248 
RHUBARB IN RUSSIAN COMMERCE. 
name of North- Chinese rhubarb is proposed for the rhubarb which is exported from 
other parts of China northwardly to Siberia. (The term “ Siberian rhubarb ” ought to 
he retained for that root which was for some time cultivated in Siberia.) South-Chinese 
or Canton rhubarb would then be applied to what is exported by way of the East Indies, 
and the root which comes from Bucharia to the Caspian Sea and to Nishni-Nowgorod 
would have to be .called Bucharian rhubarb. This latter term would have to be discarded 
as synonymous with Moscovitic rhubarb, in which connection it was formerly some¬ 
times used, because the true crown rhubarb w r as obtained through Bucharian merchants. 
The following contains the characteristics of these different kinds:— 
1. Moscovitic rhubarb *—Caudex from 9 ounces to G drachms, packed in chests of 
200 lbs. each; partly entire, or divided into two halves by one longitudinal or transverse 
cut, or rarely the larger roots divided into four parts by one length and one crosscut, 
this latter at one time highly valued in England under the name of hoof-rhubarb. 
Colour on the surface purely ochre-yellow. They are mostly perforated by a hole fre¬ 
quently containing traces of the rope by which they were suspended while drying; most 
pieces are penetrated to about the centre by what is called a bore-hole made by the ex¬ 
aminer with a knife, for the purpose of examining the roots for bad spots. The roots 
are entirely peeled and free from bark and cambium. The surface is smooth and covered 
with an extremely fine powder, evidently from the attrition of the dried pieces during 
transportation. The average size of the uncut roots is 6 inches in length, and 24 inches 
greatest thickness; their shape is oblong-oval. The texture is compact, the so-called 
pulverulent ring (of Berg) is little or not observable ; inside and outside of the same, the 
several radiating circles are regularly formed, often several such systems running together; 
the medullary rays are usually present in more than two rows beside and above each 
other, and the veins interlacing each other on the surface in distinct rhombic forms. 
The cells are roundish oval, tinged with a brownish-red, yellowish-red, greyish-brown, 
or bluish-grey colouring matter, which is readily soluble in water, less and more slowly 
in glycerine. In specimens richest in oxalate of lime, the amount of starch is very in¬ 
significant in the centre, somewhat larger toward the circumference. The clusters of 
oxalate of lime are radiating. Intermixed are found a small number of pieces approach¬ 
ing the North- and South-Chinese rhubarb. 
2. North-Chinese rhubarb comes to Russia by several routes, chiefly through Siberia 
to the fair at Nishni-Nowgorod, since 1863 imported to Moscow by the firm of Kaplan 
and Co. Backed in chests and barrels up to 200 lbs. in weight. 
Pieces weighing from one to seven ounces, mostly uncut, or cleft merely longitudi¬ 
nally ; shape resembling the Moscovitic. Entirely or partly mundified, but the latter 
peeled superficially after drying. Nearly all with holes made on drying, but rarely 
bore-holes, and these made only in imitation of the Moscovitic root. Colour the same as 
in former. Surface mostly smooth, frequently bearing evidence that the powder was 
not fixed by attrition during transportation, but added artificially. Mean length 2f 
inches, greatest thickness If inches. Texture more or less loose, frequently porous; 
pulverulent ring strongly marked; radiating circles indistinct, within the ring these 
radiating systems are very rarely circularly arranged, outside the ring still more rarely 
indicated; but here the medullary rays radiate very uniformly; these rays formed mostly 
of five rows of cells beside, and of five and more rows above each other; the interlacing 
of the veins on the surface is therefore far less distinctly rhombic. Cells of medullary- 
rays elongated, rectangular, their colouring matter mostly yellowish- or reddish-brown. 
Starch in the centre, and toward the circumference more abundant, oxalate of lime in 
smaller quantity; clusters of the same flat, radiating. 
3. South-Chinese rhubarb enters commerce usually from Canton, in chests of 130 lbs. 
(1474 ^s. Russ.), lined with tinned sheet-iron. Partly peeled, partly unpeeled, mostly 
uncleft, with very small bore-hole, frequently wanting and not made with a knife as was 
done at Kiachta. Surface generally covered with little powder. Mean weight 3 oz. 
* Russian or Turkey rhubarb is the synonymous term for this kind in the United States. 
Most rhubarbs, however, formerly sold in our markets under this name, at least as far as I 
had occasion to see and examine, were base imitations, some consisting of selected, occasionally 
even common Chinese rhubarb, at other times, in my judgment, merely of English rhubarb. 
The same is true of what is even now still offered here, after Russian rhubarb has for several 
years disappeared from European commerce, and is rarely met with except in collections. 
