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130 
Two forts of rhubarb roots are ufually imported into this country 
for medical ufe, viz. The Chinefe,J and the Turkey rhubarb ;** the 
firfl is in oblong pieces, flattilh on one fide, and convex on the other; 
compact, hard, heavy, internally^ of a dull red colour, variegated with 
yellow and white, and when recently powdered appears yellow, but 
on being kept becomes gradually redder/ The fecond is the moll 
valuable, and is brought to us in roundifli pieces, with a large hole 
through the middle of each; it is more foft and friable than the 
former fort, and exhibits, when broken, many ftreaks of a bright 
red colour. " The marks of the goodnefs of rhubarb are, the live- 
linefs of its colour when cut ; its being firm and folid, but not flinty 
or hard ; its being eafily'pulverable, and appearing when powdered 
of a fine bright yellow colour; its imparting to the fpittle, on being 
chewed, a deep fafFron tinge, and not proving flimy or mucilaginous 
in the mouth ; its tafte is fubacrid, bitterilh, and fomewhat ftyptic ; 
the fmell lightly aromatic. 
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The purgative qualities of rhubarb are extracted more perfectly 
by water than by redified fpirit : the root remaining after the adion 
of water is almoft if not wholly inadive ; whereas after repeated 
digeftion in fpirit, it proves ftill very confiderably purgative. The 
virtue of the watery infufion, on being infpiflated by a gentle heat, is 
fo much diminilhed, that a dram of the extrad is faid to have 
fcarcely any greater eSed than a fcruple of the root in fubflance; 
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% Colitur hoc a Chinenfibus, prsecipue in provincia Xenfi fub nomine Taihoang^ 
Bergius, M. M. p. 332, 
h 
01 
regionibus 
Natol 
fie ret 
parts of Afia) fays, that the beft rhubarb grows plentifu] 
:ains in Tartary, which extend from Selin to the lake Kok 
quum commercium in orlentalibus regionibus per 
Rhabarbarum ex portibus Turcicis ad Europ^eas transferebatur, unde nomen Rha- 
barbari Turcici/' Murray. 1. c Mr. Beil fin Yixs Travels from St. Peterjhurg to 
y on a long chain of 
)"nor near Tibet. At 
, is in April or May ; 
but in BeU's account, this is faid to be done in the autumn : they are then to be cleaned, 
the fmaller branches cut ofF, and the larger roots divided into pieces of a proper fize 5 
after this they are perforated, and fufpended to dry either upon the neighbouring trees, 
or in tents, or as fome have reported, to the horns of fheep. The proper exficcation of 
this root is certainly attended with confiderable difficulty, and the cultivators of rhubarb 
in this country have not yet agreed in what mode this is to be beft accomplifhed. The 
recent root in this procefs, according to the experiment of Sir William Fordyce, lofes 
nearly nine-tenths of its weight," See Tranf of the Society for Encouragement of 
' ' the 
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