Ginseng reigns "supreme" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) - tagged as "the genie among the thousand herbs, the talisman of a hundred medicines." The earliest surviving work on TCM, "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records the six major efficacies of ginseng, including supplementing the energy of internal organs, stabilizing the mood, improving heart palpitations, enhancing vision, and increasing cognition and memory. Consumption on a long-term basis was said to help bring longevity. Ancient Chinese believed that ginseng was the genie from the earth, so it was also called "land essence" or "earth spirit." Ming dynasty physician Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" cites such a story. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty in China (AD 581-604), a man often heard cries every night from behind his house, but he could not find anyone there. Later, the man discovered a plant with unusually lush branches and leaves about one li (about 500 meters) behind his house. He