VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 3O3 



less hard and woody, and free from worms; while the latter is 

 succulent and very liable to be attacked by insects. That 

 prepared for Imperial use is carefully cleansed and dried, 

 wrapped in paper and sealed up to preserve it from dampness 

 and worms. It is said to have an aromatic, sweet taste, with 

 a spice of bitterness. It may contain, therefore, in its fresh 

 state an essential oil and a small amount of alkaloidal or other 

 principle. The Chinese count five kinds of ginseng, viz., the 

 one under consideration, which they consider to be the true 

 ginseng, acting on the spleen, which to them is the center of 

 life ; the ^ ^ (Sha-shen), Adeiiophora^ which operates upon the 

 lungs ; ^ ^ (Hsiian-shen), ScropJnilarin^ which acts upon the 

 kidneys ; ^i ^ (Mou-meng), Polygomim bistorta^ which oper- 

 ates on the liver; and ^ ^ (Tan-shen), Salvia mnltiorrhiza^ 

 which acts on the heart. Each of these is described under its 

 appropriate title. The true ginseng plant has five parted, palmate 

 leaves, bears minute flowers in an umbellate form, and has red, 

 berry-like fruits. It somewhat resembles the American Aralia 

 qiiinqiiefolia^ but is not the same. In Manchuria and Korea 

 it is usually found growing in the shade of trees, notably 

 that of the \f^ (Kia) Tilia (?) or Paidownia (?). This tree 

 and the ginseng plant are thought to have mutual sympathy, 

 and whoever would find the latter must look for the tree. 

 The root is dug up both in the spring and the autumn. It is 

 said that in order to test for true ginseng two persons walk to- 

 gether, one with a piece of the drug in his mouth and the other 

 with his mouth empty. If at the end of three to five li the one 

 with the ginseng in his mouth does not feel himself tired, while 

 the other is out of breath, the drug is true. The Manchu- 

 rian root is carefully searched for by the natives, who boast that 

 the weeds of their country are the choice drugs of the Chinese. 

 The drug is yellowish, semitransparent, firm, somewhat brittle, 

 and has a sweet, mucilaginous taste, accompanied with a 

 slight bitterness. It is usually prepared by steaming and dry- 

 ing in still air, so as to make its appearance approximate the 

 accepted standard of clearness. Fabulous stories, similar to 

 that above given, are told of the finding of special deposits of 

 this root, associated with guiding voices, stars, and other good 

 omens. The drug is sometimes prepared for use as an extract, 



