Dangshen is not ginseng.Dangshen is not ginseng. It refers to “true dangshen”, which is a type of ginseng belonging to the genus Codonopsis from the Araliaceae family, produced in Shangdian in Shanxi Province (now Changzhi, Shanxi). It refers to “true dangshen”, which is a type of ginseng belonging to the genus Codonopsis from the Araliaceae family, produced in Shangdian in Shanxi Province (now Changzhi, Shanxi). For instance, the efficacy of saiga ginseng is similar to that of ginseng from the Codonopsis family, and the efficacy of wanjingpi (dangshen) is also similar to that of Panax (Chinese skullcap).
The “Chinese Materia Medica – Volume 1” states: “The name ‘Dang Shen’ was not found in any herbal books before the Qing Dynasty. It was only mentioned in books such as ‘New Herbal Dictionary’ and ‘Miscellaneous Notes on the Compendium of Materia Medica’.” Thus, the use of Dang Shen as a substitute for ‘Gan Shan’ in medicine only dates back about two or three hundred years. At that time, the society was in a state of economic decline during the Qing Dynasty. Physicians and patients could only use it as a substitute for Gan Shan. Later, it spread and was recorded in herbal books. The era of using Dang Shen as a substitute for Gan Shan has passed. We should recognize its efficacy to facilitate medical diagnosis and treatment. Modern physician Ye Ziquan once said in the entry for Dang Shen in ‘Modern Practical Chinese Materia Medica’: ‘It can relieve phlegm and suppress coughs, and is used for weak coughs.’ He also used Dang Shen as the principal ingredient in a prescription to treat tuberculosis-induced coughs. In fact, the efficacy of Dang Shen should be established as strengthening the spleen and lungs, suppressing coughs and eliminating phlegm. In my clinical practice, whenever I encounter elderly patients with chronic bronchitis in the remission stage who need to consolidate their recovery, or in the form of decoctions, pills, powders, or ointments, I will definitely use it. I take into account both the symptoms and the root causes. For patients with extremely deficient constitutions, I often combine Dang Shen with Gan Shen. When used together, their effects are even better, without the concern of overlapping medication.
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