What is "rhubarb" in Chinese medicine?

Rhubarb is one of the four traditional Chinese medicines in China. According to historical records, China began to use rhubarb as early as 270 BC, and rhubarb was shipped abroad in BC 144. For hundreds of years, China has been the main exporter of rhubarb in the world. The rhubarb produced in Qinghai is an excellent variety of rhubarb in China. Its production history is long, and it is well-known at home and abroad for its good quality, high yield and good curative effect. The maximum annual export volume is 500,000 kg. Historically, Xining has long been a distribution center for rhubarb in Qinghai Province, so Qinghai rhubarb is also called "Xining rhubarb". Rhubarb is a tall perennial herb of Polygonaceae, also known as Huoshen, Jin Mu, Clerodendrum, and Mianzi. Tibetan is called "Junmuzha". Rhubarb grows in high mountains with an altitude of 2000-3500 meters. Common in alpine shrubs and hillside grasslands, they like cool and humid climate and loose and fertile soil. The stem is upright and hollow, the nodes are swollen, smooth and hairless, and the leaves are like castor. It germinates in April, germinates in June, blooms in July and bears seeds in September. There are seven kinds of rhubarb in Qinghai, among which the most precious is the one with high yield: one is palmately-leaved rhubarb, with a stem height of 105-3 meters and green and white panicles in summer; The other is Rheum tanguticum, which is a variety of Rheum palmatum. Its leaves are deeply divided into chicken feet, also called chicken feet rhubarb, and its flowers are pale yellow. These two kinds of rhubarb are in Guoluo, Yushu, Hainan, Haibei,

There are more than five states in Huangnan, and the highest annual output reached 800,000 Jin in 1950s. At present, the area planted with rhubarb in Guoluo Prefecture has reached 40,000 mu, with an annual output of 500,000 kg. It is also cultivated in many other places.

Rhubarb is a very important traditional Chinese medicine, and it is also a commonly used medicine in Tibetan medicine and Mongolian medicine. Rhubarb is used as medicine by its rhizome, which is plump, radish-shaped, brown on the surface and yellow inside, hence the name "Rhubarb". Rhubarb tastes bitter and cold, and its medicinal properties are fierce, so it is known as the "general". Rhubarb contains two opposite components-glycosides of anthraquinone derivatives, tannic acid and related substances. The former can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and cause diarrhea, while the latter has astringent effect and can stop diarrhea. Raw food, large amount and short frying have diarrhea performance, while processed food, small amount and long frying have weakened diarrhea performance and antidiarrheal performance. Pharmacological experiments show that rhubarb has the effects of clearing away heat and toxic materials, resisting bacteria and diminishing inflammation, purging fire and cooling blood, promoting gallbladder function and relieving jaundice, removing blood stasis and lowering blood pressure, and stopping bleeding. Rhubarb can also be used as an ingredient in dyes, spices and wine-making industry. Artificial cultivation of rhubarb has the advantages of less labor, less investment, large income and no need for fine management. It can be planted at the foot of forest edge, idle wasteland, in front of and behind houses, and in the corner of fields. Qinghai is vast and sparsely populated, with strong sunshine, and the climate is especially suitable for planting rhubarb, which has great potential.