How to put the medicine guide in decocting Chinese medicine

When we go to a traditional Chinese medicine doctor for treatment, the doctor will prescribe us many Chinese herbal medicines, which usually include many kinds and need to be decocted. You can ask the hospital to decoct the Chinese medicine for you, or you can go home and decoct it yourself. There are certain things to pay attention to when decocting Chinese medicine. If the method is not correct, the medicinal power cannot be fully exerted, affecting the efficacy. So, what is the proper way to boil Chinese medicine according to ancient recipes?

Method/Process

1

Choose the right pot for boiling Chinese medicine:

A stone pot is suitable for decocting Chinese medicine. The decocting time is relatively long, and a stone pot only needs a little fire, which saves gas and is easy to insulate. The stone pot is not likely to react chemically with the medicine. Glass, stainless steel, and enamel pots can also be used to decoct Chinese medicine, but the heat insulation properties of these pots are poor. Do not choose frying pans, aluminum pots, or copper pots for decocting Chinese medicine, because they will react chemically with the Chinese medicine and discolor it, and some metal materials will dissolve into the medicine soup, which is harmful to health.

2

Release water moderately:

When boiling Chinese medicine, water should be added, and the water flow rate should be 5-10 times. Chinese medicines that absorb more water should add more water, and those that absorb less should add less water. Too much water will take a long time to boil, and too little water will easily dry it out. When decocting Chinese medicine, it is best to add water so that the river level is 3-5 cm higher than the Chinese medicine for the first time, and you can use a spatula to press the medicine down. The second time should be higher than 3 cm.

3

Sufficient soaking:

Some people feel that there is some dust on the Chinese medicinal materials, so they wash them before decocting them. This will affect the medicinal effect, so it is not suitable to clean them. After adding water, soak the Chinese medicinal materials for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, and press down the Chinese medicinal materials floating on the surface to allow them to fully absorb moisture.

4

Decoction time:

Since a stone pot is used to boil the Chinese medicine, it is easy to crack if not handled properly, so you must pay attention to its degree of doneness; you can slowly boil it over low heat at first, then adjust to low heat and simmer for about 50 minutes until the Chinese medicine ingredients are dissolved in the water, and finally serve in a small bowl and drink it in one gulp. If there is too much water, it will be difficult for patients to take large amounts of water. After all, Chinese medicinal materials are bitter and difficult to drink.

5

Decoction based on the medicinal effects of Chinese medicinal materials:

Some special shellfish Chinese medicinal materials, such as mother of pearl and raw dragon bone, are more difficult to decoct and need to be decocted separately in advance; some Chinese medicinal materials, such as Coptis chinensis and Pogostemon cablin, are not suitable for decocting for too long and can be put in later; there are also some Chinese medicinal materials that have too fine crumbs and need to be decocted in Chinese medicine bags. In this case, it is best to ask the doctor when preparing the Chinese medicinal materials.

6

Frequency of decoction of Chinese medicine:

The same batch of Chinese medicinal materials can generally be decocted 2-3 times, for example, decocted once in the morning and drank it all; decocted once again at night and drank it all; in this way, the medicinal power can be fully dissolved and the benefits of the medicine can be maximized. When decocting Chinese medicine, you can check the concentration of the soup color. If it becomes lighter, it means it is fully dissolved.