The Ginseng Plant

A ginseng root, with its stocky middle and arm and leg-like appendages, is said to resemble the human form. According to the lore of traditional Chinese medicine, the greater the likeness, the more formidable its medicinal qualities. And for thousands of years Chinese from all walks of life have coveted the fleshy root. Emperors ruling from the confines of the Forbidden City made a point of supping the bitter herb each day to improve their intellectual abilities. Peasants in the countryside used it more judiciously, ingesting it to cure disease or give them a boost when energy levels ebbed. Today, the list of ailments and diseases apparently cured by ginseng reads like an index to a medical textbook. Few of the claims are supported by scientific proof, though.