ARALIAOR. 163 
aphrodisiac. The affections for the cure of which it 
st esteemed, are such as are usually treated by aromatic 
ants, including dyspepsia, vomiting, and nervous’ affec- 
s. It is used as a masticatory and also in infusion, and is 
sionally brought to India by the Chinese. 
Description.—Ginseng root is fusiform, 4 to 6 inches 
long, with a rounded head, closely annulate, and with few 
wrinkles above, dividing below into two, or occasionally three, 
branches of even size. The branches are not, or are but 
ightly, annulate, and are longitudinally wrinkled. The root 
externally of a brownish-yellow colour, internally white, 
eaks with a short and mealy fracture, and has a faint sweetish 
our and a sweet slightly aromatic taste. The transverse 
the central portion, which consists of linear wedge-shaped 
owish wood-bundles and broad medullary rays.. 
Chemical composttion.— Besides starch, gum, albumen, and 
. 8S. Garrigues (1854) isolated a sweet principle, pana- 
1, C!2H2509, by adding to the syrupy infusion a concen- 
ed solution of sodium sulphate and dissolving the preci- 
te in alcohol. It is yellow, amorphous, sweet, insoluble in 
ther, and precipitated by tannin. Concentrated sulphuric 
cid dissolves it with a purple-red colour, converting it at the 
ne time into panacon, C!'H'90*, which is white, tasteless, 
d d insoluble in water and ether, but soluble in alcohol.—(Siillé 
h was dissolved out by ether and stronger ome 
uld not be obtained by distillation. The distillate was 
tly acid, and contained a white fatty substance mee 
| that 
aqueou 
cid, nee soluble - in — — the portion 
