Cream of Tartar

Dregs of Wine
Durdi (Unani)
Picture Crude Tartar being collected from Wine barrels
Ortus Sanitatis, 1491
Minerological name:
Potassium hydrogen tartrate, Potassium Acid Tartrate: Potassium Bitartrate. KHC4H4O6
Crude Tartar is collected from wine barrels and is purified to give Cream of Tartar

Parts used:


Purified Salt
“The best and safest dregs [crude tartar] are the dregs of old wine”. (Avicenna)

Temperature & Taste:


Cold, dry.

Classifications:


3E. DIURETIC
Laxative, Purgatives and Cathartics

Uses:


1. Cuts Phlegm, Opens Obstructions, Clears Swelling:
-‘The Principle use of Cream or Crystal of Tartar is to cut and digest thick and viscous humors, and to dispose them to purgation. It is successfully used in obstructions of the Liver, the Spleen, and all the Bowels’ (Royal Pharmacopoeia [of France], Charras, 1678)
-various swellings, including Scrofula
-Obstruction of the Liver or Spleen
-Chronic Heart or Liver disease and intestinal obstruction
-‘combined with Sulphur, it is a useful laxative in hemorrhoids’ (Squires).

2. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine:
-Edema (moderate to large doses)
-has been used with Hydrogogue Cathartics in severe Edema.

3. Clears and Purges Heat:
-Fevers; with Lemon juice in solution for thirst associated with fevers.
-purges heat when combined with purgatives in acute dysentery and acute nephritis.
-promoted and used as a preventative of Small Pox when taken regularly during an epidemic; some claimed it was a cure.


Dose:


1–3 grams as a diuretic and to open obstructions; 3–8 grams as a purgative (full doses are cathartic). The traditional dose was half–1 dram. One ounce maybe dissolved in 1 pint (550mls) of water and taken in doses of 50mls. three times daily for an adult.

Main Combinations:


1. Cream of Tartar is often combined with Sulphur as a laxative
2. Laxative:
i. Cream of Tartar with Magnesium Sulphate dissolved in water
ii. Cream of Tartar with Senna and Aniseed as a powder
iii. Cream of Tartar with Tamarind dissolved in hot water
iv. Cream of Tartar with Tamarind and Manna
3. Abdominal obstruction: Cream of Tartar, Licorice juice (½ oz. each), Liquid Extracts of Couch Grass and Dandelion (½ oz.), dissolve in Mint Water (5 oz.), Mix. Dose: 1 tablespoonful twice daily. (Sobernheim, 1840)
4. Hemorrhoids and inflammatory skin eruptions, Cream of Tartar (1 oz.), Flowers of Sulphur (half oz.), mixed into Molasses and taken in teaspoonful doses.
5. To promote Urine in Edema:
i. Cream of Tartar with Juniper berry.
ii. Cream of Tartar with decoction of Raisins
iii. Cream of Tartar with Juniper berry., Squill (Sobernheim, 1840)
iv. Cream of Tartar with Juniper, Parsley (Pharmacopoeia extemporanea, Augustin, 1822)
v. Cream of Tartar (2 scruples), dissolve in Parsley water (7 oz.), add Vinegar of Squill (2 drams), Syrup of Senna (6 drams). Dose: 1 teaspoonful twice daily. (Sobernheim, 1840)
vi. Lovage root, Restharrow root (½ oz. each), decoct to 6 oz., dissolve in Cream of Tartar (3 drams) and add Oxymel of Squill (1 oz.). Dose: 1 teaspoonful, twice daily.
vii. Cream of Tartar (6 drams), Rhubarb powder, Aromatic Powder (1 dram each), Oxymel of Squill, qs to form an Electuary. (Sobernheim, 1840)
viii. Cream of Tartar with Squill, Rhubarb, Juniper, Zedoary, Cinnamon (Diuretic Wine from Formulaire Magistral et Memorial Pharmaceutique, 1823)
ix. Cream of Tartar (1 oz.), Ginger, Conserve of Rose (1 dram each), Syrup of Orange peel, qs to form an Electuary. (Sobernheim, 1840)
x. Cream of Tartar (2 drams), Jalap (1 dram), thickened Elder juice, Oxymel of Squill (6 drams). Form an Electuary. Dose: 3–4 teaspoonful, twice daily. (Sobernheim, 1840)
xi. Cream of Tartar (½ oz.), Squill (2 grains), Digitalis leaf (1 grain). Powder, divide into 6 doses. Take 1 dose, three times daily. (Sobernheim, 1840)
6. Bladder Gravel or Stones, Cream of Tartar with Borax
7. Rheumatism:
i. Cream of Tartar with Guaiacum
ii. Cream of Tartar with Colchicum
8. Fever:
i. dissolve Cream of Tartar in water and add Lemon juice
ii. obstinate Intermittent Fever, dissolve Cream of Tartar in a strong Infusion of Camomile (Formulaire de Montpellier, 1822)
iii. Rheumatic Fever, Cream of Tartar with Rob if Elder berry
9. Scrofula, Cream of Tartar with Sulphur, Licorice and Saltpeter
10. Liver heat:
i. Cream of Tartar with Chicory
ii. Cream of Tartar with Red Sandalwood, Rose
11. Hypochondriac Passion: Aniseed, Fennel seed, Galangal, Zedoary, Orange peel (half oz. each), Senna (2 oz.), Cream of Tartar (1 oz.) 
12. Tooth Powder:
i. Cream of Tartar with Orris root, Ratany root (Pharmacopoeia Oldenburgica, 1801)
ii. Cream of Tartar with Orris root, Cuttlefish bone
iii. Cream of Tartar with Orris root, Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood, Oil of Clove
iv. Cream of Tartar with Orris root, Dragons Blood, Mastic, Clove
v. Cream of Tartar with Orris root, Mastic, Myrrh, Catechu, Oil of Clove (Polish Pharmacopoea)
vi. Cream of Tartar with Chalk, Lacca, Cinnamon, Clove (Pharmacopee Usuelle, Louvain, 1821)
vii. Cream of Tartar Cream of Tartar with Lacca, Cuttlefish bone, Orris, Clove, Myrrh, Mastic (Dispensatorium medico pharmaceuticum Palatinatus, 1764)
viii. Cream of Tartar with Cuttlefish bone, Orris, Dragons Blood, Mastic, Clove (Pharmacopoeia Sardoa, 1773)
ix. Cream of Tartar with Cuttlefish bone, Red Earth, Red Coral, Dragons Blood, Cinnamon, Cochineal, Clove (Dispensatorium Fuldense, 1791)
13. Opthalmia, Cream of Tartar, Red Earth, White Sugar (equal parts). Powder very finely for topical application (Baldinger)

Cautions:


Avoid overdose or long term use.

Main Preparations used:


Purified Tartar (Cream of Tartar)