BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 69 
grains (0.06 to o.2 grams); of the fluid extract, 
5 to 15 drops; of the syrup, from % to 1 fluid 
drachm (2 to 4 grams) repeated every three or 
four hours. 
Rheum Officinale, Rheum Palmatum.—Nat- 
ural order Polygonacez. Itis supposed that the 
various kinds of rhubarb are from the same spe- 
cies, varied only by locality and climate influ- 
ences; however, it is generally accepted by the 
majority that the best is that imported from 
China. Rhubarb is a perennial herby plant 
resembling very closely our common edible rhu- 
barb of the United States, except that the for- 
eign plant is of larger dimensions, attaining a 
height of five feet (nearly two meters) or more 
with large round cordate leaves; with five or six 
lobes, irregular and coarsely cut. The flowers 
occur in panicles with six petals and nine sta- 
mens inserted into the base of the three outer 
segments; the filaments awl-form (subulate) 
with an ovary and seed of a triangular shape. 
The substitute for the genuine China rhubarb 
is the Rheum Rhaponticum, a native of Siberia 
and cultivated in England at Badicott; this va- 
riety very closely resembles the true China rhu- 
barb, but it is less bitter, more astringent, while 
its pith rays havearedtinge. The Rheum Pal- 
matum, Rheum Emodi and Rheum Compactum 
are all cultivated on the continent and furnish 
the different varieties of French and German 
rhubarb, but they are considered inferior to the 
English species of Rheum Rhaponticum, The 
so-called East India rhubarb is said to be an 
inferior variety of the China, as itis knotty with 
green or blue black spots on its external surface. 
