Rumex. Rumex crispus.

Synonym—Yellow dock.

CONSTITUENTS—

Chrysophanic acid, tannin, gum, starch. The petioles of the leaves contain nearly one per cent of oxalic acid.

PREPARATIONS—

Extractum Rumicis Fluidum. Fluid Extract of Rumex. Dose, from ten to sixty minims.

Specific Rumex. Dose, from five to thirty minims.

Therapy—The alterative properties of this agent are underestimated. It is a renal depurant and general alterative of much value when ulceration of mucous surfaces or disease of the skin results from impure blood. It acts directly in its restorative influence, purifying the blood, removing morbific material, and quickly cures the disease conditions. It is valuable in ulcerative stomatitis, in nursing sore mouth, and in ulceration of the stomach with great lack of tone, combined with quercus or other tonic astringent, it has no equal in these conditions. It has cured exceedingly persistent cases of exhaustive morning diarrhea, the discharges being very frequent between six and twelve o'clock. It has been used also in the treatment of syphilis and scrofula with good results.

Dr. Vassar of Ohio believes that Yellow Dock is the best remedy known to prevent the inroads made by cancer on the human system. It is also valuable in necrosis, scrofula, and tuberculosis. I have mentioned the fact that this remedy will absorb iron from the soil very rapidly and carry a much larger proportion than normal, thus rendering the iron organic. Dr. Vassar knew of a blacksmith who raised Yellow Dock root, cultivating it in a soil which he kept constantly saturated with the washing from his cooling tubs, and scattered all the iron filings and rust over it. Ellingwood's Therapeutist has often called attention to this property of yellow dock and to the positive tonic and alterative influence exercised by it when so saturated with iron.

The above statement of the doctor's is the only one I have been able to find from any but foreign writers that emphasizes the power of yellow dock in extracting iron from the soil. It is possible that other inorganic medicines can be made organic in larger quantities by being artificially forced through the growth and development of plants in the natural exercise of their vital powers. The doctor thinks that the preservation of an absolutely normal cell condition of the human body if possible will prevent the development of cancer. He uses Yellow Dock hypodermically and thinks that there are mild early cases of cancer that can be cured with this remedy alone.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.