Ginseng
Panax ginseng C.A.Mey.
Category
Tonifying
Properties
Sweet, slightly bitter, neutral
Meridians
Lung, Spleen, Heart meridians
Dosage
Decocted in water, 3～9g, for severe conditions, 15～30g can be used; it should be decocted gently separately and mixed into the soup for administration, wild ginseng can be taken as powder, 2g each time, twice a day
Functions
Greatly replenishes vital energy, stabilizes pulse and prevents collapse, tonifies the spleen and lungs, produces fluids, calms the spirit
Indications
Profound deficiency with collapse, cold extremities, weak pulse, spleen deficiency with poor appetite, lung deficiency with cough and wheezing, fluid damage with thirst, internal heat with excessive thirst, chronic illness with emaciation, palpitations, insomnia, impotence, cold uterus; heart failure, cardiogenic shock
Contraindications
Contraindicated in cases of excessive syndrome, heat syndrome, and when vital energy is not deficient
Description
Ginseng is the dried root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. from the family Araliaceae. It is usually harvested in autumn, washed, and then dried or baked. The cultivated ones are commonly known as 'garden ginseng'; those sown in the wild and naturally grown in a semi-wild state in the mountains are called 'mountain ginseng under the forest', commonly referred to as 'seed sea'.