RHUBARB 



361 



reaches Hankow. Further quantities of rhubarb are also produced 

 in the province of Shensi, and may possibly be obtained from a third, 

 at present unknown, species of Rheum. 



Practically all the Chinese rhubarb now exported passes through 

 Hankow to Shanghai for shipment to Europe, and consists of rhizome 

 only. 



Formerly the drug was conveyed by caravan via Persia to the 

 Syrian ports, whence it reached Europe and was known as Turkey 

 rhubarb ; some was sent direct from China (China or Canton rhubarb), 



FIG. 187. Case of Chinese Rhubarb. 



and some was shipped via India (East Indian rhubarb), the latter 

 being the most common variety as early as 1640. Subsequently, by 

 a commercial treaty between Russia and China, the trade was diverted 

 to the Russo-Siberian route, and the drug was conveyed via Irkutsk 

 to Moscow, still retaining its designation of Turkey rhubarb. Later, 

 however, when the Chinese opened some of their northern ports to 

 European trade, the drug was exported by the route which it now 

 takes, and the trade names of Turkey and East Indian rhubarb 

 indicate nothing more than the routes by which the drug formerly 

 found its way to the European market. 



Description. The official drug occurs in pieces of very varying 

 size and shape. Those derived from smaller rhizomes that have not 



