Ginseng

jin'seng, a low herb allied to spikenard and wild sarsaparilla. Ginseng has an unbranched, upright stem a foot high, bearing a whorl of three long-stalked, five-fingered leaves and an umbel of greenish flowers. A cluster of spindle-shaped roots, four to nine inches long, are the ginseng of commerce. The demand for ginseng, especially from China, has led to high prices. Indians and white people have searched our rich woodlands so assiduously that the wild plant is now almost extinct. American ginseng was discovered near Montreal in 1716. The Indians were encouraged to bring in roots, and a trade with China began at once. Prices have risen steadily from 52 cents a pound in 1858 to $5.55 in 1902 and even $8 in 1906. Ginseng raising has of late become quite an industry. Under the influence of increased production the price is falling. In 1908 we exported 154,000 pounds of ginseng valued at $1,112,000. The Chinese supply is drawn in part from Korea and Manchuria. English-speaking physicians make little of ginseng, but with the Chinese it is a cure-all for body and mind. Roots of a certain shape are credited with healing power little short of the miraculous. See Medicine