Gentian violet is not sourced from a rhizome--the herb gentian does indeed come from a rhizome, but the dye comes form coal tar. There are many sources of this information of available. 





From:

http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/garden/2007-08/house2.asp




"Gentiana lutea L. – Great yellow gentian – Europe (Mountains).

Culpeper:
“... some call it Felwort or Baldmoney. It is ... a notable
counterpoison, it opens obstructions, helps the bitings of venomous
beasts, and mad dogs, helps digestion, and cleanseth the body of raw
humours; our chyrugians [surgeons] use the root in the form of a tent
to open the sore, they are also very profitable for ruptures [hernias]
or such as are burnt.” 

          Notes: The root
is used as a bittering agent, and is widely recommended in herbal
medicine as a general tonic, and for uses such as a treatment for
intestinal worms.

      It is not the source of Gentian violet, a  blue-purple dye, which is derived from coal tar."



 


Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC

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