THE WOODSORREL. 53 



Nor is it only beautiful; the acid which abounds 

 in the whole plant renders it of great use as a cool- 

 ing drink in fevers ; and it is much administered in 

 Russia, where milk is added to the infusion of its 

 leaves. Gerarde says, " The apothecaries and herb- 

 alists call it alleluya, and panis cucule, or cuckowe's 

 meat, either because the cuckowe feedeth thereon, 

 or by reason when it springeth forthe and floureth 

 the cuckowe singeth most, at which time also alle- 

 luya was wont to be sung in churches. It is thought 

 to be what Pliny (lib. xxvii, cap. 12) calleth Oxys; 

 writing thus : ' Oxys is three-leaved ; it is good for 

 a feeble stomach, &c/ But Galen, in his fourth 

 book of simples saith, the oxys is the same as 



oxalis, or sorrel Sorrell du bois, or wood 



sorrell, stamped and used for grene sauce, is good for 

 them that have sick and feeble stomacks, for it 

 strengtheneth the stomack and procureth appetite, 

 and of all sauces sorrell is the best, not only in vir- 

 tue, but also in the pleasantness of his taste ... it 

 cooleth mightily any hot, pestilential fevers, espe- 

 cially being made with syrup of sugar." It was the 

 principal ingredient in the famous green sauce for 

 fish, once so celebrated, and is still used for the 

 same purpose on the Continent ; though the Rumex 

 acetosa generally takes its place. The salt pre- 

 pared from the plant is used under the name of 

 salts of lemon, to remove stains of ink and iron- 

 mould from linen, &c. This salt consists of a com- 

 pound of oxalic acid with potash ; but it is seldom, 

 or never, now made from the plant, as it can be 

 artificially prepared, at a much lower price, from 



