OXALIC ACID

Manoj Kumar Nayak.

3rd prof. BAMS.
Roll No-24
KATS Ayurvedic college
Introduction
• Oxalic acid is a corrosive acid .
• Also called acid of sugar,salt of sorel.
• Chemical formula is C2H2O4.
• Found in several green leafy vegetables
like carrots,
Cabbage ,Brocoli in form of oxalate.
• Excreted approximately 20mg daily via
urine .
Characteristics
• It is available as colorless, transparent, prismatic
crystalline form
• Causes bleaching of ink and iron stain.
• Sour and slightly bitter in taste .
• Sparingly soluble in water.
• Resembling like magnesium sulphate and
zinc sulphate.
uses
• Bleaching and cleansing agent in household
products.
• Stain remover .
• Metal cleaner .
• In dye and leather industry.
• Fatal dose -15 to 20 gm . However smallest recorded dose is 5gm.
• Fatal period- 1to 2 hrs , and it may be upto 5days
• Action
• The characteristic and severity of symptoms depends upon the amount and
concentration of acid taken.
• 2 distinctive effects are seen .
1. Local effects.
2. Systemic/Remote effects.
• Rarely damages the skin but readily corroded the mucous membrane of
elementary canal .
a. Shock – Large concentration dose would kill with couple of hours by shock, I.e
narcotic effects on body .
b. Hypocalcemia – Combines with serum calcium and causes death within 12 hrs .
• Because when oxalic acid combines with serum calcium it
produces ca-oxalates crystals which decrease the free ca++ level.

• Cause numbness and tingling sensations, seen in face ,extremities

and convulsions may appear .

c. Renal damage/kidney failure- the oxalates previously formed

cause tubular necrosis, congestion in kidney as crystal are insoluble
which cause renal oedema, elctrolyte imbalance, local necrosis of
tubular epithelium and may cause death in 2 to 14 days .
• Present of blood, albumin and ca-oxalates crystalsin urine .
Sign And Symptoms
• In concentrated form it acts as corrosive
• In dilute form it acts as an irritant
• Bitterness & burning sensation in mouth.
• Nausea & Vomiting, sometimes vomitus is
mixed with blood.
• In Severe cases the dark colour vomit is present known as ground
coffee appearance & purging is mixed with blood.
• Other symptoms of dehydration are present such as tingling &
numbness sensation in the fingers & toes.
Treatment :
• Gastric lavage : stomach wash using lime water .
but not warm water as dissolution is more .
• Antidote: any ca++ preparation which cause the poison
into Insoluble Ca-Oxalates.
E.g. Chalk water; suspension of 30 gm of water/milk will
neutralize Approx. 20gm of oxalic acid .
• Ca-Gluconate mainly used I.e 10ml/10% (oral/iv).
• In severity parathhrmone Extract given .
• Demulcents are given to protect the mucous membrane
from corrosive action of poison.
• Rest of the treatment is symptomatic.
Post-Morterm Appearance :
• Externally: No specific findings, but sign of dehydration are present.
• Internal:The tongue and oesophagus is found bleached.
• Gastric mucosa is found severely inflammed.
• Kidney shows oedema & congestion.
• Stomach contains dark brown gelatin liquid due to formation of acid
• Hematin.
• Blood vessels of submucosa layer shows dark lines due to acid
Hematin.
• If the effects are narcotics then congestion of lungs,liver,kidney,and
brain .
Medico-legal Importance:
• Accidental poisoning is due to Being taken for Mg-sulphate or
Na-bicarbonate .
• Suicidal and homicidal are rare due to sour taste and corrosiveness.
• It’s solution can cause hairfall.
• Oxalic acid is sometimes used to erase writing in attempts
at forgery.