GINSENG, the root of a species of Panax (P. ginseng), na tive of Manchuria and Korea, be longing to the family Araliaceae, which is used in China as a medi cine. Other roots are substituted for it, notably that of Panax quinque f olium, distinguished as American ginseng, and imported from the United States. At one time the ginseng obtained from Manchuria was considered to be the finest quality, and in conse quence became so scarce that an imperial edict was issued prohib iting its collection. That prepared in Korea is now the most es teemed variety. The root of the wild plant is preferred to that of cultivated ginseng, and the older the plant the better is the quality of the root considered to be. Great care is required in the preparation of the drug.
Ginseng of good quality generally occurs in hard, rather brittle, translucent pieces, about the size of the little finger, and varying in length from tin. to 4in. The taste is mucilaginous, sweetish, and slightly bitter and aromatic. The root is frequently forked, and it is probably owing to this circumstance that medicinal properties were in the first place attributed to it, its resemblance to the body of a man being supposed to indicate that it could restore virile power to the aged and impotent. In price it varies from $6 to $12 to the enormous sum of $300 or $400 an ounce.
The action of the drug appears to be entirely psychic, and com parable to that of the mandrake of the Hebrews. There is no evi dence that it possesses any pharmacological or therapeutic prop erties.