ON PANAX SHINSENG NIES, VAR. NOTOGINSENG BURKILL

Abstract

Studies on medicinal herbs employed in hypertension have been recognized as being very important, but in Chinese. Medicine there is no word corresponding to hypertension so that the search for such become difficult. Fortunately, however, there is the word ‘hsüeh pi’, which means impairment of the circulation, and there are also statements of symptoms that may presumably be taken as those referring to hypertension. The writer therefore, collected materials based on the above, and investigations were first made on Panax Shinseng Nies, var. Notoginseng Burkill, and the results are indicated herein.
According to Pen Ts‘ao Kang Mu, Panax Shinseng Nies, var. Notoginseng Burkill is a product of Kuang Shi Shên (China), and was employed as a medicine not much earlier than the time that Li Shi-Chên (1) first wrote about it in Pen Ts‘ao Kang Mu. Hence in books on Chinese Medicine earlier than this time there is no mention made of it.
The assertions of Chinese Medicine are based on a special hypothetical theory of Yüng Yang, and the medicinal effects of Panax Shinseng Nies, var. Notoginseng Burkill also conform to this, so that a verbatin translation of this into English is difficult. The writer accordingly will dwell only on those aspects related to the application of this drug in blood congestion and hypertension.
The writer has not yet actually seen this herb in its original form, but according to Ishidoya (2) the drug sold in the market is the dried root of Panax Shinseng Nies, var. Notoginseng Burkill. Also regarding studies on this drug, there is only the work of Nozu (3) in the literature, which states that :
1) Alcoholic extracts of the drug lower the blood pressure in rabbits.