Dear visitor, this is a machine-translated article. It makes perfect sense in its original language (Czech), and is fully backed by independent scientific literature. The translation, though, is far from perfect and takes patience and imagination, if you decide to read it.

Drobečková navigace

Ginseng superstitions

I have already written about how difficult it is to describe the effects of ginseng . A simple description of valid and proven effects can only act as myths and superstitions . Even worse is the praise by the wrong arguments that ginseng is getting abundantly. With ginseng, it's like Judaism - unrighteous hymns to mask very well its objective effects. While elsewhere they have problems with people still believing in magic, my relative, a man without any formal scientific education, said, "Ginseng, give it to your wife, you know that I do not believe in such things." I have to look forward to the fact that people doubt us and, rather than fall into the darkness, they would rather wait until they reach their own conclusions. But I must also emphasize that, despite the varied cultural trail left behind by the ginseng during the millennium, the effect of ginseng is not really a question of faith.

Modern mystification is difficult to distinguish

Instructions uncovered magically (I would say the medieval type) will immediately reveal their language. He does not deserve as much contempt, but I do not want to discuss it now. Mystication formulated by the modern language is worse. It is difficult for them, however, to provide a concrete example. There must necessarily be exaggerated and untrue assertions about ginseng, but it is hard to recognize and condemn the ginseng's adaptogenic character. To be more specific, I am talking about falsification of scientific results, which is increasingly common in pharmaceutical studies funded by pharmaceutical companies. As for the ginseng, I really tried to find him something that would be exaggeratedly praised. My effort, however, has only resulted in the discovery of most of the traditional ginseng contraindications as fake .

Something about ginseng in magic

A branched root, sometimes similar to a human figure, is significant for ginseng from the point of view of both Asian and European traditions. According to the doctrine of Paracelsus, the healing properties of the plants are expressed in their shape (lungs - spotted leaves - lungs, liver - liver, ungulate - leaves reminiscent of kidneys, stinking stink - aphrodisiac etc.). Roots with the shape of a human figure then act "holistically" and enjoy special respect. The most famous of these roots is the mandragor (see Harry Potter ), which ginseng can claim to replace. I remember a family narrative as a herbalist (my grandmother, the White Carpathians) healed my grandfather by bathing in the grated root of a common obsession that she said was said to grow in the garden by the fence (without ever seeing her) and to remind herself of her shape small child. (They are still there, they deal with chronic illnesses, wailing, love, success, myths, still like in Elizabeth Báthory's times, I can do it, if only seriously.) From what I read somewhere, it seems that Chinese ginseng the lines are similar to folk practices common to us, eg smoking against evil spirits, throwing roots behind each other (in the river) to fulfill wishes, etc., but it does not really make much sense here because there are details like throwing left or right hand, if you can watch over if I spit and I still have something. Do not try it yourself, without expert guidance at best, you will lose ginseng.

Ginseng in TČM

Traditional Chinese medicine describes ginseng as " jang ", "warm", "sweet" and bitter taste, with regard to meridians of spleen, lung and heart, strengthening chi spleen and lungs and increasing the production of body juices that relieve thirst, soothe the mind and improve intelligence. Traditional ginseng medication indicates lack of qi , fatigue , loss of appetite, diarrhea , shortness of breath, weak pulse, increased poop, diabetes , fever , forgetfulness , insomnia and impotence . The roots of ginseng in the shape of a man then have a soul ( chen2008cpe ).

Traditional Chinese medicine has such a good social reputation that even very talented scientists are particularly taught in Taiwan today. Categories like " jin / jang ", "hot / cold", or a special system of meridians of the human body, which is not related to real anatomy, I understand not as a reason to condemn it, but just as with our medieval magic as ad hoc names of state space allowing a common pharmacological language regardless of knowledge or ignorance of molecular-physiological mechanisms. Let me repeat once again that, despite all gene engineering, we still do not have a method better than a trial and error method (also known as clinical testing) to predict the side effects of drugs in particular.

| 2008 - 24.1.2018