ASARUM EUROPiEUM 
45 
tvithin a shining white elastic arillus, by the bursting of which the 
seeds are thrown out. 
The leaves and stalks of sorrel have an extremely grateful acid 
taste, but are totally inodorous; the plant loses much of its acidity 
by drying; the expressed juice when left to settle, and the clear 
liquor poured off from the feculent matter, evaporated to a certain 
degree, yields crystals of binoxalate of potasse ; twenty pounds of 
the recent plant is said to yield from two to four ounces of this salt,* 
and the residuary liquor still contains a considerable portion of 
tincrystallizable acid. The binoxalate of lime has been long sold 
under the name of essential salt of lemons,f used for the purposes 
of bleaching straw, removing iron moulds from linen, &c. ; it also 
forms a delicate test for detecting the presence of lime in mineral 
waters. 
Medical Properties and Uses. The fresh plant is esteemed 
antiscorbutic, refrigerant, and diuretic, hence recommended in fevers 
and inflammatory diseases, to quench thirst and allay inordinate heat; 
and for these purposes it is exhibited in infusion, or the leaves 
bruised and formed into a conserve, and taken ad libitum ; the 
leaves boiled in milk, form a very agreeable acid whey; the salt 
tnay also be advantageously given wherever vegetable acids are 
indifated. 
Off. The Leaves. 
ASARUM EUROPIUM. 
Asarabacca."^ 
Class DoDECANDRiA. — Order Monogynia. 
Nat. Ord. Sarmentace^, Linn. AristolochijE, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Calyx 3 or 4-cIeft, sitting on the germ. CorollaO. 
Capsule leathery, crowned. 
Spec. Char. Leaves kidney-shaped, obtuse, two-fold. 
* The Oxalis Cornua of the Cape of Good Hope, is said to yield this salt in a much 
larger quantity. 
t The essential salt of lemon (so called), is not the pure salt of sorrel, but a mixture 
of two parts of cream of tartar to one or more of the former. 
% Fig. a. plant of the natural size. h. The pistillum and sturaens. c. A wingle 
«tamen, shewing the attachment of the anther lo the side of the iilameiit. d. A section 
iflf the pericarp and seeds. 
