Part Used : Rhizome of Rheum palmatum and other species, not the garden rhubarb.

Constituents : Anthraquinone derivatives such as chrysophanic acid(=chrysophanol), emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein & physcion, with their O-glycosides such asglucorhein, chrysophanein, glucoemodin; sennosides A-E, reidin C and others.

Tannins; in Chinese Rhubarb: d-catechin and epicatechin gallate, withvarious cinnamoyland coumaroyl golloyl glucosides and fructoses.

Stilbene derivatives; related stilbene glycosides present in othertypes

Miscellaneous: volatile oil, containing diisobutyl phthalate, cinnamicand ferulicacids; rutin, fatty acids, calcium oxalate etc.

Actions : Bitter, laxative, astringent.

Indications : Rhubarb Root has a purgative action for use in the treatment of constipation, but also has an astringent effect following this. It therefore has a truly cleansing action upon the gut, removing debris and then astringing with antiseptic properties as well. Note: Rhubarb Root may color the urine yellow or red. Priest & Priest tell us that it is a "mild stimulating tonic to alimentary mucous membrane, liver and gall ducts -removes viscid mucus. Small doses - tonic hepatic. Large doses -cathartic. "They give the following specific indications : diarrhoea and dysentary, summer diarrhoea, functional dyspepsia.³

Ellingwood recommends it for the following patholgies : atonic conditions of the bowels, with debility or general relaxation, wether diarrhoea, dysentary, choleramorbus, cholera infantum.

King's Dispensatory gives it specific indications and uses as "gastricirritation, nausea, vomiting, elongated tongue reddened at tip and edges;irritative diarrhoea with tenderness on pressure; sour smelling dischargesimparting to a child a sour odour; gastro-intestinal irritation with nervousirritability, restlessness, screaming and convulsive muscular contractions;constipation, with a sense of intestinal constriction and abdominal contraction; light-coloured fecal discharge

Preparations & Dosage: Decoction: put 1/2 - 1 teaspoonful of theroot in a cup ofwater, bring to the boil and simmer gently for l0 minutes.This should be drunk morning andevening. Tincture: take 1-2 ml of the tincture three times a day.

Rhubarb and its Dietetic Action: It is recognized that rhubarb not only exercises a digestive action but it operates directly as a conveyer of bile salts. It can therefore be classed as a hepatic stimulant. Rhubarb performs its first digestive operation in the mouth by stimulating the taste buds with its pleasantly bitter flavor which gives a sense of cleansing out the oral cavity, preparing it to taste the coming food. When it reaches the stomach its digestive effects come into full play, causing an increase of the flow of gastric juice and inducing their movement, thus favoring the processing of the contents of the stomach. Besides stimulating the secretions from the liver which convey the bile salts, it assists the intestine in regulating the absorption of fats.¹

Indications: Rhubarb is used as a laxative, antiphlogistic, and homeostatic in the treatment of constipation, diarrhea, jaundice, gastro-intestinal hemorrhage, menstrual disorders, conjunctivitis, traumatic injuries, superficial suppurative sores and ulcers. It is also applied externally for thermal burns. In TCM terms it Drains Heat and accumulations from the Yangming level, Clears Damp Heat, Cools the Blood, Invigorates Blood, eliminates Stagnant Blood and Clears Toxic Heat and purges knotted Heat and stool from the colon. Concepts in purgation In order to understand the use of purges in TCM it is important to understand the concepts and principles of purgation as applied in herbal practice. The 3 main types of purging are as follows: 1.Cold purge (heat clearing): for symptoms such as constipation due to inflammation and paralysis of the colon - i.e. knotted Heat. 2.Warm purge (inner warming): for acute circulatory disturbance of the digestive tract due to consumption of cold food and drink, and cold environment - i.e. cold accumulation or Yang deficient constipation. 3.Moistening purge (moisten dry intestine): for constipation due to dehydration or poor nutrition resulting in dryness of the intestine (insufficient colonic membrane secretions) - i.e. dry intestine constipation. 4.Water expulsion: for hydrothorax, ascites, oedema.²

Herbal Formulas

LAXATIVE TEA
Psyllium Seed 3 parts
Licorice Root 3 parts
Rhubarb Root 2 parts
Senna Pods (crushed) 2 parts
Angelica Root 2 parts

Drink as a simple infusion in evening.

2.4 COLON TONIC (Modified Thomsonian)
Cascara Sagrada 2 parts
Oregon Grape 2 parts
Cayenne 1 part
Ginger Root 1 part
Lobelia 1 part
Rhubarb Root 1 pt.

Stimulates peristalsis for chronic constipation of long duration. 2 "00" capswith water, morning and evening. When feces soften up go to 1 capsule twice a day

2.8 NEUTRALIZING CORDIAL (Modified)
Rhubarb Tincture 80 ml
Cinnamon Tincture 64 ml
Hydrastis Tincture 40 ml
Spirit of Peppermint 8 ml
Potassium carbonate 16 grams
Simple Syrup 250 ml
Diluted alcohol (50%) 550 ml

Step 1. Dissolve 16 grams of potassium carbonate in 250 ml Simple Syrup
Step 2. Mix the tinctures, spirit and diluted alcohol.
Step 3. Mix both liquids, stirring or blending until KCO3 is dissolved.
Step 4. Add additional diluted alcohol to the total (if necessary) to bring the
total volume to 1000 ml.

Use a teaspoon or two for nausea, gas pains, dyspepsia, tenesmus, diarrhea ANDconstipation. An elegant pharmaceutical that may be the single closest thing to auniversal GI tonic. Unfortunately it is no longer made by any American manufacturer.

References
1. Rhubarb, http://www.zucca.it/main/english/storia/cap_il_rabarbaro_e_la.html, From Zucca
2. RHUBARB (Da Huang ) Rheum palmatum by Will Maclean and Peter Townsend, http://www.acupuncture.com/Herbology/Dahuang.htm, from Information on herbal medicine
3. http://www.npicenter.com/library/herbal/materiamedica/RHUBARB.asp

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