In Dr. James Duke's "Handbook of Edible Weeds," he notes that
the Kiowa Indian tribe chewed wood sorrel to alleviate thirst on
long trips, that the Potawatomi Indians cooked it with sugar to
make a dessert, the Algonquin Indians considered it an aphrodisiac,
the Cherokee ate wood sorrel to alleviate mouth sores and a sore
throat, and the Iroquois ate wood sorrel to help with cramps, fever
and nausea.
Wood sorrel is also high in vitamin C.