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RHUBARB . This name is applied both to a See also:drug and to a See also:vegetable.
1. The drug has been used in See also:medicine from very See also:early times, being described in the See also:Chinese herbal See also:Pen-See also:- KING
- KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
- KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
- KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
- KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
- KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
- KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
- KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
- KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
- KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
- KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
- KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)
king, which is believed to date from 2700 B.C. The name seems to be a corruption of Rheum barbarum or Reu barbarism, a designation applied to the drug as early as the See also:middle of the 6th See also:century, and apparently identical with the pijov or pa of Dioscorides, described by him as a See also:root brought from beyond the See also:Bosporus. In the 14th century rhubarb appears to have found its way to See also:Europe by way of the See also:Indus and See also:Persian Gulf to the Red See also:Sea and See also:Alexandria, and was therefore described as " See also:East See also:Indian " rhubarb. Some also came by way of See also:Persia and the See also:Caspian to See also:Syria and See also:Asia See also:Minor, and reached Europe from the ports of See also:Aleppo and See also:Smyrna, and became known as " See also:Turkey " rhubarb. Subsequently to the See also:year 1653, when See also:China first permitted See also:Russia to See also:trade on her frontiers, Chinese rhubarb reached Europe chiefly by way of See also:Moscow; and in 1704 the rhubarb trade became a See also:monopoly of the See also:Russian See also:government, in consequence of which the See also:term " Russian " or " See also:crown " rhubarb came to be applied to it. See also:Urga was the See also:great See also:depot for the rhubarb trade in 1719, but in 1728 the depot was transferred to Kiachta. All rhubarb brought to the depot passed through the hands of the government inspector; hence Russian rhubarb was invariably See also:good and obtained a remarkably high See also:price. This severe super-See also:vision naturally led, as soon as the See also:northern Chinese ports were thrown open to See also:European trade, to a new outlet being sought; and the increased demand for the drug at these ports resulted in less care being exercised by the Chinese in the collection and curing of the root, so that the rhubarb of good quality offered at Kiachta rapidly dwindled in quantity, and after 186o Russian rhubarb ceased to appear in European See also:commerce. Owing to the expense of carrying the drug across the whole breadth of Asia, and the difficulty of preserving it from the attacks of See also:insects, rhubarb was formerly one of the most costly of drugs. In 1542 it was sold in See also:France for ten times the price of See also:cinnamon and four times that of See also:saffron, and in an See also:English price See also:list. bearing date of 1657 it is quoted at 16s. per lb, See also:opium being at that See also:- TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
- TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
- TIME, STANDARD
time only 6s. and See also:scammony 12s. per lb.
The dose of rhubarb is anything from up to 30 grains, according to the See also:action which is desired. The See also:British Pharmacopeia contains seven preparations, only one of which is of any See also:special value. This is the Pulvis Rhei Compositus, or See also:- GREGORY
- GREGORY (Gregorius)
- GREGORY (Grigorii) GRIGORIEVICH ORLOV, COUNT (1734-1783)
- GREGORY, EDWARD JOHN (1850-19o9)
- GREGORY, OLINTHUS GILBERT (1774—1841)
- GREGORY, ST (c. 213-C. 270)
- GREGORY, ST, OF NAZIANZUS (329–389)
- GREGORY, ST, OF NYSSA (c.331—c. 396)
- GREGORY, ST, OF TOURS (538-594)
Gregory's See also:powder, which is composed of 2 parts of rhubarb, 6 of heavy or See also:light .See also:magnesia and 1 of See also:ginger. The dose is 20 to 6o gr.
Rhubarb is used in small doses—2 to 2 gr.—as an astringent tonic, since it stimulates all the functions of the upper See also:part of the alimentary See also:canal. In many cases of torpid See also:dyspepsia it is very efficient when combined with the subnitrate of See also:bismuth and the bicarbonate of See also:sodium. The more characteristic action of rhubarb, however, is purgation, which it causes in doses of 15 gr. and upwards. The action occurs within seven or eight See also:hours, a soft, pulpy See also:motion of a yellow See also:colour being produced. The colour is due to the chrysarobin, which is also the purgative constituent of the drug. Rhubarb is also a secretory cholagogue, increasing the amount of bile formed by the See also:liver. The drug is See also:apt to cause See also:colic, and should therefore never be given alone. The ginger in Gregory's powder averts this unpleasant consequence of the aperient properties of rhubarb. The drug is See also:peculiar in that the purgation is succeeded by definite See also:constipation, said to be due to the rheotannic See also:acid. This explanation is hardly satisfactory, however, since it is difficult to see how the rheotannic acid can be retained in the bowel during the See also:process of purgation. Rhubarb has, therefore, definite indications andcontra-indications. It is obviously worse than, useless in the treatment of chronic constipation, which it only aggravates. On the other See also:hand, it is very valuable in See also:children and others, when See also:diarrhoea has been caused by an unsuitable See also:dietary. The drug removes the indigestible See also:residue of the See also:food and then gives the bowel See also:rest. Rhubarb is alsi, useful in the weaning of infants, since it, is partly excreted in the maternal See also:milk, and gives it a See also:bitter See also:taste which the baby dislikes.
Some chrysarobin is absorbed and is excreted in the urine, which it slightly increases and See also:colours a reddish See also:- BROWN
- BROWN, CHARLES BROCKDEN (1771-181o)
- BROWN, FORD MADOX (1821-1893)
- BROWN, FRANCIS (1849- )
- BROWN, GEORGE (1818-188o)
- BROWN, HENRY KIRKE (1814-1886)
- BROWN, JACOB (1775–1828)
- BROWN, JOHN (1715–1766)
- BROWN, JOHN (1722-1787)
- BROWN, JOHN (1735–1788)
- BROWN, JOHN (1784–1858)
- BROWN, JOHN (1800-1859)
- BROWN, JOHN (1810—1882)
- BROWN, JOHN GEORGE (1831— )
- BROWN, ROBERT (1773-1858)
- BROWN, SAMUEL MORISON (1817—1856)
- BROWN, SIR GEORGE (1790-1865)
- BROWN, SIR JOHN (1816-1896)
- BROWN, SIR WILLIAM, BART
- BROWN, THOMAS (1663-1704)
- BROWN, THOMAS (1778-1820)
- BROWN, THOMAS EDWARD (1830-1897)
- BROWN, WILLIAM LAURENCE (1755–1830)
brown. The colour is discharged by the addition of a little dilute hydrochloric acid to the urine.
The botanical source of Chinese rhubarb cannot be said to have been as yet definitely cleared up by actual See also:identification of See also:plants observed to be used for the purpose. Rheum palmatum, R. afficinale, R. palmatum, See also:var. tanguticum, R. colinianum and R.
Franzenbachii have been variously stated to be the source of it, but the roots produced by these See also:species under cultivation in Europe do not See also:present the characteristic network of See also:- WHITE
- WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
- WHITE, GILBERT (1720–1793)
- WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
- WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
- WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
- WHITE, RICHARD GRANT (1822-1885)
- WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
- WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
- WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
- WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
- WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
- WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
- WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)
white See also:veins exhibited by the best specimens of the Chinese drug.
See also:Chemistry.—The most important constituent of this drug, giving it its purgative properties and its yellow colour, is chrysarobin, CsoH,6O7, formerly known as rhein or chrysophan. The rhubarb of commerce also contains chrysophanic acid, a dioxymethyl See also:anthraquinone, C14H6(CH,)O,(OH)2, of which chrysarobin is a reduction product. Nearly 40% of the drug consists of See also:calcium oxalate, which gives it the characteristic grittiness. There is also present rheotannic acid, which is of some See also:practical importance. There are numerous other constituents, such as emodin, C,6HioO,, See also:mucilage, resins, rheumic acid, C2aH16O9, aporrhetin, &c.
See also:Production and Commerce.—Rhubarb is produced in the four northern provinces of China proper (Chih-li, Shan-se, Shen-se and Ho-nan), in the See also:north-See also:west provinces of Kan-suh, formerly included in Shen-se, but now extending across the See also:desert of See also:Gobi to the frontier of See also:Tibet, in the Mongolian See also:province of Tsing-See also:hai, including the See also:salt See also:lake Koko-nor, and the districts of Tangut, Sifan and Turfan, and in the mountains of the western provinces of Sze-chuen.' Two of the most important centres of the trade are Sining-fu in the province of Kan-suh, and Kwanhien in Sze-chuen. From Shen-se, Kan-suh and Sze-chuen the rhubarb is forwarded to Haakow, and thence carried to See also:Shanghai, whence it is shipped to Europe. Lesser quantities are shipped from Tien-tsin, and occasionally the drug is exported from See also:Canton, See also:Amoy, Fuh-chow and Ning-po.
Very little is known concerning the mode of preparing the drug for the See also:market. According to Mr See also:- BELL
- BELL, ALEXANDER MELVILLE (1819—1905)
- BELL, ANDREW (1753—1832)
- BELL, GEORGE JOSEPH (1770-1843)
- BELL, HENRY (1767-1830)
- BELL, HENRY GLASSFORD (1803-1874)
- BELL, JACOB (1810-1859)
- BELL, JOHN (1691-178o)
- BELL, JOHN (1763-1820)
- BELL, JOHN (1797-1869)
- BELL, ROBERT (1800-1867)
- BELL, SIR CHARLES (1774—1842)
Bell, who on a See also:journey from St See also:Petersburg to See also:Peking had the opportunity of observing the plant in a growing See also:state, the root is not considered to be mature until it is six years old. It is then dug up, usually in the autumn, and deprived of i.s cortical portion and smaller branches, and the larger pieces are divided in See also:half longitudinally; these pieces are bored with holes and strung up on cords to dry, in some cases being previously subjected to a preliminary drying on See also:- STONE
- STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
- STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
- STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
- STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
- STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
- STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
- STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
- STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)
stone slabs heated by See also:fire underneath. In See also:Bhutan the root is said to be hung up in a See also:kind of drying See also:room, in which a moderate See also:heat is regularly maintained. The effect produced by the two drying processes is very different: when dried by artificial heat, the exterior of the pieces becomes hardened before the interior has entirely lost its moisture, and consequently the pieces decay in the centre, although the See also:surface may show no See also:change. These two varieties are technically known as See also:kiln-dried and See also:sun-dried; and it was on See also:account of this difference in quality that the Russian officer at Kiachta had every piece examined by See also:boring a hole to its centre.
European Rhubarb.—As early as 16o8 Prosper Alpinus of See also:Padua cultivated as the true rhubarb a plant which is now known as Rheum rhaponticum, a native of See also:southern See also:Siberia and the See also:basin of the See also:Volga. This plant was introduced into See also:England through See also:Sir See also:Matthew See also:Lister, physician to See also:Charles I., who gave See also:seed obtained by him in See also:Italy to the botanist See also:Parkinson. The culture of, this rhubarb for the See also:sake of the root was commenced in 1777 at See also:Banbury, in See also:Oxfordshire, by an See also:apothecary named See also:Hayward, the plants being raised from seed sent from Russia in 1762, and with such success that the Society of Arts awarded him a See also:silver See also:medal in 1789 and a See also:gold one in 1794. The cultivation subsequently extended to See also:Somersetshire, See also:Yorkshire, and See also:Middlesex, but is now chiefly carried on at Banbury. English rhubarb root is sold at a cheaper See also:rate than the Chinese rhubarb, and forms a considerable See also:article of export to See also:America, and is said to be used in See also:Britain in the See also:form of powder, which is of a finer yellow colour than that of Chinese rhubarb. The Banbury rhubarb appears to be a hybrid between R. rhaponticum and R. undulatum—the root, according to E. See also:Colin, not presenting the typical microscopic structure of the former. More recently very
1 According to Mr F. Newcombe, Med. See also:Press and Circ., See also:August 2, 1882, the Chinese esteem the Shen-se rhubarb as the best, that coming from Kanchow being the most prized of all, Sze-chuen rhubarb has a rougher surface and little flavour, and brings only about half the price; Chung-chi rhubarb also is greatly valued, while the Chi-chuang, Tai-huang and Shan-huang varieties are considered worthless.
good rhubarb has been grown at Banbury from Rheum officinale, but these two varieties are not equal in medicinal strength to the Chinese article, yielding less See also:extract—Chinese rhubarb affording, according to H. Seier, 58%, English rhubarb 21% and R. officinale 17%. In France the cultivation of rhubarb was commenced in the latter half of the 18th century—R. compactum, R. palmatum, R. rhaponticum and R. undulatum being the species grown. The cultivation has, however, now nearly ceased, small quantities only being prepared at See also:Avignon and a few other localities.
The culture of Rheum compactum was begun in See also:Moravia in the beginning of the present century by Prikyl, an apothecary in See also:Austerlitz, and until about fifty years ago the root was largely exported to See also:Lyons and See also:Milan, where it was used for See also:dyeing See also:silk. As a medicine 5 parts are stated to be equal to 4 of Chinese rhubarb. Rhubarb root is also grown at Auspitz in Moravia and at Ilmitz, Kremnitz and Frauenkirchen in See also:Hungary; R. emodi is said to be cultivated for the same purpose in See also:Silesia.
Rhubarb is also prepared for use in medicine from See also:wild species in the Himalayas and See also:Java.
2. The rhubarb used as a vegetable consists of the See also:leaf stalks of R. rhaponticum and its varieties, and R. undulatum. It is known in America as See also:pie-plant. Plants are readily raised from seed, but strong plants can be obtained in a much shorter time by dividing the roots. Divisions or seedlings are planted about 3 ft. apart in ground which has been deeply trenched and manured, the crowns being kept slightly above the surface. Rhubarb grows freely under See also:fruit-trees, but succeeds best in an open situation in See also:rich, rather light See also:soil. The stalks should not be pulled during the first See also:season. If a See also:top-dressing of manure be given each See also:winter a See also:plantation will last good for several years. Forced rhubarb is much esteemed in winter and early See also:spring, and forms a remunerative See also:crop. Forcing under See also:glass or in a See also:mushroom See also:house is most satisfactory, but open-ground forcing may be effected by placing pots or boxes over the roots and burying in a good See also:depth of See also:stable See also:litter and leaves. Several other species, such as R. palmatum, R. officinale, R. nobile and others, are cultivated for their See also:fine foliage and handsome inflorescence, especially in wild gardens, margins of shrubberies and similar places. They succeed in most soils, but prefer a rich soil of good depth. They are propagated by seeds or by See also:division.
End of Article: RHUBARB
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