since 100 pounds of leaves give only 30 pounds of juice, and this only 10 ounces of the super oxalate of potash, which is sold and used by the wrong name of Salt of Lemons, for making a bad and dangerous imitation of lemonade, and for taking off ink stains from linen, cloth and paper. A good conserve and syrup of oxalis leaves were made, which are pleasant medical preparations,: they are now, however, superseded by currant jelly and other preparations of acid fruits.

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Action and Toxicology.Oxalic acid and the oxalates poison the nervous system and the blood, producing, as well, gastro-intestinal lesions. A dose of 60 grains killed a boy (Taylor). Again, by prompt treatment, two cases recovered after a half ounce had been swallowed. Death takes place in varying lengths of time, a circumstance that can not readily be accounted for. Some cases die in from 10 minutes to an hour. The above-mentioned boy died in 8 hours. The symptoms are an intensely pure, acid taste, burning of the parts over which the poison passes, intense pain, vomiting, especially a bloody material, an extremely feeble pulse, an inability to assume the upright posture, collapse, and stupor. These symptoms, with the rapidity with which death takes place, will point to oxalic acid as the cause. Still, persons have been known to live for 22 days, death being produced by a slow poisoning. The post-mortem changes are a whitened oesophageo-gastric tract, though the stomach may contain a dark, gelatinous liquid, appearing like disorganized blood. The mucous coats are softened and loosened, but rarely perforated. The blood is excessively red, and in some instances oxalates have been found in the tubuli uriniferi of the kidneys. Koch regards it as a heart poison. The same lethal symptoms may be produced from salt of sorrel. Poisoning by oxalic acid, oxalate of ammonium, or oxalate of potassium, is best remedied by the speedy administration of chalk, suspended in water; when chalk can not be had, magnesia may be used; either of these forms insoluble oxalates. Medical Uses and Dosage.This article, unless in great attenuation, is an unfit agent for internal administration, though it has been given in doses of three-quarters of a grain every 3 hours in diphtheria. Such a procedure is certainly dangerous, and an infusion of sorrel, sumac-bobs, and similar substances containing the acid in combination, would even be hazardous. These infusions have, however, given excellent results in diphtheria and certain sore throats when used simply as a gargle. Webster (Dynamical Therapeutics, 175), praises the action of oxalic acid in lagging functions of

the spinal cord due to over-exertion, thereby resulting in intensive pains, marked lumbar weakness, and insomnia. One or two grains of the 6x trituration every 4 or 5 hours, are recommended in these conditions. A solution of oxalic acid in water promptly removes iron stains. For a number of years past I have used a saturated aqueous solution of it as an external application in cutaneous cancer, acne, scald head, and several forms of cutaneous disease, since which, on my recommendation, others have employed it with success in similar affections, sometimes alone, and again with a small portion of creosote added. The saturated solution, neutralized by caustic potash, forms an excellent application to discuss indolent tumors (J. King).