ABSTRACT
The long history of madder as a source of red dyes and pigments is presented. The variety of plant sources and the range of anthraquinone components discovered over a long period are addressed. Topics such as analysis, industrial uses, biological staining, red bone staining in live animals and toxicity are outlined briefly. The contributions of many chemists are acknowledged.
Declaration of interest
The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this paper.