The plant is called the root of life. Ginseng root, its healing power and uses in folk medicine. The use of ginseng root

The root of life is popularly called ginseng. It is believed that this plant prolongs life. Therefore, even healthy residents of China, Japan and Korea after 40 years of age take ginseng-based medicines.

Ginseng - the root of life

In Greek mythology, Panacea was the daughter of the physician god Asclepius.

Traditional medicine recipes

An infusion of ginseng root with honey is especially useful for low hemoglobin in the blood.

Ginseng five leaf. Botanical illustration from William Woodville's Medical Botany, 1790-1794.

Useful properties and contraindications of ginseng have been known for 20 centuries BC. In any case, this is what ancient Chinese sources say. Literally from Chinese, the name of this plant is translated as "man-root" (zhen - man, shen - root). In Europe, the miraculous properties of grass were learned in the 17th century. In the East, recipes for preparing ginseng potions are still kept secret. What mysterious healing power is hidden in this plant?

Features of ginseng

East is a delicate matter. For example, Chinese folk healers believe that different parts of the root have healing properties. It is sometimes difficult for a European person to understand and accept the intricacies of Eastern medicine. But it is in them - the power and secrets of healing. In the old Russian herbalists, the description of the medicinal plant ginseng is rarely found, since it does not grow in the European part of Russia. Therefore, for genuine information, it is better to turn to the eastern primary sources.

Growth area

The habitat of ginseng is broken, therefore, species of the same genus of plants are found on two continents - in Eurasia and North America. East Asia is the birthplace of ginseng. The grass grows in China, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam. In Russia, it can be seen less often in Altai, more often in the Far East. In the wild, the plant is found in moist deciduous forests with good shade. In the mountains, it can be found on the northern and eastern slopes.

Botanical description

This is a perennial herbaceous plant that can reach a height of 30 to 50 cm. The main root is thickened, branching, up to 12 cm long, with rhizomes, small shoots. The root is grayish-yellow in color, has a pleasant aroma. At the bottom, the root branches into two main processes, which gives it the shape of a human figure. The plant has one stem with 2–5 wide leaves up to 40 cm long. The flowers of the plant are small, collected in an umbrella, are white or pink. The fruit is a red drupe with a pair of white seeds. The grass blooms in the summer months, and the fruits ripen in September.

Kinds

In botany, 12 types of ginseng are described. Not all of them are used in medicine.

Siberian ginseng belongs to the Araliaceae family, but is not a species of ginseng. So the people call it, which is close in chemical composition and application to the "root of life".

Growing and harvesting

The plant is grown as a medicinal raw material in China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, as well as in the Primorsky Territory of Russia.

Due to extensive harvesting over many decades in the wild, ginseng is now extirpated, especially in Korea. Every year this plant becomes more and more expensive medicinal raw material. It was possible to obtain a biomass from ginseng cells using a biotechnological method, similar in quality to this medicinal plant. This makes the drug more accessible.

Healing effect and indications for use

Ginseng is revered not only by residents of Eastern countries. In the West, many laboratory studies were carried out to study the pharmacological properties of the plant, which is officially recognized as a medicinal raw material throughout the world. What are the medicinal properties of ginseng?

According to the pharmacological classification, ginseng belongs to the group of general tonic drugs.

Ginseng contraindications: hypertension, irritability, mental illness, congenital diseases of the central nervous system, convulsions, hyperthyroidism, fever, purulent processes, blood clotting disorders, acute period of infection. In case of overdose, there may be: nervous excitement, insomnia, headache, tachycardia, urticaria, vomiting, diarrhea, nosebleeds.

Application in traditional medicine

There are various forms of ginseng release: tincture, vegetable raw materials in the form of dried plates, canned roots, soft drinks, extract, ground powder.

Ginseng medicines

Pharmacological preparations of ginseng are available in various dosage forms, have a tonic, tonic effect.

It is important to remember that tranquilizers, sedatives and antiepileptics, neuroleptics are antagonists in relation to ginseng preparations. They cannot be taken at the same time. Also, the root can enhance the effect of hypoglycemic (antidiabetic) drugs and drugs that slow down the blood clotting process. Also, ginseng-based preparations should not be taken with other stimulants. From the diet you need to exclude coffee, strong tea, alcohol.

Benefits for men

Ginseng is a well-known aphrodisiac. It contains substances that stimulate sexual activity. With weak potency, erectile dysfunction, infertility, low sperm motility, the doctor may prescribe a long course of treatment with ginseng granules, tincture, tablets. Also, the drug is recommended for men engaged in heavy physical labor. You can prepare an alcohol tincture at home, for this you need to purchase a dry ginseng root.

Cooking

1. Grind 100 g of dry ginseng root.
2. Put in a glass dish.
3. Pour 0.5 liters of vodka.
4. Leave for 30 days at room temperature in a dark place.

Take tincture of 25 drops 3 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 30 days. Shake the tincture before each dose.

Benefits for women

For women, ginseng is useful in the premenopausal and menopausal period, it normalizes pressure surges, evens out the emotional state. Until the age of 45, it is not recommended to take it often, only as directed by a doctor. The anti-aging effect of this plant has been known since ancient times: it improves complexion, tones the skin, smoothes wrinkles, removes bags, dark circles under the eyes. It is important to remember: ginseng in any form is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, as well as for bleeding.

Is it possible to give the drug to children

For children under 12 years of age, ginseng-based preparations are contraindicated. Chinese healers do not recommend taking this medicinal plant until the age of 16. It is believed that the vitality of a growing child does not require any additional stimulation. The body should not be "lazy" and rely on some external, additional means. Also, the prohibition is explained by the peculiarities of the children's nervous system, which is often in a state of excitement. Grass can cause a number of unpleasant side effects in a child - nervous excitement, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, insomnia.

Features of application in Chinese traditional medicine

Of course, none of the instructions for use for Western preparations made on the basis of ginseng speaks of energy channels, the stagnation of vital energy "qi", the true causes of the disease. Chinese healers do not recommend using the herb for people under the age of forty, unless there are any serious illnesses. It is believed that the body at this age can cope with its own resources. In Chinese medicine, in case of qi stagnation (various inflammatory processes in the body), when energy does not pass freely through the channels, stimulants, tonics such as ginseng cannot be used to raise vitality. It is necessary to establish the cause of the stagnation of energy. It lies in the realm of the spirit and consciousness of man.

Ginseng root is a powerful natural tonic that restores the body's strength during physical exertion, mental, psycho-emotional overwork. It is useful to take it during the recovery period after a long illness, as an immunostimulant for prophylactic purposes during epidemics of influenza, SARS. In this case, the grass can not be drunk like vitamins. Before using it, be sure to consult a doctor.

medicinal plant ginseng- perennial herbaceous plant of the Araliaceae family (Araliaceae), up to 80 cm high, rarely higher. Underground organs - rhizome and thickened main root. The root is taproot, oblong-cylindrical, usually with 2-6 thickened lateral branches (processes) and with thin skeletal roots (lobes), has a total length of 60 cm or more; the thickness of the main root is up to 3 cm. On the main and lateral roots, numerous very fragile seasonal suction roots develop in spring and die off by autumn, after the death of which characteristic nodule-shaped tubercles remain on the roots.

Medicinal plant Common ginseng has a fleshy root (contains up to 75% water), fragrant, grayish-yellow on the cut. The rhizome of wild plants is usually thin, up to 10 cm long or more, with clearly defined, spirally arranged scars, which are formed annually when the above-ground shoots die off. The annual growth of the root of the medicinal plant Common ginseng averages 1 g or a little more. The above-ground shoot is usually single, much less often there are multi-stemmed plants - with 2 (sometimes up to 6-7) shoots. The stem is straight, thin, cylindrical, green or brown-red, glabrous, hollow inside. Leaves in young plants 1-2, in adults 4-5 (rarely up to 7); they are long-petiolate, usually five-fingered-complex, up to 40 cm long, located in a rosette at the top of the stem. Leaf petioles with a purple-red tint. In mature plants, a peduncle up to 25 cm high with one simple umbrella develops from the center of the leaf rosette; below it there are often smaller lateral umbrellas. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, with a white corolla. The fruit of the medicinal plant Common Ginseng is a bright red, lower, usually two-seed, often one-seed, rarely three-seed drupe.

Medicinal plant Common ginseng blooms in July, the fruits ripen in August - September. Propagated only by seeds. Seeds germinate only 18-22 months after autumn sowing (part of the seeds only in the 3rd or 4th year), which is associated with the underdevelopment of the embryo in them. Lives up to 150 years.

Wild ginseng grows in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory, in the Primorsky Territory, as well as in Korea, China, and Manchuria. It grows mainly in cedar-deciduous forests, sometimes with an admixture of fir and spruce, less often in oak or hornbeam forests with an admixture of aspen, maple, ash and linden. Prefers loose, humus-rich, moderately moist soils. Does not tolerate direct sunlight and therefore never found in open places.

The first written mention of the medicinal plant Ginseng is noted in the ancient Chinese work on the medicinal properties of "Shennong-bencao" dating back to the 1st century BC, although it has been used in oriental folk medicine for at least 4-5 thousand years. And there was no more legendary plant in the history of all medicine. He was credited with the property not only to heal all diseases, but also to instill life in a dying person. The people called it the "root of life", "miracle of the world", "strike of immortality" and other equally loud names. The extraordinary glory of the plant gave rise to a real "ginseng fever" and became the cause of many tragedies and crimes. In 1709, Emperor Kan-Hi introduced an absolute monopoly on ginseng harvesting. Searches, extraction of a medicinal root were strictly scheduled. Pickers who received special permission went to the taiga under guard. Only at the edge of the forest was each determined the place of search and the place of exit from the taiga. For a strictly designated search time, the necessary supply of food was issued. The forests of China, where the medicinal plant Ginseng has been harvested for thousands of years, were depleted, therefore, from the middle of the 19th century, the Ussuri region became the most productive place for extracting the root.

Natural roots of a medicinal plant Common ginseng weighing 100-200 g is a rarity. In 1981, an unusually large ginseng root was found in China. Its weight was 500 g, and the length of the process was 65 cm. This root had many branches and pearl growths, which make it especially valuable. An even rarer specimen was found in 1905 in Manchuria during the construction of a railway. The plant was 200 years old and its root weighed 600 g. The root was sold in Shanghai for $5,000, which was only half of its true value.

For the first time in Russia, the medicinal plant Common Ginseng (it was brought by the Russian envoy to the court of the Chinese emperor, the boyar N. G. Sapphiry) came in 1675 from China.

For medicinal purposes, the roots of the medicinal plant Common Ginseng are used (of particular interest is the root, which in appearance resembles a human figure) (Radix Ginseng). When harvesting the roots (in September), the above-ground shoots are first cut off, then the roots are carefully dug up with garden pitchforks and shaken off the ground; in the process of subsequent sorting (into healthy, diseased, damaged and underdeveloped), the roots are thoroughly cleaned of soil. Commercial maturity of the roots of wild plants occurs after 25-30 years of ginseng life. In culture, the roots are dug out at the age of 5-8 years. The average weight of 6-7-year-old ginseng roots is 40-60 g. The plant is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, therefore, wild-growing ginseng is harvested only under licenses. The dug-out roots of the medicinal plant Common ginseng are kept over vapors of water heated to 80 ° C for an hour and dried in the shade for at least one to two months, until they become completely hard, light brown in color. These roots are called red. They can be stored for many years. The smell of raw materials is weak, specific, the taste is bittersweet.

Extracted from the root: panax-saponin pacacquillon of unknown composition; essential oil, which includes sesquiterpenes; paiaxic acid, consisting of a mixture of fatty acids - palmigic, stearic, oleic, linogsic; ginsenin, phytosterol, mucus, resins, enzymes, B vitamins; a small amount of alkaloids of unknown composition; iron, manganese, aluminum, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon.

Medicinal plant Common ginseng - a strong energy reductant; in this regard, it is a means of tonic cardiac activity, restoring intellectual and physical strength and, accordingly, increasing excitability; finally, it increases the resistance of a poorly developing embryo. It is especially recommended to prevent the effects of aging and is considered a life-prolonging agent.

It is generally accepted that the medicinal plant Ginseng excites the central nervous system, which allows us to classify it as a substance that enhances the processes of excitation and weakens the processes of inhibition in the cerebral cortex. However, controversial questions about the effect of various doses of ginseng on the central nervous, cardiovascular and other systems have not yet been clarified. The stimulating effect of ginseng on the body is attributed to papaxin. Panaxic acid enhances metabolic processes and promotes faster breakdown of fats. Panakvillon stimulates the endocrine apparatus and increases the content of hormones in the body. Ginzenin regulates carbohydrate metabolism, lowers blood sugar and increases glycogen synthesis. Accelerates the healing of ulcers, increases the secretion of bile, the concentration of bilirubin and bile acids in it, increases the sensitivity of the human eye when adapting to darkness, and inhibits the vital activity of some microorganisms.

Preparations from the medicinal plant Common ginseng are used for hypotension, mental and physical fatigue, decreased performance, fatigue, exhaustion, functional diseases of the cardiovascular system, anemia, neurasthenia, hysteria, sexual dysfunction, asthenic conditions caused by various diseases (diabetes , tuberculosis, malaria, etc.). It can be prescribed for atherosclerosis. In oriental medicine, it was believed that ginseng increases the body's immunity, and its systematic use helps to lengthen life.

In China, the medicinal plant Common Ginseng is used in the form of powders, pills, tinctures, decoctions, extracts, ointments, and also in the form of a tea called ginseng. In China, where traditional medicine has known ginseng for 4,000 years and considers ginseng root to be the "supreme essence", all kinds of properties are attributed to it.

Tincture from the root of a medicinal plant Common ginseng: pour a root weighing 40-50 g with cold boiled sweet water for 3-4 hours, chop, pour 0.5 l of 40% alcohol or strong vodka and leave for 21 days in a dark place. Take 1 time per day 0.5 hours before meals, 1 teaspoon without drinking water. Drunk amount of tincture topped up with vodka for 14 days. The course of treatment is 90 days with two breaks of 10 days. This course of treatment can be repeated only after a year.

Ginseng root extract: a root weighing 40-50 g is crushed, poured with water and boiled until the liquid boils away to 50% of the original volume. Cool and drink 1 tsp. 2 times a day, morning and evening before meals.

Ginseng powder take 0.25 g 3 times a day, starting with small doses, gradually moving to their increase.

For myocardial infarction, take 20 g of ginseng root and 0.5 kg of bee honey. Mix root powder with honey, leave for 1 week, stirring frequently. Take 1/4 teaspoon 3 times a day (especially useful for low hemoglobin in the blood).

In case of heart failure, powdered dry roots of the medicinal plant Ginseng ordinary take 0.25 g 2-3 times a day.

Pour dry ginseng root with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Take 10-15 drops 2-3 times a day.

In case of loss of strength, hypertension, exhaustion, nervous diseases, pour ginseng root with 50% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Infuse for a week. Take 15-30 drops 2-3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 30-40 days, then take a break for 2-3 weeks. Take no more than three courses in total.

Pour boiling water over ginseng root in a ratio of 1:10. Insist 1 hour. Drink 1 teaspoon per dose.

Powder of the root of the medicinal plant Common ginseng take 0.3 g 2-3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 30-40 days, then take a break for 2-3 weeks. Take no more than three courses in total.

With prolonged use of ginseng, side effects may occur: insomnia, headache, pain in the heart, palpitations, depression. It is dangerous in severe cases of hypertension with pronounced sclerotic changes in the vessels of the heart and head, as well as in feverish conditions and bleeding.

This perennial plant is the real king of ancient Chinese and Tibetan medicine. The root of life - this is how the name ginseng is translated, the beneficial properties of which are glorified in ancient legends more than once. Another literal translation is root man, probably due to the resemblance of the root to a human figure.

It is believed that drugs based on the root of this plant can bring a seriously ill person back to life. And regular intake of ginseng preparations will ensure, if not immortality, then life up to 100 years (although no ginseng will help from a brick that fell on the head from the 15th floor, or from a gangster bullet).

Thousand-year history of the root of life

The earliest recorded mention of ginseng in the medical writings of Ancient China, available to contemporaries, dates back to the 16th century BC. A quarter of a millennium later, Avicenna mentioned the miracle root in the famous Canon of Medical Practice.

Europeans got acquainted with ginseng at the beginning of the 17th century. Dried root of life from Asia was transported by Dutch traders. In the Russian Empire, ginseng was first heard at the end of the 17th century from Spafariy, the ambassador to China. And some fans of Jackie Chan films learned about this plant from the movie "Drunken Master".

Ginseng appears in a huge number of ancient legends. So, one of them tells that he grew up in the place where lightning struck the free waters of a source in the mountains. The stream went underground, freeing space for the root of life, which absorbed the power of heavenly fire. In China, the name of this plant is still denoted by hieroglyphs, which literally translate as lightning root.

In general, in the East, a miracle plant has many beautiful names: the gift of the gods (divine grass), salt (or spirit) of the Earth, a miracle of nature. There is an Eastern belief that blooming ginseng glows with fiery light on a magical night. If you dig up such a root, then it supposedly will help to resurrect a deceased loved one - the Chinese have always been distinguished by their developed imagination and deviations of their ideas from reality, because it is obvious to any reasonable person that only God can resurrect and kill. By the way, only the most daring and desperate try to get the miraculous root, because, according to legend, the tiger and the dragon guarded the root of life (you must have seen dragons in Chinese zoos?)).

From legends to unique composition

Behind the world millennial glory of the plant is its incredible composition, which even today is not fully understood. But it is known for certain that not only the ginseng root has a beneficial effect on human health - the terrestrial parts of the plant also have the properties to rejuvenate and heal the body.

Ginseng contains glycosides, tannins, trace elements, including sulfur and phosphorus, as well as vitamins C and E. The attention of scientists today is also attracted by essential oils, biologically active peptides and polysaccharides. Relatively recently, metallic germanium was found in the composition of the root of life, which, coupled with vitamins, also has a beneficial effect on the body.

About the healing properties of ginseng

The main thing for which ginseng was loved at all times in different parts of the world is its analgesic and tonic effect. Its use relieves fatigue, improves memory, removes depression, increases efficiency.

Among the medicinal properties - stimulation of bile production, normalization of blood pressure, a positive effect on the endocrine system, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Showing ginseng and preparations based on it and patients with diabetes - the plant regulates blood glucose levels.

Ginseng can also help men who have age-related problems - its use in sexual disorders brings good results. Ginseng stimulates blood formation, has a positive effect on vision, and has a wound healing effect.

Recent studies attribute anti-cancer effects to the substances found in ginseng leaves.

Against stress and aging

The most popular ginseng is precisely as a component of the elixir of youth. In Asian countries, the root of life is eaten fresh by simply chewing small pieces of the root. Another Eastern recipe for longevity is to steam the root of life in earthenware. Drink a decoction, and eat boiled ginseng.

One of the reasons why ginseng root prolongs life is its ability to fight the negative effects of stress on the human body. For example, those who have experienced a difficult situation are recommended to drink a monthly course of ginseng tincture according to the following scheme: 20 drops daily, twice a day, before breakfast and before dinner.

To overcome depression, you can take any drug containing ginseng: the instructions for use will tell you how to drink this remedy.

To whom is the miracle root contraindicated?

Unfortunately, not everyone is given the opportunity to check how truly miraculous the ginseng root is - the use in a number of diseases is strictly prohibited. You can not take drugs based on ginseng for hypertension, increased nervous excitability, sleep disorders, epilepsy and diseases in which there is increased bleeding, for example, with hemorrhagic diathesis.

It is worth refraining from the use of ginseng during pregnancy and feeding the baby. Do not give ginseng preparations to children under 12 years of age (alcohol tinctures should not be taken at all: alcohol is a poison).

In the Chinese pharmacopoeia "Ben-Cao-Ganmu", published in 1596, the most honorable place among medicinal plants was assigned to a plant, denoted by two hieroglyphs: "zhen" - a person and "shadow" - a root. The roots of this plant, indeed somewhat reminiscent of a human figure, were used in China for medicinal purposes about three thousand years ago. As an obligatory component, they were part of a large number of medicines of Chinese medicine. There were legends about the healing properties of ginseng. He was credited with the property not only to heal all diseases, but also to instill life in a dying person. The people called it "the root of life", "the miracle of the world."

In Europe, the medicinal properties of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.M.) first became known in the 17th century. An interesting description of the effect of ginseng on a person was given in 1675 by the Russian envoy to China, Spafarius: “And that root is boiled and given to those who are weak from long infirmity, and gives great help. What to give to a healthy person is much more harmful, because it multiplies bodily vapors and multiplies blood.

Travelers, ship captains, returning from China, Korea, Japan, brought to Europe information about numerous cases of healing with ginseng, which they themselves witnessed or heard from knowledgeable people. There were rumors that Chinese medicine recommends taking ginseng for almost all diseases, so the famous Swedish botanist Linie in 1753 gave this plant the Latin name "panax", which can be translated as "all-healing". Too loud, inflated by rumors, the fame that preceded the appearance of ginseng in Europe only damaged it in the opinion of European doctors. Many were skeptical in advance of this Chinese panacea, the enthusiasm of others soon faded after unsuccessful attempts to apply the "theory of life", which, of course, did not have all-healing properties. As a result, many European and American doctors began to form the opinion that the exceptional therapeutic effect of ginseng attributed by Chinese doctors is imaginary, and this root is just as beneficial to the body as, for example, parsley root.

Ginseng has long attracted the attention of Russian medicine. In 1859, Maak, the head of an expeditionary detachment that explored the valley of the Ussuri River, was given a special task to collect all the information about the legendary root. In his report on the expedition, Maak wrote: "In Europe, ginseng has not yet come into use, and many experiments made on it have forced European doctors to abandon it, but this may have come from the fact that good quality ginseng was not always tested and they gave it in the wrong ways, or in the wrong diseases, in which it can be useful. This opinion, expressed more than a hundred years ago, was confirmed by the work of Soviet scientists, who conducted a thorough comprehensive study of the action of ginseng preparations and proved that they have a very valuable property to stimulate the work of the human body, increase its efficiency and resistance to diseases. The tonic effect of ginseng is universal, it affects the whole body and, first of all, the central nervous system. This action is useful in a number of diseases: fatigue, age-related disorders. During the Great Patriotic War, ginseng helped our wounded soldiers recover their health faster and return to duty. Procurement organizations of the Far East donated many hundreds of thousands of rubles of ginseng roots to the defense fund.

Ginseng is found in the extreme east of Asia (Primorye, Korea, Northern China) and in the eastern Atlantic regions of North America (Canada, USA). It is a fairly graceful herbaceous plant with a straight stem, from which long petioles of complex leaves, consisting of five separate leaves, radially depart at the top. The root of the plant is white or yellowish, thickened and fleshy. Fleshy processes extend from the root body, and the lower end of the root is often bifurcated. All this creates a certain resemblance to the human figure, which many previously seemed mystical. However, a similar structure has the roots of a number of other plants.

Ginseng impresses with its longevity, unusual for herbaceous plants. However, it can be very difficult to find old ginseng in the forest, as it is constantly hunted for. And yet, in 1905, during the construction of the railway in Manchuria, a unique specimen of ginseng was found at the age of about 200 years! The root of this taiga patriarch, which miraculously survived for two centuries, weighed 600 g, while roots weighing 100-200 g are already considered a rarity. This root was sold in Shanghai for a large sum - 5 thousand dollars, which, according to the Shanghai merchants, was not even half of its real value.

Ginseng is a relic plant, a surviving representative of the flora of ancient geological eras. For many tens of millennia, this plant stubbornly fought for existence with younger and better adapted to new conditions species of other plants. But the onslaught of newcomers was irresistible. They gradually, step by step, forced ginseng out of the most suitable habitats for its development into the depths of a multi-tiered forest, farther and farther from the life-giving rays of the sun. If ginseng could not adapt to new unfavorable conditions, it would suffer the sad fate of many plants that have not come down to us, which we can judge only by far from complete fossil remains.

Where ginseng grows, there are no or few other herbaceous plants, since the rays of the sun, barely breaking through the dense crowns of trees, bring too little energy, which is so necessary for the life of plants. This is one of the reasons why wild ginseng, an outcast plant, develops very slowly. Usually, until the age of nine, the plant has only two leaves, only in the tenth year of life does it have a third leaf. According to Chinese doctors, only the roots of three-leaf ginseng and older plants have healing properties. Twenty-year-old plants have four leaves on the stem, older plants have five and very rarely six leaves. A completely different picture is observed in ginseng plants on plantations, where a person creates the most favorable conditions for him. Here already three-year-old plants have three leaves, five-year-old plants have four, and sometimes more. Ginseng roots grow much faster under favorable conditions. The growth of roots in plants on plantations for 2 - 3 years reaches 109 g and exceeds the usual weight of the roots of wild plants of twenty years of age.

Initially, only the roots of wild plants were used in medicine. Gathering ginseng roots is an ancient craft. It originated in China and at one time was the monopoly of the Chinese emperors, who kept a whole army of collectors who, under pain of severe punishment, were obliged to hand over all the booty to the emperor's confidants. Predatory extermination of ginseng in the forests of Severnog. China and Korea has led to the fact that at present wild-growing ginseng is found in significant quantities only in our Far East, in the remote mountain taiga. As a rule, ginseng grows singly, but there are also whole families of three to five, sometimes more plants. Soviet Primorye is the main supplier of wild-growing ginseng root on the world market. Its preparation is carried out by special assemblers or rooters who hand over their products to procurement offices. In turn, the procurement offices supply root growers with food, clothing, weapons, and ammunition.

When digging ginseng roots, great importance is attached to maintaining the integrity of both the main root and its smallest branches - lobes, since the damaged root quickly rots and loses its qualities. Therefore, when digging a root, it is not recommended to use iron tools (spatulas, knives), but only wooden or bone ones. Digging up the root begins at a considerable distance from the stem (a meter or more), so as not to damage the tender lobes extending to the sides. The dug out root is carefully cleaned from the ground and carefully transferred to a birch bark box filled with fresh earth and covered with moss.

Rootstockers determine the age of plants by the number of leaves or scars on the root collar. The root from a three-leaf plant is called tantase by collectors, from a four-leaf one - sypia, from a five-leaf one - upia, and from an extremely rare six-leaf one - a line. The collection of the root is allowed only from August, after the ripening of the fruits of the plants. The rooter must plant the fallen ginseng seeds found in the soil and mark the place of incorporation with a notch on a tree or some other conventional sign. Every year in the Ussuri taiga, root growers collect 10-15 thousand ginseng roots.

The depletion of wild ginseng reserves, as well as the great difficulties associated with its production, have long suggested the cultivation of this whimsical plant. Even Chinese rooters resorted to this technique. They dug up relatively young and still of no value ginseng plants found in the remote taiga from the ground and transplanted them to a secluded place, closer to their homes. Gradually, several dozen plants accumulated on such a plantation, which were carefully cared for. The adopted plants developed faster under favorable conditions than their wild relatives, and after a few years they could be dug up. However, Chinese doctors soon unraveled this secret and significantly reduced the price of cultivated ginseng root, saying that, despite its sufficient weight, it does not have the same healing power as wild. Chinese doctors adhere to this opinion to this day, but studies by Soviet scientists do not confirm it.

Despite the significantly lower procurement price, and perhaps because of it, cultivated ginseng more and more replaced the extremely expensive wild-growing "root of life" in medicine.

In the Soviet Union, ginseng cultivation began relatively recently, since 1930. Initially, ginseng plantations were organized in the Far East, near the areas of its natural growth, and then in new areas: in the North Caucasus, Ukraine, and Moldova. It turned out that even in the Moscow region, with careful care, ginseng feels good. Those who wish to verify this can visit the ginseng plantation at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Bitsa Station, Moscow-Kursk Railway).

The chemical composition of ginseng roots has not yet been studied enough. It is believed that the main active ingredients of ginseng are glycosides. Some of the ginseng glycosides have the character of saponins and a very complex structure. Some ginseng saponins give stable foam when their solutions are shaken and cause blood hemolysis, while others do not have this property. Vitamins B 1 and B 2 were also found in the roots of the plant, and it was found that vitamin B 1 is mainly contained in the main root, and vitamin B 2 - in the shoots.

Studies of representatives of the Araliaceae botanical family, to which ginseng belongs, have shown that tonic properties are also inherent in some of its closest "relatives" - zamaniha, Manchurian aralia and eleuthercoccus. Pharmacological experiments, and then clinical trials of preparations from these plants have shown their good tonic properties. Currently, these drugs are widely used in domestic medical practice.