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Is rochelle salt edible?
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Can anyone tell me if Rochelle salt is edible. Is it available in the UK? (Sounds a daft question but I cant find any.) The reason being that I found a tip to help stop smoking. Mix half a teaspoon of Rochelle salt with a little cream of tartar, take before breakfast, should keep you off cigarettes all day.
Regards,
Michael Frudd- Nottingham, UK
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Rochelle salt is potassium sodium tartrate. I do not know a source of BP standard, but it is widely available from chemical supply houses; however, I would not suggest using this source as a medicine as it is almost certainly not BP standard. Although Rochelle salt has medically been used as a mild purgative, I'm sure there are better ways of stopping smoking! As an example of its assessed toxicity, it has an LD50 in rats (oral intake) of 1250mg/kg, compared with salt (NaCl) of 3,000mg/kg and sodium bicarbonate (often used as an indigestion treatment) of 4,420mg/kg. If you are adamant about trying it, go to a good pharmacist and ask their advice. Since you live in Nottingham, try Boots! Perhaps they will suggest a more conventional anti-smoking treatment.
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Trevor Crichton R&D practical scientist The Pheasantries - Chesham, U.K. |
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I know Rochelle salt was used medicinally for some time, but I don't know about it's use to quit smoking. However it's simple to make your own rochelle salt from two ingredients in your kitchen.. just baking soda [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] and cream of tartar.. for a recipe.. go to
www.cheminst.ca/ncw/crystal/xlroch.html [Ed. note: that link no longer works]
independent - Atlanta, Georgia