The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-03-20
Ginseng and its Magical Powers.

1VoG1S0
DR.. F. H. 1'errill, Past Assistant Sur
eecn of the United States steamer Mo-
nocacy, which, with the Ticonderoga,
is now cruising in Chinese waters, has
procured an interesting specimen of a
root which is much esteemed by the
Chinese. 1t is of the species OF pa3lGr
and belongs to the natural order OF
aratidcg, and is commonly known rs
ginseng The specimen in question was
procured from Corea and is worth in
China about 5000. Not quite as large
as mans thumb, it is yellowish in
color and has dried and wrinkled APP
pearance, looking something like q
Chinese idol, with the feet CURED up
under the body. The root was shown
to the Pharmaceutical Society at its
last meeting, when quite n number OF
interesting remarks were made on the
subject of ginseng by Prof A. l.. Leng-
field. The study of the root, apart from
its traditionary aspect, has little i'll it OF
interest, but when the great value set
upon its medicinal properties in China
is considered, one finds ones self at
tracted by the plant and its character
istics, so dissimilar are they from those
of most other botanical species.
BOtanically, then, ginseng has per,
ennial root which sends up annually a
smooth round stem, about a foot high
and at the summit by three stalks, each
of which supports a compound leaf,
consisting OF five Leaflets 1t has small
greenish flowers and bright red berries
at certain seasons of the year. AL
though widely grown in China, both in
a cultivated and wild state, it is not
wholly confined tn that region, being
indigenous to the hiily regions of our
Northern and Western States. A Ger.
tain species fPanaG Calitornium) il
native to the soil of this State. 1t il:
yet unsettled whether the American
| ginseng is identical with the Chinese
| product, but it possesses the eXterna,
appearance, if not the medicinal at
tributes, of the latter variety.
The root is generally about the size
| of wild artichoke Of average growth,
/ though varying in length from two to
four inches, often being forked. Some
times several irregular cylindrical OF
/ bulbous roots are found joined together
by wire-like fbres. Its imagined re.
semblance to the body of man when
found two forked was probably what
caused the supernatural power of heal
ing to be attributed TO it. This shape
is also an indication that the root ear
restore vigor and power to the aged and
enfeebled Such roots vary in price
from S25 to S400, and are only pos
sessed by the wealthy class -mand lrins
and others. Ginseng from Manchuris
was once esteemed above all other
kinds, and, in consequence of the i'm
mense explorations. it became SO scarce
that an imperial edict was issued pro
hibiting its collection there Prof
Lockhart, of London, is authority fol
the statement that ginseng is imperial
property in China, and that it is sold tt
those having the privilege of dealing
in it at its weight in gold. Pana,
quinluefolium is the pharmacopei,
name fer the American ginseng. II
some of the lake States in 1860 tn,
gathering of ginseng for the Chinese
market developed into positive mania
people leaving their homes and camp
ing for weeks in the hills of Michigan
| Wisconsin and Minnesota in search o
the roots, the supply of which ran ST
short that it is now rarely found in suf
ticient quantities for expectation. The
first cargo shipped from America t.
Canton yielded enormous profits. Rus
slams on the Chinese border took to tn
cultivation of ginseng q few years ago
but the cultivated variety, which re
quires six years to attain perfection,
not valued SO highly in China as tn
wild roots, requiring about thirty year
in which to grow to a marketable size
Even in Japan, noted for the rapiC
and gigantic growth of its vegetation
the ginseng root does not thrive muc
faster than in other climates, and JAP
anese ginseng, being coarse graine
and not so sweet in taste as the CHI
nese variety. is considered to be of a
inferior quality. San Francisco Ctro1
:cIe.