I suppose some people would argue that 'no known side effects' extends to 'no known effects' as well in this case. Scientific evidence that it does anything at all in humans appears to be non-existent to very weak at best.

Well, you can believe what you may, of course. But at least no one is dying from it...you can't say that about very many modern medicines, even Tylenol kills a lot of people.

Probably half of the world's peoples have had good effects from ginseng, whether that is "placebo" (as scientist and western doctors might say...) or based on chemical compounds that haven't been extracted yet (they are still extracting them from another plant medicine in use for over 5000 years called Cannabis...scientists have no idea about most of the 500 or so in that plant either), or based on some kind of spiritual element as is said about Ayahuasca and Peyote is really all besides the point. Ginseng has cured many people and kept many more from ever getting ill in the first place.

Explain it however you want.

I have family who work in TCM, and I think their guidance is pretty decent: if it's serious go see a doctor, get medicine, get better. If it's not serious (you're okay with living with it), go with the herbs, because the downsides are much smaller (and the effect sizes too), but that's okay because it's not a serious disease.

But I must stress this: if you have cancer, don't eat herbs and pray, go to a damn doctor.

Asbestos was in use for 3900 years (roughly :o) ) before it was noticed that it can be dangerous (we now treat it as utterly deadly in the UK at least, I wonder if that is proportionate though - I am not slightly qualified to say!)

good point. and people used to paint their faces with lead, use leeches as medicine, and so on and on. can't argue with you there! weren't asbestos used in early cigarette filters, even? i think they were.

look: i'm not suggesting to throw the baby out with the bathwater here! might as well use the tools we have the best we can. but why not look to nature and various medicinal traditions too?

as far as I know only in one brand of cigarette. it was a particularly hazardous form of as estos. ironic since it was marketed as being safest healthiest cigarette.

Leeches are used in medicine today, particularly after limb transplant microsurgery.