WOOD SORREL (Oxalis acetosella)
Common names are Wood Sour, Stickwort, Fairy Bells, Stubwort and Sour Trefoil.

It grows abundantly in woods where, with its light green leaves and dainty white flowers, it covers the ground like a blanket.This is very pleasing to the eye and when looking for mushrooms I sometimes nibble on a leaf. I gather the flowers in smaller amounts for a tea mixture (see page 60). Wood Sorrel is not used dried but in a fresh state. It relieves heartburn, stomach upsets and slight liver complaints. For these, the tea is drunk cooled, 2 cups a day. For jaundice, nephritis, eczema and worms the same amount is drunk warm. In popular medicine the freshly pressed juice is recommended for stomach cancer in the early stage, cancer-like internal and external ulcers and growths. Three to five drops diluted with water or tea are taken every hour. The freshly pressed juice is dabbed directly on external growths. For the so called shaking palsy (Parkinson's disease) the juice, three to five drops in Yarrow tea, is sipped and, externally, rubbed into the spine. Dilutions and doses have to be adhered to conscientiously for stomach cancer, ulcers and growths, as well as for shaking palsy (Parkinson's disease).

DIRECTIONS

Infusion: 1 tablespoon of the freshly picked leaves per 1/2 litre of boiling water, infused for a short time. Fresh juice: The leaves are washed and put into a juice extractor.