Korean Ginseng

Applications

Clinical Applications

1. For Emergency Treatment

A high dose of ginseng (0.3–1 liang) administered as a decoction or stew, or 2–4 milliliters of ginseng injection (containing 0.57 grams of crude drug per milliliter) administered via intramuscular or intravenous injection, can be used for emergency treatment of cardiogenic shock or other patients in a state of extreme and immediate danger; the combined use of ginseng and Aconite can treat yang-deficiency collapse.

2. Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Ginseng has a certain therapeutic effect on hypertension, cardiomyopathy, coronary atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, and other conditions, and can alleviate various symptoms. Ginseng helps regulate abnormal blood pressure; it is believed that different doses may produce different effects: small doses can raise blood pressure, while large doses can lower it.The usual daily dose for adults is 0.2–3 qian; ginseng extract (1 milliliter equals 1 gram of crude drug) should be taken 20–40 drops per dose, 2–3 times daily; ginseng tincture (10% concentration) should be taken 5 milliliters per dose, 2–3 times daily; ginseng powder should be taken 3–6 fen per dose, 2–3 times daily.

3. For Stomach and Liver Disorders

In patients with chronic gastritis accompanied by hypochlorhydria or low gastric acidity, taking ginseng may increase appetite and alleviate or eliminate symptoms, though it has no significant effect on gastric juice secretion or acidity. There are also reports that ginseng can relieve stomach pain in patients with chronic gastritis, enhance appetite, normalize bowel movements, and increase total gastric acidity. For acute infectious hepatitis, under certain therapeutic conditions, taking ginseng appears to play a positive role in preventing the condition from progressing to chronic hepatitis.

4. Treatment of Diabetes

Ginseng can improve the general condition of diabetic patients but does not alter the degree of hyperglycemia. It has been reported that ginseng may reduce urinary glucose and lower blood glucose levels by 40–50 mg% in patients with mild diabetes, with these effects persisting for more than two weeks after discontinuation of the medication. In patients with moderate diabetes, although the hypoglycemic effect of ginseng is not pronounced, the general physical condition improves in most cases, with symptoms such as thirst disappearing or being alleviated; in some patients, ginseng use may lead to a reduction in insulin dosage.

5. For Psychiatric Disorders

Ginseng appears to have therapeutic effects on psychosis characterized by lethargy or lethargy combined with depression, regardless of the underlying cause (such as schizophrenia, psychosis caused by poisoning or infectious diseases, or degenerative psychosis). However, some believe that oral administration of ginseng for organic neurological disorders can only improve patients’ general subjective symptoms, without producing any significant objective therapeutic effects.

6. Treatment of Neurasthenia

Ginseng has a significant stimulating effect on the nervous system, enhancing physical performance and reducing fatigue. It has a certain therapeutic effect on patients with various types of neurasthenia, promoting weight gain and eliminating or alleviating symptoms such as generalized weakness, headaches, and insomnia.

7. Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction

In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng is generally used as a tonic to replenish vital energy; recent studies have demonstrated its ability to enhance gonadal function. Ginseng tincture is highly effective for erectile dysfunction caused by paralytic or premature ejaculation types, but is ineffective for psychogenic cases; it also has some therapeutic effect on cortical and spinal erectile dysfunction resulting from neurasthenia.

8. Other Benefits

Ginseng also improves eyesight and enhances dark adaptation. When used in combination with other medications, it can treat a variety of diseases. However, in clinical practice, ginseng should be avoided for “excess” conditions, such as wheezing caused by sudden qi stagnation, dry throat caused by dry heat, and hemoptysis or epistaxis triggered by sudden emotional outbursts.

Related Prescriptions

1. For treating deficiency of nutritive and defensive qi, weakness of the zang-fu organs, distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, complete loss of appetite, borborygmi and diarrhea, and retching and vomiting: Ginseng (stem removed), White Atractylodes, Poria (peeled), and Licorice (roasted), each in equal parts.Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. Take two qian per dose, decoct in one zhan of water until reduced to seven-tenths of the original volume, and drink the entire decoction at any time. A small amount of salt may be added; it may also be mixed with plain hot water. Regular use warms and harmonizes the spleen and stomach, stimulates appetite, and wards off cold pathogens, miasma, and noxious vapors. (Four Gentlemen Decoction from *Formulas of the Imperial Bureau*)

2. For treating cold and deficiency of the stomach, fullness and distension in the epigastric region, inability to digest and transform food, and frequent hunger without the ability to eat: 2 qian of ginseng powder, half a qian of raw aconite powder, and 1 fen of ginger (finely chopped). Mix these three ingredients evenly, decoct in 7 he of water until reduced to 2 he, then mix with the white of one egg (whisked), and take the entire dose on an empty stomach. (Warming Stomach Decoction from *Shengji Zonglu*)

3. For chronic cough due to lung deficiency: 2 liang of powdered ginseng, 1 liang of deer antler gelatin (roasted and ground). Take 3 qian per dose. Add one zhan of peppermint and fermented soybean decoction, along with a small amount of scallion, to a small pot; boil for one or two boils, then pour into a cup. When a cough occurs, sip three to five mouthfuls while warm. (*Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*)

4. For treating a cough and wheezing caused by lung qi deficiency that has persisted for three to two years, accompanied by spitting up pus and blood, facial sores, and yellowish swelling throughout the body:One pair of geckoes (whole; soak in river water for five nights, changing the water daily to remove the fishy odor; then roast in butter until golden yellow), five liang each of apricot kernels (peeled, tips removed, and roasted) and licorice (roasted), and two liang each of Anemarrhena, mulberry bark, ginseng, Poria (peeled), and fritillary bulb. Grind these eight ingredients into a powder and store in a clean porcelain jar.Take daily as a snack, like tea. (Ginseng and Gecko Powder from *The Treasure of Health*)

5. For treating yang deficiency with shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, and dizziness: 5 qian of ginseng and 1 liang of processed aconite root. Divide into four doses. For each dose, add ten slices of ginger and two zhan of running water; decoct until reduced to one zhan. Take warm after meals. (*Formulas for Saving Lives*)

6. For treating deficiency of heart qi manifested as palpitations and spontaneous sweating: Take one pork kidney and two bowls of water; boil until reduced to one and a half bowls. Finely chop the kidney, then add half a liang of ginseng and half a liang of angelica root (remove the root tip and discard the fine ends; use the middle section). Chop these ingredients as well, then simmer together until the liquid is reduced to eight-tenths of its original volume. Eat the kidney and swallow the remaining broth.If there is any leftover kidney, combine it with the residue of the above two herbs, dry it thoroughly, and grind into a fine powder. Form into pills the size of a paulownia seed using Chinese yam paste; take thirty to fifty pills per dose. (*Bai Yi Xuan Fang*)

7. For treating unstable heart qi, deficiency of the five viscera, confusion and palpitations, erratic memory and forgetfulness,night terrors and nightmares, anxiety and restlessness, unpredictable mood swings, with symptoms varying in severity from morning to evening or vice versa, or episodes of mania and dizziness: Polygala (with stems and core removed) and Acorus, each 2 liang; Ginseng and Poria (peeled), each 3 liang. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder, mix with refined honey to form pills the size of a Paulownia seed, and coat with cinnabar.Take seven pills per dose, gradually increasing to twenty pills. Swallow with warm rice water after meals and before bedtime, three times daily. (Dingzhi Pills from *Jufang*)

8. For treating diabetes insipidus with uncontrollable thirst: Take equal parts of ginseng and Trichosanthes root. Grind them raw into a powder, mix with refined honey to form pills the size of a Paulownia seed. Take thirty pills per dose, washed down with Ophiopogon decoction. (Yuhu Pills from *Ren Zhai Zhizhi Fang*)

9. For diabetes with excessive thirst: Grind ginseng into a powder; mix one qian with egg white and take it. Take three or four doses daily. (Compendium of Materia Medica)

10. To replenish the body after stopping bleeding: Two liang of mature ginseng (root without the fibrous base) and five jujubes. For each dose, use two zhan of water and decoct until reduced to one zhan. Sip it slowly; after taking it, sleep soundly, and all ailments will be eradicated at their root.(From *The Divine Book of Ten Medicines*: *Dusan Decoction*)

11. For treating hemoptysis and hematochezia caused by emotional disturbances, internal damage from alcohol and sexual excess, uncontrolled flow of qi and blood, bleeding from both the mouth and nose, scattered heart and lung meridians, and blood gushing like a spring: 5 qian each of ginseng (roasted), side cypress leaves (steamed and roasted), and Chinese schizonepeta spikes (charred until carbonized).Grind into a powder; take two qian of the mixture, mix with two qian of finely sifted flour, and stir with freshly drawn well water to form a thin paste. Take it, and after a short while, take another dose. (From *The Classic of the Middle and Storehouse*)

12. For children whose pupils are misaligned following a seizure: Ginseng and donkey-hide gelatin (stir-fried with glutinous rice into beads), one qian each. Decoct one zhan of water down to seven fen. Take while warm, twice daily, until cured.(*Ren Zhai Zhi Zhi Fang*)

13. For treating dysentery with lockjaw: Ginseng and lotus seed, 3 qian each. Decoct in 2 zhan of well water until reduced to 1 zhan; sip slowly. Alternatively, add 3 qian of Coptis chinensis stir-fried with ginger juice. (*Experienced Effective Formulas*)

14. For chest obstruction (xiong bi) with epigastric fullness, qi stagnation in the chest, chest fullness, and a sensation of qi rising from the flanks to the heart: Ginseng, licorice, dried ginger, and white atractylodes, each 3 liang. Combine these four ingredients with 8 sheng of water and boil down to 3 sheng. Take 1 sheng while warm, three times daily. (Ginseng Decoction from *Essentials of the Golden Cabinet*)

15. For treating restlessness and agitation caused by cholera: 2 fen of Cinnamomum cassia bark (ground into powder), 0.5 liang of ginseng (root tip removed). Decoct the above ingredients in one large bowl of water until reduced to 0.7 liang; strain out the residue and divide into two doses to be taken warm. (*Shenghui Fang*)

16. For fever due to deficiency malaria: 2 qian 2 fen of ginseng and 5 qian of realgar. Grind into a powder, then use the tip of a glutinous rice dumpling to form pills the size of a Chinese gooseberry. At dawn on the day of the attack, swallow seven pills with dew from a well; take another dose before the attack begins. Avoid all kinds of hot foods. (*Danmo Zuanyao*)

17. For heartburn during pregnancy with vomiting of clear fluid, abdominal pain, and inability to eat or drink: Ginseng (stem removed) and dried ginger (roasted), each in equal parts. Grind into a powder, then use fresh Rehmannia root juice to form pills the size of a Chinese jujube. Take fifty pills at a time with rice soup before meals. (Xiao Dihuang Pills from *Ju Fang*)

Medicinal Diet Therapy

Steamed Ginseng Chicken

Main Ingredients: 15 grams of ginseng, 1 hen, 15 grams of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, 10 grams of rehydrated lily bulb slices, 15 grams of ham, and appropriate amounts of salt, cooking wine, MSG, scallions, ginger, and chicken broth.

Preparation: Slaughter and clean the hen, blanch it briefly in boiling water, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Slice the ham, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and ginger. Soak the ginseng in boiling water to rehydrate it, then steam it for 30 minutes before removing.Place the hen in a bowl, add the ginseng, ham, lily bulb slices, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, ginger, salt, and MSG. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the hen, then steam over high heat until tender. Transfer the steamed hen to a large bowl and arrange the chopped ginseng, ham, lily bulb slices, and shiitake mushrooms on top of the chicken (removing the ginger and scallions).Pour the broth from the steamed chicken into a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, adjust the seasoning to taste, and pour it over the chicken to serve.

Therapeutic Effects: Greatly replenishes vital energy, stabilizes the body, promotes fluid production, and calms the mind. Suitable for conditions such as exhaustion and debility due to overwork, poor appetite, fatigue, forgetfulness, dizziness, headaches, erectile dysfunction, frequent urination, and deficiencies in qi, blood, and body fluids. Not suitable for those with the common cold.