I was taught that Rhubarb leaves were poisonous.

John Savage wrote:
craignw writes:

Anna What's the problem with it in relation to kidney stones? I've hade
to large attackes, but since I've started drinking no less than 2
liters/quarts of water a day I've been fine.


Probably the oxalic acid in rhubarb. It's also found in silverbeet (chard)
leaves and French sorrel. I'll add a note that I've read that oxalic acid
in the diet inhibits the body's absorption of calcium, so anyone at risk of
osteoporosis might consider this. Instead of indulging in rhubarb each day,
maybe restricting it to once a fortnight or so?

You could try chewing on a small piece of raw rhubarb stalk, but I think
you'll find that it's the sugar you add during cooking that is a big
attraction of cooking. Raw it is not very tasty, though.

I have heard that in old England it was common to serve cooked rhubarb
leaves as a vegetable. Most people handled it with no problem, but a few
were extra sensitive to the high dose of oxalic acid involved, and some
of these just dropped dead. It sounded as though this was simply accepted
as a fact of life, a bit like the road toll is in today's world.

N.B. Rhubarb leaves are today regarded as unsuitable for consumption, but
are fine for the compost heap.