h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Rhubarb - A22451096
Author: Eco Worrier - U290

Inspired by a journal entry and finding an unedited entry through Google (!), I've updated the Old Writing Team's entry - Rhubarb. A1251 Also including the content from the unedited entry (with permission) A1069364.

Traveller in Time
"I have just had diner, but this entry makes my mouth water again "

mmm, delectable

Nice update, great stuff. The first quote made me howl , but who said it?

I've always wondered about how when showing disdain at a public speaker large crowds will often mutter, 'rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb' repetively under their breath, do you know anything about that?

It's on old bit of folklore, I thought it was worthy of the top of the entry!

I did come across a couple of mentions of 'rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb' being used in crowd scenes to make it look like talking, but no mention of where it actually started.

Oh, and I'd like to say at this early stage that as a lot of this was written from an unedited Guide entry I'd like it to go through the normal editing process so that it gets its day on the Front Page. Some of the authors haven't had an EGE for years and it might bring some of them back to the site to get an email. :D

My father-in-law has a rhubarb crown which he planted 50 years ago and is still getting edible stalks from.


3000BC -- put a space before BC

Rheum palmatum, the medicinal plant back with him -- put a comma after plant

powered rhubarb --> powdered rhubarb (I presume)

from April onwards, pull the stems -- change the comma to a semicolon

mid July to Mid August --> mid July to mid August

180 C --> 180°C

190 C --> 190°C

25-30mins -- space before mins

Use a little of it mix the cornflour --> Use a little of it to mix the cornflour

Link to Japanese Knotweed A1161208.

(the leaves that take away the sting from nettles -- add a closing bracket

rhubarb leaves have been used as an acid mordant2 to used to fix dye to fibres -->
rhubarb leaves have been used as an acid mordant2 to fix dye to fibres

either acid of alkaline --> either acid or alkaline

G

Ref 'It is still used in Chinese medicine today, to cure both constipation and diarrhoea...'

Note that these two effects are exact opposites!

Also:

'Medicinally

The roots of both plants contain tannins with astringent properties, so small doses can be used to treat diarrhoea. Its main benefit was its laxative properties...'

So, again you quote these two effects that oppose each other.


... and, in any cae, I believe that tests have been done that show that rhubarb has no laxative effect at all.

Under your 'Historically' header, it would be worth including that the roots of rhubarb were used by the ancient Greeks to help treat chronic constipation (although bear in mind what I said above about modern tests).

As well as vitamin C, rhubarb stems alkso contain vitamin A.

It's worth saying under 'Medicinally' that it's combination of high potassium and low salt make iut suitable (ideal) for people with fluid retention.





Historically

The introduction of rhubarb into Europe is often attributed to Marco Polo, who described its pharmaceutical properties at length in his accounts of travels in China. Polo brought the dried root of Rheum palmatum, the medicinal plant back with him. R.x hybridum, edible garden rhubarb, came to Britain from the Volga region of Russia in 1573, but still not as an edible plant. It too was prized for the therapeutic properties of its root.

I will deal with these comments in while, but I just wanted to say that yes, the effects are opposite which is why I do explain in the entry that it's a small dose for one, and a larger dose for the other.

Whether it works or not, they are both what the plant was used for, so it's in the entry. I never notice either effect when I eat rhubarb, and there are times when I eat it every day for nearly a week, so it could be true that it works for neither.

If you've got some test results or stats to back that up, let me know and I'll include them. When I check over your other comments I'll try to change some of the wording so that it's more clear this isn't something scientifically proven.

Also remember that it is two different species of plant we're talking about here: the medicinal and the edible.

Hmm, I wasn't aware of that, Gnomon

That's the way I read it, anyway.

Ref oxalates/oxalic acid:

I should swap these two sentences around:

'The oxalic acid means that...'

and 'The leaves are poisonous due to....'

i.e so that , 'The leaves are poisonous...' comes first.

It might also be worth pointing out that beetroot greens and spinach also contain high levels of oxalates (>10mg/serving) and should thus be avoided by people susceptible to kidney stones. This will give an excuse to link to A11454491 (Beetroot) and A11681912 (Spinach).

( > than 75% of the kidney stones in patients in the United States are made of calcium oxalate and a low-oxalate diet is often prescribed for people who have increased levels of oxalic acid in their urine or who have a history of forming kidney stones)

"Hmm, I wasn't aware of that, Gnomon "

If it's not clear enough in the entry, let me know and I'll have another go.

Sorry, still haven't had time to get to these comments, and I'm going away for the weekend, but I will crack on next week.

All done now.

Any other comments? I think this is done now.

Nothing from me

If there are no more comments by tomorrow, I'll handle the update - I might as well keep busy, eh?

Apart from you need a space (and a comma?) between Wales and Japanese Knotweed in the interesting facts bit

ah, what's the code for a space? It's not recognising the keybourad space.

Thanks Skanky!

Not to worry, a comma fixed it.