The right way to decoct Chinese medicine

Fire is the only heating reaction condition in the making of soup, and Chinese medicine often categorizes the fire of decoction into two kinds: martial fire and civil fire. The fire is a large fire, the temperature rises quickly, water evaporation is also fast. The fire is a small fire, the temperature rises slowly, water evaporation is also slow. The old saying is:? The rapid decoction to take its raw and sparse, long decoction to take its cooked and stay? That is to say, according to the different nature of the drug and the need for treatment, the use of martial arts fire frying and slow frying two methods.

Generally speaking, the treatment of colds and colds of the antidepressants, the toilet toilet attacking the lower part of the drug, because of the short decoction time, it is appropriate to use the martial arts fire decoction; the treatment of deficiency diseases of tonic medicine, treatment of chronic diseases of the tonic medicine, because of the decoction time is long, it is appropriate to use the slow decoction of the fire. Most of the time, the method of combining martial and literary fire is often used, i.e., first decocting rapidly with martial fire, and then changing to gentle decoction with literary fire after the medicine boils. During the decoction process, it is best to stir the medicine with chopsticks every 7-8 minutes, which is more conducive to the uniformity of the decoction.

In the clinic, you can often hear patients ask the doctor: "How long should the Chinese medicine be decocted? The first thing you need to know is how long the Chinese medicine should be decocted. This question cannot be answered simply, because the length of the decoction time should be based on the condition of the disease and the nature of the drug. The time of decoction for three common cases is as follows:

1, general therapeutic medicine

All the traditional Chinese medicines which are mainly used for treating various diseases are called general therapeutic medicines. This kind of medicine is involved in a wide range of functions, with the blood circulation, reduce blood stasis, gas, swelling, cough and asthma and so on. So the decoction time for the first decoction from boiling for another 30 minutes, the second decoction after boiling for 20 minutes.

2, sweating antiexpressive drugs

Where the treatment of colds and flu, fever and heatstroke and other exogenous diseases of the drug is called sweating antiexpressive drugs. These drugs are mostly flowers, leaves, whole grass, such as ephedra, cinnamon sticks, mint, patchouli, pellitory, etc.. Its nature emanates, flavor aromatic, containing more volatile oil. Therefore, the decoction time should be short, long decoction is the disappearance of active ingredients. Therefore, the decoction time is, the first decoction from boiling for another 10-15 minutes, the second decoction after boiling 5-10 minutes.

3, tonic regulating medicine

All to nourish the body, regulate the human body qi, blood, yin and yang insufficiency of drugs, known as tonic regulating medicine. Most of the plant roots, fruits and animal shells and horns and so on. Such as ripened earth, turtle board, ginseng, astragalus, etc.. Its characteristics of hard and thick, and contains a large number of nutrients, the decoction of the ` purpose to ingest these active ingredients. Therefore, the decoction of time for the first decoction from the beginning of boiling and then fried for 60 minutes, the second decoction 30 minutes after boiling.

The right way to decoct Chinese medicine

I, the selection of decoction utensils

The quality of Chinese medicine soup and the selection of decoction utensils have a close relationship. The best thing is to use a casserole, because the material of casserole is stable and will not have chemical reaction with the drug ingredients, and its heat transfer is even and gentle, which is one of the reasons why it has been used since ancient times. In addition, you can also use enamel pots, stainless steel pots and glass fryer. But you can't use iron pots or aluminum pots, because iron or aluminum pots are chemically unstable and easy to oxidize. When decocting medicine can react with the chemical components contained in Chinese medicine.

Second, the decoction in the attention of the problem

1, decoction before the soaking: drugs in the decoction must be soaked before, this is because the origin of plant-based Chinese medicine is mostly dry products, through the addition of water soak the herbs to soften, tissue cell expansion to restore its natural state, decoction is easy to leach the active ingredient. In general, the flower, leaf, stem-based drugs, soaking time for 1-1.5 hours. Roots, seeds, rhizomes, fruit-based drugs soak time for 2-3 hours. Hot water can be used to shorten the infiltration time.

2, the number of decoctions: multiple decoctions are better than one long decoction. It has been proved that two decoctions of soup can decoct about 80% of the contained ingredients, so the number of decoctions is appropriate for two or three times.

3, the temperature of the decoction: the temperature of the decoction, Chinese medicine called? Generally, it is customary to call it? The temperature of the decoction is called "fire" in Chinese medicine. or? The fire? Generally in the non-boiling before the fire, to boil and then switch to the fire, keep in the state of micro-boiling, can slow down the evaporation of water, which is conducive to the active ingredients of the decoction.

4, decoction time: mainly according to the nature of drugs and diseases, as well as drugs. Generally for the first decoction to boil to start calculating the need for 20-30 minutes, the second decoction 30-40 minutes. For cold and flu medicines, the first decoction takes 10-15 minutes, and the second decoction takes 15-20 minutes. Tonic drugs, the first decoction 30-40 minutes, the second decoction 40-50 minutes.

5, the amount of medicine retained: generally refers to a dose of medicine after two decoctions combined amount of medicine. Adults take 400-600 ml, divided into two daily doses. Children take 200 milliliters, divided into two to three times a day.

6, the method of taking the medicine: generally a dose of medicine after two decoctions combined liquid, divided into two doses. Children can be divided into 2-3 times. Treatment of colds, fever, enteritis, diarrhea medicine, can also be used to serve the method of frequency, that is, every 4 hours to serve, each time to take 30-40 ml, while the disease is cured, and then changed to serve 2-3 times a day, children to a small number of times as well.

7, the decoction of special drugs: the doctor will be based on the patient's condition and the nature of the drug, in the prescription with a footnote.

(1) the first decoction: generally some minerals, shells, horns and armor drugs, because of its hard texture, the active ingredients are not easy to decoct, generally to be the first decoction for 30-40 minutes, and then mixed with other drugs after the decoction. Commonly, there are raw gypsum, raw bones, mother of pearl, raw ochre and so on. Another toxic drugs first decoction, a long time decoction can achieve the purpose of toxicity reduction or de-toxicity. If the aconite drugs can be decocted for a long time to make aconitine decomposition for aconitine, its toxicity is only 1/2000 of the original. such as appendicitis, a long time to decoct not only can reduce the toxicity but also increase the effect of cardiotonic.

(2) after the next drug: generally aromatic odor containing volatile oils or drugs that are not easy to decoct for a long time, to be put into the pot before the drug decoction is good 10-15 minutes. Commonly, there are Huo Xiang, hook vine, rhubarb and so on. Such as hooker contained vine alkaloids, decoction time of more than 20 minutes its antihypertensive components are easily destroyed. Rhubarb, with diarrhea and heat-clearing components, is rhubarb glycosides, but it is not stable to heat, and will decompose when heated for a long time.

(3) package decoction: generally seeds and other pollen drugs, packed in gauze bags into the group medicine **** decoction. Commonly, there are psyllium seeds, cyclamen, etc.. Such as psyllium is easy to stick to the pot paste, caramelization. So it needs to be packaged and decocted. The package decoction can avoid the velvet shedding mixed into the soup to stimulate the throat.

(4) dissolving service: take the drug after dissolving it with hot liquid medicine. Common medicines are xuanming powder and mannite.

(5) melting service: mainly some gelatinous drugs, with hot liquid medicine melted and taken. If the mixed decoction will make the liquid viscous, affecting the leaching of other ingredients, gum drugs also have a certain loss, so the use of melting to take the method. Commonly, there are raw gum, antler gum, turtle board gum.

(6) another decoction into: some of the precious medicine to be decocted separately, and then the liquid into the medicine to take together. Commonly, there are ginseng, American ginseng, deer antler and so on.

(7) punch: some valuable drugs fine powder can not be decocted with the group of drugs, more use of punch method of taking, that is, the powder is dissolved in the liquid medication. This is conducive to the role of drugs can also save herbs. Commonly, there are three seven powder.

Of course, the standard decoction method of traditional Chinese medicine should follow the national authority issued by the "Chinese medicine concoction specification" and the medical advice of the attending physician shall prevail.