I. VEGETABLES.— PoLYGONEJB. 41 



58. POLYGONE.E. 

 Herbs acid or astringent, containing oxalic acid ; contain also 

 I red colouring matter, and may be used in tanning ; leaves may 

 be made to yield woad. 



*Rheum palmatum. Roots, Turkey rhubarb, Russian rhubarb^ 

 rhubarbe de Bucharie, rhabarbarum verum, rhabarbarum Turcicuniy 

 rhabarbarum R^ssicum, rhei radix. In oblong pieces, roundish 

 or flattened, broad, with a large hole through them. East 

 Indian rhubarb, rhidjarbe de China, rhuharbarum Indicum, rhabar- 

 barum e China. In large pieces, outside yellowish, inside marbled. 

 The difference is supposed to arise from the time of gathering. — 

 Dutch trimmed rhubarb. — British rhubarb, rhxd)arbe de France. In 

 small short sticks, wrinkled lengthways, scarcely crackling be- 

 tween the teeth as containing much less oxalate of lime than the 

 foreign rhubarb, as also of the red colouring material. Rhubarb 

 is purgative and astringent, stomachic, vermifuge, gr. x to 3!] ; 

 used as a tooth-powder, and in dyeing yellow. Officinal prqya- 

 rations : the principal are Infus. rhei, L. D. Tinct. rhei, L. E. 

 Extractum rhei, D. Pil. rhei comp. E. 



Rheum undulatum ; — R.compactum; — R. hybridum. Roots 

 are supposed to be mixed with those of R. palmatum. — Malabar 

 rhulxirb. Plant not determined, root coarse, acrid, and very 

 nauseous. 



•Rheum rhaponticum. Root, rhapontic, rhaponticum, used 

 as rhubarb, which when carefully dried it resembles, but is much 

 lighter, bitterer, and has not so strong a smell ; radical leaf stalks 

 peeled used in pies instead of gooseberries. 



•Blood wort. Bloody dock, Lapathum samjuineum, Rumex 

 umrfuineus ; — Garden patience y Patientia, Lapathum sativum, 

 liumex patientia ; — * Dock, Great icater dock, Hydrolapathum, R. 

 aquaticus, R. hydrnhipathum ; — Water dock, R. BritannicuSf R, 

 xantJiorrhiza ; — * Sharjj-pointed dock, L. acutum, Oxylapathum, R, 

 (Indus ; — * Monks' rhubarb. Blunt-leaved dock, Rhabarbarum mona- 

 rhorum, Rumex obtiLslJhliiLs ; — * Bastard monks'* rhubarb, Hippola- 

 l>athnm, R. alpinus. Roots have the same qualities as foreign 

 rhubarb, but the dose must be nearly doubled : used in powders, 

 tinctures, and infusions, instead of rhubarb ; are eaten whilst young 

 as }>otherb8, and used in dyeing. 



•Clri.ed dock, Ijupnthum crispum, Rumex crisjms. Seeds 

 aiai-dysenteric; roots bruised and made into an ointment cure the 

 itch. 



•SoRRKL, Acetosa, Rumex acetosu. Leaves, acetoscB folia, 

 * French Sorrely Acetosa Romana, R, scutatus; — ^Sheep's sorrel, A, 



