E 402 ] 



Idur, of a bitter aAringent tafte, and peculiar flavour, with 

 an aromatick quality, manifeft to the ftnell as well as tafte. 



All thefe qualities both the rhubarbs poflefled in a tole- 

 rable degree; rather inferior in delicacy of tafte to the 

 Turkey rhubarb, but fuperior in fome refpeils to the Eaft- 

 Indian : perhaps they might refemble the Turkey rhubarb 

 ftill more nearly, had they been dug up as long a time, as 

 rhubarb is fald to have its red colour improved by keep- 

 ing. The careful feledtion of the beft pieces only of the 

 Ruffian or Turkey rhubarb makes it appear to great ad- 



vantage. 



Vogel* relates, that an apothecary is fent witli the Ruf- 

 fian body of merchants that go to the borders of China, to 

 purchafe rhubarb, to whom all the rhubarb is delivered; 

 who is ftridly ordered to kltdi carefully the beft pieces 

 only, and to burn all the decayed or bad. Upon the ar- 

 rival of the rhubarb fo felefted, at Mofcow or Peterftiurgh, 

 it is again put into the hands of perfons fkilled in pharmacy, 

 who have the care of its beiiig properly drefled and cleared 

 of the hard, woody, decayed parts, and other excrefcences 

 (as parts of the bark, &c.) that may remain; and to take 

 particular care that no other kinds of rhubarb but the true 

 be admitted : fo that after all tliefe cautions, none but the 

 ihoiceft and faireft pieces can be exjiorted. 



From what has been mentioned in the above examination 

 of Englilh rhubarb, we fee how much one piece of the fame 

 parcel may differ from anotlier ; fo that a feleciion of the 

 beft pieqes is indifpenfibly neceffary ; and were tliis and 

 fome other, <;ircumftances attended to, the Britifti rhubarb 



"* Voget '^■fat'. ftitdica. Linnaeus advifes rhubarb to be kept ten years from 

 the tiini of gMhe.tjjfg, tili it is uki.—Ol^taclet to the Improvement of FByfick. 



might. 



