GINSENG. 



CHAPTER IV. 



GINSENG. 

 ITS USES AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. The root of ginseog 

 is used for medicinal purposes, to some extent in tliis country, but 

 chiefly in China, — It is therefore an article of export, bouifht up 

 by dealers in this country for that purpose. - While an official drug 

 in this country accordintr to the United States Pharnaacopoeia, 

 from 1840 to 1880, it is at present classed among the unofEcia! 

 Drug-Plants and quoted as such on page 51 of Bulletin No- 89, -U. S, 

 Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Plant Industry. From the 

 results obtained by recent scientific inrestigation, indications seem 

 favorable that the real merits of ginseng may also soon be discov- 

 ered in this country and that it will prove to be a very valuable 

 drug. The Chinese and Koreans place a high value on it, and, 

 indeed, regard it as a remedy for nearly all diseases. From the 

 humblest citizen through all the grades of society, including men 

 of most profound eastern scholarship, high officials and emperors, 

 the inhabitants of China for ages have had unlimited faith in the 

 power of ginseng to prevent and cure many of the ills of the human 

 body. It is also said to be used by the wealthy class for sea- 

 soning meat. 



Among chemists who recently examined ginseng as to its 

 medicinal qualities, was, according to the United States Dispensa- 

 tory, Mr. S. S. Garrigus, who obtained from it an entirely new 

 substance, the nature and value of which he seems to have been 

 unable to determine. He named the element Panaqidlon, and 

 gave the formula C12 H25 O9 {U. S. Dispensatory l7th. ed. 

 1896, p. 1712). 



