50 
R H E 
RHETQRIANS, Rhetorii, a sect, in the fourth cen¬ 
tury, in Egypt, so denominated from their leader Rhetorius. 
His distinguishing doctrine, as represented by Philastrius, 
was, that he approved of all the heresies before him, and 
taught that they were all in the right. But what Philastrius 
mentions of him appears so absurd and ridiculous, that St. 
Augustine could not persuade himself it was true. 
RHETORIC, s. [prjl opHnj, Gr.] The art of speaking not 
merely with propriety, but elegance.—We could notallow 
him ah orator who had the best thoughts, and who knew all 
the rules of rhetorique , if he had not acquired the art of 
using them. Dry den. —The power of persuasion.—The 
heart’s still rhetorick, disclos’d with eyes. Shakspeare. — 
See Oratory. 
RHETORICAL, adj. [ rhetoricus , Lat.] Pertaining to 
rhetoric; oratorial; figurative.-—Because Brutus and Cassius 
met ablackamore, and Pompey had on a dark garment at 
Pharsalia, these were presages of their overthrow, which not¬ 
withstanding are scarce rhetorical sequels; concluding meta¬ 
phors from realities, and from conceptions metaphorical infer¬ 
ring realities again. Brown. 
RHETORICALLY, adv. Like an orator; figuratively; 
with intentto move the passions.—You shall see how rheto¬ 
rically he expostulates. Hammond. 
7VRHETORICATE, v. n. [ rhetoricor , low Lat.] To 
play the orator; to attack the passions.—’Twill be much 
more seasonable to reform, than apologize or rhctoricate; — 
not to suffer themselves to perish in the midst of such solici¬ 
tations to be saved. Dec. of Chr. Piety. —When some 
Corinthians were puffed up by reason of a faculty which 
they had of rhetoricating religiously, St. Paul, like an apos¬ 
tle, tells them, that he would come amongst them, and know, 
hot the speech of them that were puffed up, but the power. 
Cudworth. 
RHETORICATION, s. Rhetorical amplification —Take 
but away their rhetorications and equivocal expressions, 
their misrepresentations and misreports, their ostentation and 
their scurrilities; and their cause will be left in a manner 
destitute. Water/and. 
RHETORI'CIAN, s. [ rhetor , Lat.] One who teaches 
the science of rhetoric.—’Tis the business of rhetoricians 
to treat the characters of the passions. Dry den. —An 
orator 
He play’d at Lions a declaimingprize, 
At which the vanquish’d rhetorician dies. Dryden. 
RHETORI'CIAN, adj. Suiting a master of rhetoric. 
Boldly presum’d with rhetorician pride, 
To hold of any question either side. Blacbnore. 
To RHE'TORIZE, v. n. To play the orator. Cotgrave 
and Sherwood. 
To RHE'TORIZE, v. a. To represent by a figure of ora¬ 
tory—A certain rhetorized woman, whom he calls mother. 
Milton. 
RHEUM, s. [pevga, Gr.] A thin watery matter ooz¬ 
ing from the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, and 
mouth. 
Trust not those cunning waters of his eyes; 
For villainy is not without such a rheum ? 
And he long traded in it, makes it seem 
Like rivers of remorse. Shakspeare. 
RHEUM, [PvjovofDioscorides, from pea, to flow, as causing 
flux,] in botany, a genus of the class enneandria, order trigynia, 
natural order of holoraceoe, polygoneae, (Juss.) Generic Cha- 
aracter.—Calyx none. Coroollaone-petalled, narrowed atthe 
base, impervious, w’ith a six-cleft border; the segments blunt 
alternately small; shrivelling Stamina filaments nine, capil¬ 
lary, inserted into the corolla, and of the same length with it; an¬ 
thers twin, oblong, blunt. Pistil: germ short, three-sided; 
styles scarcely any; stigmas three, reflexed, feathered. Peri¬ 
carp none. Seed single, large, three-sided, acute, with mem- 
bianaceous margins. Essential Character. —Calyx none. 
Corolla: six-cleft, permanent. Seed one, three-sided. 
R H E 
1. Rheum rhapontieum, or rhapontic rhubarb.—This ha- 
a large thick root, which divides into many strong fleshy 
fangs, running deep in the ground; the outside is of a red¬ 
dish brown colour, and the inside yellow, from which arise 
several leaves, in number according to the size of the root; 
these come up folded in the spring, and afterward expand 
themselves; they are smooth, of a roundish heart-shape, hav¬ 
ing very thick foot-stalks'of a reddish colour, which are a 
little channelled on their lower part, but flat at the top. 
When the plant grows in rich land, the foot-stalks of the 
leaves are near two feet long, and thicker than a man’s 
thumb; the leaves also are olten two feet long, and as much 
in breadth, having several strong longitudinal veins running 
from the foot-stalk to the borders, of a deep green, and 
waved on their edges, having an acid taste, but particularly 
the foot stalks, which are now frequently used for making- 
tarts. From between the leaves arise the flower-stems, which 
is of a purple colour, garnished with one leaf at each joint, 
of the same shape with those below, but smaller, and sitting 
close to the stalk. The stalks grow from two to three feet 
high, according to the strength of the ground, and are ter¬ 
minated by thick, close, obtuse spikes of white flowers, which 
appear the beginning of June, and are succeeded by large, 
triangular, brown seeds, having a border or wing_at each 
angle; they ripen in August. 
When the seeds were first brought to Europe, they- were 
supposed to be those of the true rhubarb ; but upon making 
trial of the roots, they were found to be greatly inferior to 
those of the true rhubarb.—Native of Asia. 
2. Rheum undulatum, or wave-leaved rhubarb.—The 
root of this sort divides into a number of thick fibres, which 
run deeper into the ground than those of the first, and are 
of a deeper yellow within. The leaves appear much earlier 
in the spring; the foot-stalks are not so much channelled on 
their under side, and are plain on their upper, not so red, nor 
so thick as therhapoticum. The leaves are longer, running 
to apoint,andare much waved ontheiredges, alittle hairy nor 
on their upper side, and have many strong veins or ribs on 
their under. The flower-stem is of a pale brownish colour, 
rising about four feet high, dividing into several loose pa¬ 
nicles or bunches of white flowers, which appear in May, 
and are succeeded by triangular seeds like those of the first 
sort, which ripen earlier in the season.—Native of China 
and Siberia. 
3. Rheum palmatum, or officinal rhubarb.—Root peren¬ 
nial (as all the other species are), thick, of an oval shape, and 
sends off long tapering branches; externally it is brown, in¬ 
ternally of a deep yellow colour. Stem erect, round, hol¬ 
low 7 , jointed, sheathed, slightly scored, branched towards the 
top, from six to eight feet high. Root-leaves numerous, 
large, rough, of a roundish figure, deeply cut into lobes and 
irregularly pointed segments; on long, smooth, round foot¬ 
stalks. Stem-leaves one at each joint, from a membranous 
sheath, successively smaller upwards. Flowers surrounding 
the branches in numerous clusters, and forming a kind of 
spike. Corolla of a greenish white colour. , 
This species cannot be mistaken, if we attend to its supe¬ 
rior height, the ferruginous or reddish brown colour of 
the stem branches and petioles, the particular palmate form 
of the leaves, and the elegant looseness of the little panicles 
of flowers. Linnaeus adds, that the vernal bud is not red 
but yellow; and that the leaves are somewhat rugged; and 
that the segments of the leaves are oblong and sharpish.— 
Native of China and Tartary. 
4. Rheum compactum, or thick-leaved rhubarb.—Lin¬ 
naeus says, that the leaves are more coriaceous or compact 
than in the other species, whence his trivial name; that the 
lobes are rounded, more obscure, crenate with the margin 
cartilaginous and the toothlets acute; that they are very 
smooth on both sides, and have stouter veins. The branches 
of the panicle are nodding. 
The seed is rounded, cordate, and three-sided; the sides be¬ 
sprinkled with raised dots, of a brownish-green colour, and 
shining; the angles membranaceous, striated, ferruginous.— 
Native of Tartary. 
5. Rheum 
