-f 
"^ 
s. 
^ 
129 
cannot doubt of our being at laft poffefled of the plant which pro- 
duces the true rhubarb, and may reafonably entertain the aereeable 
expe6lations of its proving a very important acquifition to Britain." 
e 
But from the relation v^e have given, it appears that the feeds of 
both R. undulatum and R. palmatum, were tranfmitted to Peterfbo- 
•ough, as thofe of the true Rhubarb: we are therefore to conclud 
that the former ipecies has an equal claim to this importance with the 
latter ;'f and from further enquiries made in Ruilia, there is the beft 
authority for believing that the R. compadum alfo affords this very 
ufeful drug. 
The feeds of the Rheum Palmatum were firft 
<-*- 
intro 
duced into Britain in 1762,* by Dr. Mounfey, (who fent them from 
Ruffia) and were fuppofed to be a part of thofe already mentioned 
and fmce their profperous cultivation by the late ProfefTor of Botany 
at Edinburgh, the propagation of this plant has been gradually ex 
tended to mod of our Engliih gardens, and with a degree of fuccefs 
which promifes in time to fuperfede the importation of the foreign 
root. 
g 
See Phllofoph. ^ranf. for the year 1765. 
t Bergius fays, ^^ Rheum palmatum producit Rhaharbartim in officinis Sibtricum 
appellatum; ceite e feminibus a Eucharis e montofis Tibeti in Ruffiam appo'rtatis, & 
poftea fatis hocce Rheum palmatum enatum eft," (Vide Pallas Reife^ &c. vol. 3. p. 
157) '^ Rhabarbariim vero Chintnfe ex alia fpecie Rhei defumptum efle videtur," (Vide 
Georgi Reijij he. vol. i. p. 211.) ^ 
^ The roots of the Rheum Palmatum were confidered to be the beft rhubarb, ^^ donee 
viri celeberrimi, Pallas et Georgi, qui nuperrime in rem naturalem Ruffise itinerlbu'S fuis 
inquifiverunt, fcrupulos novos excitarent. Nam percontanti ill. Pallas Buchari, folia 
Rhei palmati fibi ignota declararunt, defcribentes contra ea folia veri Rhabarbari rotunda 
et in margine paucis modo incifionibus notata^ unde concludit'ifte Rheum compadlum 
potius fuifleintelledum. Hue pertinent fupraexcl. Georgi itinerario dii3:a (V.p, 360) 
de Cofacco quodam, qui Rheum undulatum pro vera fpecie fignificavit. Uterque etiam 
arbitratur, Rheum undulatum in montibus auftralioribus apertioribus et ficciorlbus, 
quales Tibetici funt, prseftantiorem pofTe radicem ferre quam montes frigidi et humidi 
Sibiris.*' Murray L c. Pallas Reife^ voL 3. p. 156. G^orgx Retfe^ voL i. p. 2I0» 
The feeds of the compaflum vi^ere fent to Miller " from Peterfborough, for the true 
Tartarian rhubarb, and were gathered from the plants growing on the fpot, where the 
rhubarb was taken up ; and upon trial of the roots, they are found to be as good as the 
foreign rhubarb.'' See his Di6t. 6th edition. ^ - 
* In the Hort. Kew. this plant is faid to have been firll cultivated in England by 
Miller in 1768. 
* The Society for Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, has 
laudably contributed to this national obje^, of which their Tranfa<^ions publifhed bear 
fuiEcient evidence, ' . 
* Two 
'* 
A 
f 
