Native to the tropics, ginger's thin, broad leaves are attached to a surprisingly succulent, spicy rhizome. The herb originated near the Indian Ocean, but it is now grown throughout the tropics.
Mr C.P., a 36-year-old soldier, came to see me eight months ago with a diagnosis of lymphoedema - extensive puffiness and swelling of his legs. He told me it had begun as a mild swelling of the right foot that had gradually extended to the entire...