ON  THE  KINDS  OP  RHUBARB  IN  RUSSIAN  COMMERCE.  213 
interest  in  this  subject  has  been  [kept  alive,  and  this  is  my  mo- 
tive for  entering  more  minutely  into  this  subject.  Through  the 
want  of  crown  rhubarb,  several  kinds  have  lately  appeared  in 
our  commerce  which  are  either  entirely  new  or  at  least  do  not 
correspond  with  the  older  samples  which  had  received  their 
names  outside  of  Russia.  This  latter  is  especially  the  case  with 
Radix  Rhei  Bucharici,  under  which  name  the  works  on  pharma- 
cognosy embrace  drugs  differing  very  materially  from  each  other. 
For  comparing  the  different  kinds  of  commerce,  the  so-called 
crown  rhubarb  (Kronrhabarber)  may  be  used  as  the  basis  because 
it  was  obtained  from  the  first  hands,*  was  accepted  only  when 
possessing  certain  qualities,  had  been  kept  and  transported  with 
the  utmost  care,  and  because  medical  authorities  regarded  it  as  the 
most  effective.  The  following  is  contained  in  the  instructions 
which  I  received  : 
"  In  accepting  rhubarb  from  the  Bucharians,  it  must  be 
strictly  observed  that  it  possesses  all  the  requisite  qualities  for 
medicinal  purposes  ;  large,  well-selected  and  recently  collected 
roots  only  must  be  accepted.  Accidental  or  intentional  admix- 
tures of  other  kinds  of  rhubarb  must  be  carefully  picked  out. 
The  cuttings  of  worm-eaten,  spongy  or  rotten  spots  and  all  other 
offal  obtained  in  cleaning  rhubarb,  must,  according  to  the  con- 
tract with  the  Chinese  government,  be  burned  in  presence  of  the 
Bucharians." 
Unfortunately  we  have  still  no  knowledge  of  the  true  source 
of  this  rhubarb,  chiefly  because  the  Bucharians  could  by  no 
means  be  induced  to  furnish  dried  specimens  of  the  plant,  or 
even  roots  entirely  unpeeled  or  uncleaned. 
What  I  could  learn  from  them  in  regard  to  collection,  locality 
and  growth,  does  not  reach  beyond  the  accounts  of  von  Schroders, 
contained  in  his  historical  essay  on  the  rhubarb  trade  in  Russia, 
(Pharmac.  Zeitschr.  f.  Russl.  ii.,  No.  21,  22.)  (See  also  Hal- 
lier's  Beitrage  zur  Geschichte  des  Rhabarber  in  Arch.  d.  Pharm. 
cxii.,  p.  67.)  I  will  merely  point  out  those  facts  which  are 
important  in  establishing  the  principal  kinds,  to  which  I  may 
still  count  the  Moscovitic  rhubarb  as  the  starting  point  of  mv 
examinations. 
*  The  Chinese  government  had  given  the  Bucharians  the  exclusive 
monopoly  for  the  sale  of  this  rhubarb. 
