The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-09
CHINESE SACRED PLANTS.
THE FAMED MEDICINAL ROOT OF
GINSENG.
Natures Greatest Gift to Mamma
tive to Mauchuria - Lotus Bean.
Celestial PIeasure-The Mouse Lee
gend of the Rice-The MiIIet Com
steiIatiOn of TIen-tgi.

The ancient doctrine of plant signatures
no longer exercises control over human
mind and action. but is unhesitaungiy con-
signed TO the fitting oblivion of the Dark
Ages" one of the traditional superstitions
of the past, 1000 obviously ridiculous to
be believed even by the credulously ig-
norant OF modern times.
But i'm China we find that the far-famed
ginseng ROOT holds supreme place as the
most valuable production Of nature At
ter that, what more can be said for It's
medicinal properties?
IT is really a large variety of the well
known mandrake, and, as gin is the Chi
nese word for man, We trace the mean
ing of he term. Because of its resem-
blance to the human form. il is the chief
! specific for ell disorders of lungs or stom-
| ach; il revives the anaemic repels the
! entertainments OF old age cures asthma
acts as counter irritent in cases Of poi
son; in short, is the mystic "an-heal."
| In appearance the root, when dried, is of
4 yellow color streaked with black veins
as if outlined in ink and when chewed
yields a bitter-sweet juice. pleasant and
eileen OF taste. So popular and supreme
IS Chinese failh in its power that the
sum OF three pounds Of gold is gladly ex-
changed for ore pound of ginseng.
Although really not indigenous, as it is
a native of Manchuria, il forms a great
exception to the usually abhorred for
eign thing" it is cultivated nurtured, even
guarded carefully from the profane or
greedy intruder.
Its Habitat.
| To the northeast of Pekin between it
\ n no
a wild and almost inaccessible hilly coun-
try OF deep wild forests. which is staked
in by high palisades and strongly guarded
| by Chinese soldiers. who prevent intru-
sion. F1e government would make of it's
| SroWS9 monopoly, and many a Tartar
risks life and limb 10 cross the Rubeon
and steal the treasure. The Tartar in
his name of Orhota. considers it as the
chief of plants.
Huge Botanic Excursion.
When Tartary was surveyed by the
emperor Kam-he the well known Pere
JartouX was enjoned by the Emperor to
watch for the ginseng. On this occasion
| a Veritable army OF Tartars, 10 600 in num-
Der, We're employed to gather the valued
| piano, and this army of botanists was
| sub-divided into companies of 100 men
| each. under chief
For six months they crossed and re-
crossed the country. till every availabl
root was gathered in. and after allowing
two ounces apiece 10 each gatherer she
| remainder was bought in by equal weight
in pure silver.
| The Chinese doctor. in distinctive cos
'ume and wearing mis- peculiar google
| spectacies-eyes and rims of which are
| duke made of clear tortoise shell-may
be called in consultation for light or seri-
Gus cases of illness, but his remedy. like
| the turpentine cure of the Florida negro
| is always and ever-ginseng.
The man who is too i'll to be cured by
ginseng is called to the Celestial Land of
| his ancestors; the man who is cured IS
not ready 10 join the departed.
The Lotus Bean.
With far more Of mystic than of ma
terial regard de wo find the Nelumbo or
| sacred lotus bean enter into the Chinese
conception of an ideal or higher life
| Egypt. wherein it ruled as the great en-
blem Of sanetity and claimed as its fol-
lowers a devoted priesthood 4OoO years
ago, now knows 1t not; and so to India
and China principally may we go TO see
| and learn of the sacred lotus
| Above all sacred plants is it cherished
| by Chinese and Japs alike; the flower of
flowers, uncontaminated by the muddy
waters on which it floats, this Lien-wha
| ana Its beauties are sung by the poets it's
| virtues eXtol1ed and worshpped; for ac-
| cording to Chinese theology il is the nee
| tar and enters into the beverage of i'm
| mortality.
No greater pleasure. no higher form of
| enjoyment is conceivable for mortal man
than to float upon the river in moonlight
amidst the lotus beds. II is a taste Of the
blessed life to come and Is truly a purely
| Ideal, as well as intensely simple mode of
| enjoyment, when compared with our noisy
| beer gardens and garish display of col
| ored lights; and yet we regard this ardent
| admirer of the lotus, ever and always. as
| the heather Chnee To him il is typical
| of female beauty and on its leaves the
| mysterious god Puzza, is reverently seat
| ed. Nor Is the lotus without it's associa-
| tons for the Christian. lis fruit is di-
| vided into valves and in each rests a nut
| about1he size of a 1lbert with flavor more
delicate than that of the almond When
| ground IL was often mixed with flour for
| bread. In ancient days when nuts were
| encased in balls of clay and thrown out
| upon the watery bosom of the mighty
Nile custom which commentators seem
to think forms the real explanation of our
! popular text: Cast Thy bread upon the
waters, for thou shalt find it after many
days
The Rice.
Rice, the grain of grains in all Eastern
! countries, is estimated in China as the
symbol OF life. generation and abundance
| In the spring, at the great fire festival.
the priests of Tao carry baskets of rice
and salt towards the various flaming
hrasiers, and as they walk in circles
around each one they cast in alternate
! handfuls of salt and rice, the former to
! purify the flame and thereby TO produce
| an abundant harvest of the latter.
/ The japanese have very wonderful le-
! gend Of the discovery of the rice by a
mouse, which is, TO a limited extent, be-
| lieved also by the Chinese. In anciert
! days the priests of Nikko (Bonzes) lived
! solely on roots and herbs until one day a
| BonZe saw a little mouse carrying 10 its
! hole various grains. Anxious to find out
] where the mouse had found these he tran
! ped is and tied 10 one of its legs a silk
! thread, ana then, setting it free whilst
| holding the slken clue in his hand he
! followed the mouse on and on into a far
! off land, where rice grew abaundantly
The Bonze remained and learned of us
! cultivation; then returned, bringing grain
| with him for seed in his own land. Soon
the crop he had sowed sprang up. the
! people learned 10 like il. and ever since
the mouse has been one of the sacred
! animals to the japanese poor. sort OF
| fetish to be hung up in every house
/ even worshped under the name Of
Diakoku-Sama. The throwing Of rice at
weddings IS distinctly a borrowed custom
fr,s tna nrfa