18세기 대영박물관에 전시된 인삼(ginseng): 입수 경로와 당대의 반응: Ginseng Exhibit of the British Museum in the Eighteenth Century: Obtaining Route and Responses of the Contemporaries

This research uncovered that the world-renowned British Museum displayed ginseng as part of notable exhibits since its opening. The British Museum was established in 1753 upon the bequest of Sir Hans Sloane, a famous physician, scientist and collector. At the heart of his collections was the vast amount of ‘Vegetable Substances specimens.’ This study first reconstructed Sloane’s collection in the context of British Imperialism and botanical science in early modern period. It then traced the origins and the routes by which 4 ginseng specimens were obtained: Radix Ginseng or ninzin from China (VS 532), Ginseng. Id (VS 8,198), Roots & seeds of Gin-seng (VS 7,825), Ginseng root (VS 12,140). These specimens were presumed to originate from one type of Korean ginseng from China, a Japanese ginseng variant from Japan and two ginseng species from North America. The English public learned about ginseng and ginseng exhibit via a flourishing printing culture. In England, Korean ginseng was appreciated much greater than American ginseng.