58 THE :^^EDICI^'■AL plants of the Philippines 



GERANIACE^. 



Geranium Family. 

 Oxalis corniculata, L. {0. AcdoseUa, Blanco.) 



NoM. VuLG. — Taigan dogd, Susokayoli, Tag.; Barasig, Vis.; 

 Malahalugbug dagls, Ayo, Kongi, Yayo, Pam.; Indian Sor- 

 rel, Eng. 



Uses. — The part of the plant used in medicine is the leaf 

 which is acid by virtue of the potassium oxalate which it con- 

 tains. The decoction is used internally as an antipyretic in 

 fevers and in dysentery. Mistaking the properties of the plant 

 it is given for vesical calculus which, if composed of oxalates, 

 would be increased instead of diminished by the treatment. 

 In fact the salt of sorrel in the leaves contains a large quan- 

 tity of oxalic acid mixed with potassium oxalate. In Cliina, 

 India and the Philippines the entire plant is used as an anti- 

 scorbutic. 



The cold infusion of the leaves is given internally in doses 

 of from 30 to 60 grams, but it is not a medicine to be given in- 

 discriminately, because in addition to its power of adding to 

 the bulk of calculi of the oxalates, the contained potassium 

 oxalate is poisonous in doses of 25 to 30 grams. If a concen- 

 trated solution is taken, it operates as a corrosive poison, produc- 

 ing violent pains in the stomach, vomiting, faintness and great 

 weakness. If the solution is dilute its absorption is rapid and 

 it operates very energetically. When a patient is poisoned by a 

 concentrated solution, the stomach-pump is contraindicated, be- 

 cause the mucous membrane of the organ is corroded and ulcer- 

 ated ; if by a dilute solution, use the pump to remove as much 

 of the poison as possible. The best antidote is a watery solu- 

 tion of a soluble salt of lime, /. e., the saccharate, which forms 

 an insoluble salt with oxalic acid. 



The juice of the leaves is an antidote "for the Datura (Stra- 

 monium). In India they make a decoction of the plant, mix 



