According to the Chinese system of medicine, the ginseng is a wonder herb and has a remarkable medicinal action unparalleled by other herbs, the Chinese believe that while most of the other herbal tonics may benefit a few organs in the body, the ginseng is unique in having a beneficial action on most of the organs in the human body, leaving virtually no organ untouched by its beneficial effects.
When they are translated into the English language, many of the names for organs in the Chinese medicine organ systems tend to have similar names which are roughly comparable to the names for organs in the Western medical physical organs system - this can be confusing, because of a unique difference in the view point of the Chinese medical system. Functioning terms for the organ systems and their relationships that often have very little to do with the names of Western counterparts exist in the Chinese system of medicine, this is due to the culture in which the Chinese medical system has evolved, unlike Western medicine, the Chinese system of medicine though older had several taboos and one of this was the a negative view of cutting open the physical body for examination - on the other hand anatomical observation is the very bulwark of Western medicine. For example, in the ancient Chinese system of medicine, the Heart or xin, can be said to name the physical cardiac heart, it is also used for the force of the pulse or the blood propulsion system inside the body, it is used to refer to the tongue, it is also a reference to the facial complexion of a human being, and also indicates the presence of a conscious mind in a body. Thus a herbal medicine designated for the heart in the ancient Chinese system of medication may be relevant for many parts of the body and can be used in treating multiple illnesses, not only is the physical heart disease treatable using the Chinese herbal or acupuncture treatments, but some other conditions such as forgetfulness, the affectation of excessive dreaming or disorders of the consciousness and insomnia, sleeplessness etc. can also be treated using the Chinese heart system remedy. A direct cause and effect relationship between the cardiac system and the conscious mind is never implied in the ancient Chinese system of medication, though the reorganization of a connection between the conscious mind and the heart can be arrived at even in the Western system of modern medicine - the mind does affect the functioning of the physical heart in many ways. The definition of the organ systems in the Chinese system of medicine occurred over many centuries, and is an event related to the Chinese development of a functional definition of chi, these systems were developed from the observed functional relationships that occur in the human body and its relation to the psyche.
One or several organs in a patient may undergo a manifestation of an overall chi deficiency at any given time. The standard treatment of an overall chi deficiency in any affected organ is usually conducted by giving the patient some ginseng or any one of its herbal substitutes - this formula is the usual treatment methodology followed by the majority of Chinese physicians. Self medication using the ginseng or the other herbs is not suggested especially in patients suffering from a physically manifesting disease, or from any severe conditions which are potentially lethal - these herbs must only be used under the direction of professional Chinese system physicians. There is great complexity involved in any imbalance affecting the chi in the organs. The complexity of the chi deficiency disorder can be understood in this way: when an improper flow of the chi is detected in a body, it may really mean that the chi is deficient in one organ system, while present in excessive amounts in another organ system. The discomfort of the patient and the symptoms will not go ways, by taking ginseng or herbal tonics in such cases, as there is a chance of increasing the excess chi in the other unknown organ while correcting the chi in one deficient organ - self medication of the herbs and ginseng is not advised for this reason. The proper balance of the chi in various organs can be assured by consulting with a trained acupuncturist, depending on the particular body type and the physical condition of the patient, such a professional will also prescribe the appropriate herbal formulas to be used to correct the deficiency in chi.
The idea of the five viscera initially appears in the oldest Chinese herbal treatise called "The Divine Husbandman's Classic"; it is a compendium of medicine and the oldest book on Chinese herbal medicine going back centuries. This treatise suggests steps by which the Asian ginseng can be used in "repairing the five viscera" present in all human bodies. This concept of five primary viscera is present in many Asian systems of medicine, while a total of twelve organ systems are recognized in oriental medicine, five of them are considered to be of prime importance and of greater value in healing. These organs are all internal and include the most vital organs like the Spleen and the Liver, the Heart and the Lung and the Kidney - these five organs are considered to be the five primary viscera said to be acted on by the ginseng in correcting deficiency in the chi. The physical organ is not the only aspect considered in the Chinese concept of an organ system - it is important to remember that the ancient Chinese understanding of these organs were on the physical as well as holistic level. They believed that the entire body of a person was influenced in one way or another by each of these individual organs and that each had its primary pattern or influence on different aspects of the human physiology.
Our products
