Vfoil,

s .to ne

RHEUM. 811

Reparation.—T he method of curing or preparing Asiatic rhubarbfhe market varies somewhat in different localities. In China it is asl °Ws :—The roots are dug up, cleansed, cut in pieces, and dried onf r Ile tables heated beneath by a lire. During the process the roots aregently turned. They are afterwards pierced, strung upon cords, andCTi' bried bi the sun (Du Ilalde, Descrip. Geograph, et Hist, de lapiR e j t. iii. p. 492). In Tartary the Mongols cut the roots in smallt|j Ces ) in order that they may dry the more readily, and make a hole inSl middle of every piece, through which a cord is drawn, in order tos pend them in any convenient place. They hang them for the mosty> 1 about their tents, and sometimes on the horns of their sheep (Bell,& ai ' ets from St. Petersburgh to divers parts of Asia , vol. i. p. 311).thr VerS ’ however, states, that the roots are cut in pieces, strung uponea ds, and dried under sheds, so as to exclude the solar rays ; and theColl e author tells us, that sometimes a year elapses from the time of theirA'y 0c h° n until they are ready for exportation (Duncan, Suppl. to thejR- New. Disp. p. 88).

fx Ascription.—I am acquainted with six kinds of rhubarb, namely,Dutch-trimmed, Chinese, Himalayan, English, and French .Russian or Bucharian Rhubarb; Turkey. Rhubarb, offic . {radix rhei•'ll, l seu muscovitici, s. bucharici, s. sibirici, s. turcici). —This kind ofkg bar b is imported from St. Petersburgh. It is said formerly to havem. 11 brought by way of Natolia: hence the name of Turkey rhubarb,. c “ it ordinarily bears in the shops (Murray, App. Med. vol. iv. p. 379).tile Cc ° r ding to the treaty entered into between the Russians and Chinese ,m Co mmerce between the two nations takes place at the frontiers,tkg^hta is the Russian, Maimatschin the Chinese frontier town. Allejj s °'Called Russian rhubarb is brought to Kiachta by Bucharian mer-di;rt UlS ’ "h° have entered into a contract to supply the government withH 0 dril b r in exchange for furs. It is collected on that long chain ofn r j llnta -ins of Tartary, destitute for the most part of woods, and whichtkJR not far from the town of Selin, and extends to the south as far asa he Kokonor, near Thibet . It is conveyed, in woollen sacks onof t , e * s > to Kiachta , where it is examined with much care, in the presencej, e llucharians, by the apothecary stationed at Kiachta for the pur-th - e ' The worm-eaten pieces are rejected, the others bored to ascertainl tl r s °undness, and all the damaged or decayed parts are cut away.pR^ordance with the terms of the contract, the pieces, which do not

r ( .. lamination, are burned; the remainder is then transmitted tof^burgh, and from thence to us (Pallas, Voyages en differ. Prov. deYRh-e de Russie, t. iv. p. 216 et seq.)

o u ' s 1 niported in boxes or cases, covered with a pitched cloth, on thec 0tn < e °f which is a hide. The size of the pieces are various; but, ino llt Dlerce > the small ones are preferred, and they are, therefore, pickedbeij^ aild s old as radix rhei turcici electa —the larger pieces and the dustf °Uin eni pl°yed for powdering. Their shapes are various, being angular,Se e c< *> irregular, &c. The external appearance of many of the pieceslou .? to show, that the cortical portion of the root had been shaved offUdina % by successive strokes of a knife : hence the angular ap-pi e llcu of the external surface. Holes are observed in many of the8: some of them extend completely, others only partially through.