Hydrops has been the object of study throughout history in search of understanding its etiology, pathophysiology and treatment. The objective of this study is to analyze the herbal medical prescription that circulated in the New Kingdom of Granada during the 18th and 19th centuries for the treatment of dropsy, understanding the cultural and scientific bases of this in the New Granada population, to evaluate the efficacy and current scope of the treatment compared to the standard management of hydrops. A documentary search in the Cipriano Rodríguez Santamaría Historical Archive of the Octavio Arizmendi Posada Library of the University of La Sabana, Colombia, was done. The document is called “Hydrops”. Simultaneously, a review of the current medical evidence was carried out in the bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase, LILACS, Science Direct and academic Google, without time limit and in English and Spanish. It is preserved a large number of medical recipes from the Neogranadian era, among which one stands out for the treatment of hydrops based on bitartrate or tartrate potassium as the main compound. At present the scientific basis is unknown that allows to determine its potential beneficial effect for the management of hydrops at that time. What is clear is that its exaggerated use is associated with potentially fatal hyperkalemia. The recipe being analyzed is not indicated for a specific disease to be treated, as it was used to control signs and symptoms such as edema and ascites, which can correspond to a wide spectrum of diseases. © 2022 Comunicaciones Cientificas Mexicanas S.A. de C.V.. All rights reserved.