TO DISTINGUISH GOOD RHUBARB FROM BAD.

The general characters of good rhubarb are, it having a whitish or

clear yellow colour, being dry, solid, and compact; moderately heavy,

and brittle; when recently broken appearing marked with yellow or

reddish veins, mixed with white; being easily pulverizable; forming

a powder of a fine bright yellow, having the peculiar, nauseous,

aromatic smell of rhubarb, and a sub-acrid, bitterish, somewhat

astringent taste, and when chewed feeling gritty under the teeth,

speedily colouring the saliva, and not appearing very mucilaginous.