Story about Ginseng
Story about Ginseng
Story about Ginseng
Ginseng is a special herb in TCM. It appears in the shape of human beings and thus was regarded by people in ancient China as a magic herb. It was thought to be the crystallization of earth essence and significantly effective for treating serious diseases. Besides, ginseng was also regarded as an auspicious sign that could bring people safety and happiness.
The Concepts of Tonifying Deficiency and Purging Excess
Originally deficiency meant emptiness and tonifying meant to fill in the emptiness. Because only when essence in the body was lost could pathogenic factors invade the body to fill in the empty region due to lack of essence. The causes of diseases in the book entitled Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun (Etiological Studies on Various Diseases) compiled in the Sui Dynasty were just explained according to such a theory. Since ginseng was thought to be the crystallization of the essence from both tile heaven and the earth, it was naturally used to deal with deficiency problems. Such an application can be found in Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Diseases) written in the Eastern Han Dynasty by Zhang Zhongjing, the sage of medicine in China. Modern studies have revealed the pharmacological functions and actions of saponin contained in ginseng.
Excess and purgation are another examples which reflect the application of the theory of yin-yang in TCM. Early in the book entitled Li2 Shi Chun Qiu (Lii's Analects of History) compiled in the Qin Dynasty, it was concluded that the cause of all diseases was stagnation due to attack of pathogenic factors. The authors of this book, by adopting concepts of medicine, tried to explain social problems. However such a way of social analysis also greatly influenced the thinking of doctors.
Under the influence of monism about the universe based on tai ji (supreme ultimate which was the absolute in ancient Chinese cosmology, presented as the primary source of all created things), yuan qi (primordial-q/), yin and yang, doctors in dynasties developed various etiologies and therapeutics based on monism. That was why there appeared such phenomena as "four great schools of medicine in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties". Among these schools, Zhang Congzheng (1156-1228) put forward the suggestion that all diseases were caused by invasion of pathogenic factors into the body and the only way to deal with diseases was to attack pathogenic factors. When such an idea was introduced to Japan, it was further developed and evolved into the theories that "all diseases are caused by stagnation" suggested by Gotoukonzan (1659-1733) and "all diseases are caused by one kind of toxin" suggested by Yoshimasutoudou (1702-1773).
Popular Use of Ginseng
Ginseng is a precious herb, very expensive. To ordinary people, it is impossible to take ginseng to treat diseases. Very often dang shen (Radix Codonopsis) and taizi shen (Radix Pseudostellariae) are used as substitutes for ginseng.
Now with the development of economy and improvement of living standards, the products of ginseng become more and more popular in China.Besides, artificial cultivation of ginseng has greatly promoted the production of this valuable herb. Now ginseng is no longer as precious as it used to be.
To take ginseng to treat disease or to cultivate health is in fact a cultural phenomenon in China. If one is asked about which herb is the most precious and effective one, the answer is undoubtedly ginseng. If you make such a survey in Korea, Singapore and Indonesia, the results will be the same.
The story about ginseng can explain the concept of deficiency in Chinese culture. To the Westerners, exhaustion and weakness are not diseases. However to Chinese people, they are all concepts of diseases. The so-called Deficiency Syndrome in TCM includes quite a number of pathological conditions, such as qi deficiency, blood deficiency, spleen deficiency, kidney deficiency, yin deficiency and yang deficiency etc. Patients may not be clear about these concepts, but they are quite satisfied with doctors' ambiguous diagnosis because they understand what deficiency means. Anxiety about deficiency can well explain why Chinese people like to buy various tonic foods or healthcare products to treat deficiency syndromes and to strengthen their body. Such an attitude quite accords with the popular saying of buying health with money. The idea of buying health with money is also shared by Westerners. However the way that the Westerners do it is to travel or do physical exercise with their money.
Now with the increasing popularization of Western culture in China, Chinese people become more and more interested in travel and physical exercise. The tonic medicines, the content of vitamin and trace elements in which are modified according to the criteria of the Westerners, covers quite a great share in China.
Cultural communication is bi-directional. It was said that the Westerners did not take ginseng before and the ginsengs growing in the North America were mainly exported to China and other Asian countries. Now the Westerners also take ginseng and import tonic medicines like royal jelly from China. Though the Westerners still do not regard weakness and exhaustion as diseases, they begin to take it as sub-health or the third state of health. With the development of immunity, many diseases are thought to be caused by low immunity. Then tonic medicines like ginseng can be used to strengthen immunity. Maybe such a ginseng culture in China will exert certain influence on the thinking of the Westerns about health.
One point should be borne in mind. Though ginseng is a symbol of tonic medicine, it can never enable people to live as immortals. Besides, ginseng also bears some side toxic effects. In China there is an old saying, "Ginseng kills people without being accused of while rhubarb saves life without being recognized". This saying warns people that ginseng can also lead to death. On the whole, TCM deals with diseases by differentiating syndromes as well as yin and yang. If syndromes are wrongly differentiated, disasters will be caused even if ginseng is used.
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