File:American medical botany, being a collection of the native medicinal plants of the United States, containing their botanical history and chemical analysis, and properties and uses in medicine, diet and (14578161797).jpg

Identifier: americanmedicalb02bige (find matches)
Title: American medical botany, being a collection of the native medicinal plants of the United States, containing their botanical history and chemical analysis, and properties and uses in medicine, diet and the arts, with coloured engravings
Year: 1817 (1810s)
Authors: Bigelow, Jacob, 1786-1879
Subjects: Botany, Medical Botany
Publisher: Boston, Cummings and Hilliard
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
, Car. t. 27. MEDICAL REFERENCES. Walker, Inaugural Dissertation, Pliilad. 1803.—Bart. Coll.12.—Thacher, Disp. 203.—Elliott, ut supra. PLATE XXVIII. Fig. 1. Cornus Jlorida, a branch withfiowers. and one with leaves.Fig. 2. Fruit.Fig. 3. .1 Jower. PANAX QUINQUEFOLIUM. Ginseng, PLATE XXIX. An the early part of the eighteenth centurysome accounts were sent to Europe hy travellersand missionaries, of a root growing in ChineseTartary, known hy the name of Ginseng, uponwhich a high value was set hy the eastern Asiat-ics, and which was sold in the cities of China at anenormous price. Father Jartoux, a missionary atPekin, who had an opportunity of witnessing thecollection and use of this root, made a drawing ofthe plant, accompanied with a particular descrip-tion, and an account of its uses, and the cause ofits high estimation and demand among tlie Chi-nese. While on a journey among the mountainsof Tartary, performed under the sanction of theemperor of China, he met in various instances
Text Appearing After Image:
Annin &. ■onti J > GINSENG. 83 with the plant, and witli people employed in col-lecting it. He states that the root is found prin-cipally between the 39th and 47th degree of northlatitude, in thick forests, upon the declivities ofmountains, on the banks of torrents, and aboutthe roots of trees. It never grows in the openplains or vallies, but always in dark, shady situa-tions, remote from the suns rays. As the right of gathering this root is monop-olized by the emperor of China, the most exten-sive precautions are taken by him to prevent anencroachment on tliis privilege. The placeswhere the Ginseng is known to grow are guardedwith great vigilance, and a whole province, thatof Quantong, bordering on the desert, is surround-ed by a barrier of wooden stakes, about whichguards continually patrole, to keep the inhabitantswithin bounds, and prevent them from makingexcursions into the woods, in search of the pro-hibited drug. N^otwithstanding this vigilance,their eagerness

Note About Images