The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-02-09
CHINESE PANACEA.
Sar taneis<o Chtenle.e.

Dr. |. H. Terrill. past assistant surgeon of the uited States steamer MonocAcy, which, with the Ticonderosa. IS nos cruising in Chinese waters, has procured an interesting specimen of a root which IS much esteemed by the Chinese. l, Is of the species of panaN and belongs to natural order of araliace, and IS com monly known as ginseng. The specimen in question was procured from CoreA and Is worth ID China a5oa, S.oo. No, quite as large as man $ thumb, Il IS yeliowish in color and has a dried and wrinkled appearance, looking something like a Chinese idol. with the feet curled up under the body The 100, was shown to the pharmaceutical society al Its last meeting. when quite number oi inter- es,ing remarks were made on the subject oi ginseng by Prof 4. L. Lengheld. The study of the root, apart from lts tradition ary aspect, has little in il of interest. but when the great value set upon it's medic inal properties in China IS considered, one finds ones self attracted by the plant and its characteristics, so dissimilar are they from those of mos, other botanical spe- cieS.
 Bo,anically. then, ginseng has per ennial roos ~hich sends up annually smooth round stem, about a foot high and divided a, the summit by three stalks. each of which supports a com pound leaf. consisting of fve leaflets. Il has small greenish flowers and bright red berries a, certain seasons of the year Although widely grown in China, both in a cultivated and wild state, l, is not wholly confined 10 that region. being ln- dlgenous 10 the hilly regions of our northern and western states. A certain species tpanaA Callfornium1 is native to the soil ot this state. Ii IS as yet unset tied whether the American ginseng IS identical with the Chinese product, bu, I, possesses the external appearance, II no, the medicinal attributes, of the latter va rieiy.
 The root is generally abou; the size of a wild artlchske of average growth. though varyins IF length from two to four inches, often being forked. some times several cylindrical or buloous roots are found loined together by wire-like flores. Its imagined resemblance 10 the body of man when found ,wo-forked was possibly wha, hrs, caused the super natural power of healing 10 De attributed 10 i, This shape IS also an indication tha, the roo; an restore vtsor and power to the aged and enfeebled. such roots wary in price from =, 10 s-o). and are only possessed by the w,atly class m n farms and others. Ginseng from Manohuna vas once esteemed above al other kinds. and. Tn conseq lence of the immense experta,ions. II became so scarce that imperial edic; was issued pro- hibiting it's collection there. Prof. Lock- hart, oi London. IS authority for the s,a,emen; ,ha, ginseng Is imperial prop cry In China and ,ha, l. IS sold to those havlng the privilege of dealing n !, a, lts weight ln gold. Panax qiinquefolium IS the pharmacopo a name for the Amerl- can ginseng In some of the lake states in a,o the gathering oi ginseng for the Chinese marke, developed into positive mama. people leaving their homes and camping for weeks in the hills of Mlchl- gan, Wisconsin and Minnesota n search of the roots. the supply of winch ran 90 shor. that II IS nov rarely found n suffl- cieni quanuaes for eNporAuon The ars; cargo shipped from AmeneA n an- ton welded enormous pronts Russians on the Chinese border took to the culti- walton of ginseng a few years ago. but ,he cultivated variety, winch requires SIX years 70 a,;a.n perfection. IS no, valued s. highly n China as the wild roots, re curing abou, ,hlr.y years IT which 10 grow 10 a marketable size. Even n la- pan. noted for the rapid and gigantic growth of its vegetation, the ginseng root does not thrive much faster han n other climates, and Japanese ginseng. being coarse-grained and not so swee; in taste as the Chinese variety, IS considered tc be of an inferior quality.