R H E 
5. Rheum ribes, or warted-leaved rhubarb.—This sort 
grows naturally on Mount Libanus, and other mountainous 
parts of Syria. It has a thick fleshy root, which runs 
pretty deep in the ground, from which arise several leaves in 
the spring, which come up folded together, and afterwards 
expand; they have very short foot-stalks, so spread near the 
ground; but during the spring their borders are erect, and 
form a sort of hood having several folds, and are curled and 
waved on their edges; they are of a purplish green, and 
have purple veins and borders; their surface appears studded 
with rough protuberances, and when the leaves are fully ex¬ 
panded in summer, they are a foot long, and above two feet 
broad; their under side is paler than the upper, and their 
borders appear fringed. 
The stalks, as Rauwolff informs us, from those which he 
saw brought to Aleppo, in order to make the Rob Ribes of 
Serapio, are near a cubit in height, an inch thick, hirsute, 
green, tinged with purple towards the bottom. 
6. Rheum Tataricum, or Tartarian rhubarb.—Leaves large, 
those next the root lying on the ground, on red petioles; the 
nerves very much widened. Inflorescence scarcely higher 
than the leaves.—-Native of Lesser Tartary. 
7. Rheum hybridum, or bastard rhubarb.-—This is ex¬ 
tremely allied in its appearance to the rheum palmatum; 
being of similar height, and having the same kind of 
leaves, stipules, &c.; the leaves, however, are not so deeply 
laciniated, nor so much pinnatifid as those of the former 
Species. 
The first or radical leaves are generally cordate, and point¬ 
ed, but not palmated, and the plant, as it advances in age. 
Seems to become more palmated from year to year. 
It was considered by Professor Murray as a hybrid plant, 
produced by the mixture of rheum palmatum with some 
other species, which had been impregnated by its pollen. 
Not known where it is a native, but cultivated in 1778, 
by John Fothergill, M. D. 
There seems to be a strong disposition in the rheums to 
produce .hybrid or mule plants; and purgative qualities are 
possessed by all the sorts. The drug which we employ is 
probably produced from different kinds. It is ascertained, 
however, that the sorts we call Turkey and Russia rhubarb, 
are produced from the rhemn palmatum .• the Chinese, or 
East Indian rhubarb, from the rheum undulatum. 
Propagation and Culture .—The cultivation of this 
genus is of rather more importance than the botanist’s 
amusement. Rhubarb raised in this country, is little 
inferior to that we obtain from abroad, and can be 
procured at a sixth less cost. The English plant is about a 
third weaker in its purgative effects, but otherwise possesses 
every quality in common with the foreign. All the species are 
propagated by seeds, which should be sown in autumn soon 
after they are ripe, and then the plants will come up the 
following spring, when the ground should be hoed over, to 
cut up the weeds; and where the plants are too close, some 
should be cut up, leaving them at the first hoeing six or 
eight inches asunder; but at the second, they may be sepa¬ 
rated to a foot and half distance or more. 
In autumn, when the leaves decay, clean the ground, 
and in the spring, before the plants begin to put up their 
new leaves, dig the ground between the plants, or at least 
hoe and clean them. The second year, many of the 
strongest plants will produce flowers and seeds, but the 
third year most of them will do so. Gather the seeds care¬ 
fully when ripe, and do not permit them to scatter, lest they 
should grow to injure the old plants. The roots will 
remain many years without decaying ; and it is said that the 
old roots of the true rhubarb are much preferable to the 
young ones. They delight in a rich soil, not too dry, nor 
over moist; and where there is a depth'in such land for 
their roots to run down, the leaves and roots will attain a 
great size. 
The first sort is now frequently cultivated in gardens for 
the footstalks of the leaves, which are peeled and made into 
tarts in the spring. 
Rhubarb may also be reared from offsets. 
R H E <51 
The greatest difficulty in procuring good rhubarb is the 
drying of the root. To this end it seems indispensable, 
according to Dr. Falconer :—First, that a seclection of the 
best p : eces be made.—Secondly, that the central part of every 
piece hould be cut out; for it is found by experience that this, 
perhaps from its proximity to the sap, ismoistest and most sub- 
j ect to decay; and when any part comes into this state, the in¬ 
fection soon spreads and damages the whole piece. Doubt¬ 
less it is to avoid this, that the pieces of Russian rhubarb 
have all holes, and those pretty large, cut through their 
centre, which have been generally thought only to serve the 
purpose of hanging them up, but appear to answer this 
material purpose besides. The holes made in English rhu- 
■ barb, when there are any, are not sufficiently large to clear 
away the spungy and decaying parts.—Thirdly, the outside 
should be scraped or rather rasped, as the foreign rhubarbs 
are. The want of this obstructs the quickness of drying, from 
the pores not being laid open for the herbaceous moisture 
to exhale.—Fourthly, it is probable, that great improvement 
might be made in the preparation of English rhubarb, by 
accelerating its drying. It was formerly thought that plants 
were best dried in a slow and gradual manner, which 
is now found to be a mistake, and that as quick drying as 
is consistent with the safety of the vegetable substance, best 
preserves the efficacious qualities of the plant. 
Too much light indeed is thought to do injury, as it im¬ 
pairs the colour, and perhaps, (though that is dubious,) dis¬ 
sipates some of the finer parts; but culinary heat is free 
from that objection, and at the same time possesses all the 
advantages of quick drying. 
The Medical Virtues of Rhubarb.— -These chiefly rest 
on its cathartic qualities. It is a tolerably certain, yet 
mild aperient, not extremely unpleasant to the taste, and 
one which seems to promote secretion from the intestines with 
more fulness, yet less irritation than any other purge in use. 
Like other cathartics, its effects seem greater when con- 
bined with drugs of similar nature than when exhibited 
alone. Hence, mixed with magnesia, it is very commonly 
used to correct griping diarrhoeas in children; combined 
with calomel it is very generally prescribed for the cure of 
sudden bilious attacks, costiveness, &c. 
There is another quality which rhubarb possesses, which 
is also worthy of note. This is its slightly tonic effect on 
the stomach when administered in small doses. It is a 
curious fact, that one or two grains of rhubarb have the 
effect of restraining diarrheeas and removing debility of 
the stomach. So that the plant, in a full dose and in a 
small one, have nearly opposite qualities. 
RHEUMATIC, or Rheuma'tic, adj. \jevp.a.TiKo<;, Gr.] 
Proceeding from rheum or a peccant watery humour. 
The moon, the governess of floods, 
Pale in her anger, washes all the air. 
That rheumatick diseases do abound. Shakspeare. 
Denoting the pain which attacks the j pints, and the 
muscles and membranes between the joints. 
RHEUMATISM, s. fjevp.a7ia-g.oi;, Gr.] A painful disorder 
of the muscles and joints; it gained its name from a suppo¬ 
sition that it was owing to acrid humours, which opinion is 
now exploded. See Pathology, pp. 168-170. 
The throtling quinsey, ’tis my star appoints, 
And rheumatisms I send to rack the joints. Dryden . 
RHEUMY, adj. Full of sharp moisture. 
Is Brutus sick ? 
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed, 
To dare the vile contagion of the night ? 
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air, 
To add unto his sickness } Shakspeare. 
The South he loos’d, who night and horror brings, 
And fogs are shaken from his flaggy wings: 
From his divided beard two streams he pours; 
His hesid and rheumy eyes distil in show ’rs. Dryden . 
RHE'XIA, 
