Functions: Eliminates stagnant food by purgation, clears away fire to purge it, arrests bleeding, removes toxic substances and promotes blood circulation by removing blood stasis. Rhubarb has a long and proven history of herbal usage, its main effect being a positive and balancing effect upon the whole digestive system. It is one of the most widely used herbs in Chinese medicine.

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.
Atonicconditions of the bowels, with debility or general relaxation, wether diarrhoea, dysentary, choleramorbus, cholera infantum.

Gastricirritation, nausea, vomiting, elongated tongue reddened at tip and edges; irritative diarrhoea with tenderness on pressure; sour smelling discharges imparting to a child a sour odour; gastro-intestinal irritation with nervous irritability, restlessness, screaming and convulsive muscular contractions; constipation, with a sense of intestinal constriction and abdominal contraction; light-coloured fecal discharge

Classical Note:

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing :"To treat chills and cold due to obstruction of blood circulation, masses in the abdomen and stagnation of food and drink."..."Removing blood stasis, washing the stomach and intestines, weeding through the old to let the new grow, promoting circulation of essential substances from foodstuffs, regulating the spleen and stomach to promote digestion and tranquilizing the internal organs."

The Compendium of Materia Medica :"To treat diarrhea with blood and mucus, abdominal pain with tenesmus, dribbling urination, heat of the excess type with accumulation of dryness, tidal fever with delirium, jaundice and burns."

The Definitions of Drugs :"Rhubarb has such a heavily turbid smell that it goes straight down without stopping, so it can expel toxic substances easily.""...Distention and fullness in the chest and abdomen, heat accumulation in the chest and stomach, abdominal accumulation of phlegm of the excess type, constipation with blood stasis and amenorrhea."