Rhubarb, Roast′ed. Syn. Burnt rhubarb; Rheum ustum, L. Prep. 1. Rhubarb, in coarse powder, is carefully and regularly heated in a smooth shallow iron disc, with constant stirring, until its colour has changed to a moderately dark brown, when it is allowed to cool out of contact with the air; when cold, it is reduced to powder, and at once put into a well-closed bottle.
2. (Hoblyn.) Roast powdered rhubarb, in an iron vessel, constantly stirring, until it becomes almost black; then smother it in a covered jar.—Dose, 5 to 10 gr.; as an astringent in diarrhœa, and a tonic in dyspepsia, &c. Prof. Procter, the well-known American Pharmaceutist, recommends the rhubarb to be only roasted to a ‘light brown.’
RICE. Syn. Oryza, L. The seed of Oryza sativa, a plant of the natural order Graminaceæ. Several varieties are known in commerce, distinguished by the name of the country or district which produces them. The finest is that imported from Carolina. It
reaches this country in a decorticated condition. ‘Paddy’ is rice with the husk upon it. Dr Letheby estimates that it affords nourishment to not less than a hundred millions of people.
As an article of diet, rice is highly nutritious and wholesome when combined with fresh animal or other nitrogenised food; but, owing to the very small quantity of ‘flesh-formers’ which it contains, and its comparative destitution in saline matter, it is totally unfit to form the principal portion of the diet of the working classes, or the poorly fed, at least in this climate. “It does not appear so well calculated for European constitutions as the potato, for we find the poor constantly reject it when potatoes can be had.” This preference evidently depends on something more than mere whim or taste, for some years ago, when rice was substituted for potatoes in some of our union workhouses, the most serious consequences followed. In one of these, nine or ten deaths from scurvy and allied diseases occurred in a single fortnight. Large quantities of rice are annually imported into Britain, and used by distillers in the manufacture of spirits.
Letheby gives the following as the composition of rice:—
| Nitrogenous matter | 6·3 |
| Carbo-hydrates | 79·5 |
| Fatty matter | 0·7 |
| Saline matter | 0·5 |
| Water | 13·0 |
| ——— | |
| 100·0 |
Payen gives the following as the composition of dried rice:—
| Nitrogenous matter | 7·55 |
| Starch | 88·65 |
| Dextrin, &c. | 1·00 |
| Fatty matter | 0·80 |
| Cellulose | 1·10 |
| Mineral water | 0·90 |
| ——— | |
| 100·00 |
Ash of rice:—