How long does it take to boil Chinese medicine?

How long does it take to boil Chinese medicine? Many patients have this question before boiling medicine? Because people are generally accustomed to taking a few tablets of Western medicine a day, many people have no idea about the issue of decocting Chinese medicine. Because if the time for boiling Chinese medicine is incorrect, it will affect the efficacy of the medicine, so the control of time becomes particularly important. Now I will tell you how long it usually takes to boil Chinese medicine!

How much water to boil Chinese medicine

After putting the Chinese medicine into the container, adding water is a key step. Water is the main solution for decocting Chinese medicine decoctions. If there is too much water, there will be too much medicinal juice and the concentration of the medicinal juice will be reduced. If too little water is added, not only will the effective ingredients of the medicine be difficult to decoct, but it will also be easy to dry the pot or the medicine will be charred. The correct way is to put the medicine into the casserole, spread it out, and then add water 3 to 4 cm (about two horizontal fingers) above the surface of the medicine.

The time for Chinese medicine to be boiled

After adding water to the Chinese medicine, do not boil it immediately. It should be soaked for 20 to 30 minutes to make the medicine moist and soften, and the medium breaks up, so that the effective ingredients can be decocted as much as possible. The temperature and time when decocting the medicine are also very important. When decocting the medicine, use high heat (i.e. strong fire) at the beginning. After boiling, use low heat (i.e. gentle fire) to slowly simmer until the medicine juice boils but does not overflow. The decocting time should be determined according to the nature and effect of the medicine. For example, tonic medicines are thick, greasy and turbid in nature, and contain a large amount of nutrients that are not easy to be boiled thoroughly, so the boiling time should be longer. The first juice is usually simmered for 40 to 60 minutes after the water boils, and the second juice is simmered for another 30 minutes after the water boils. For example, diaphoretic and antipyretic drugs are dispersing in nature and contain a lot of volatile oils, so they should not be decocted for a long time. After the first water boils, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. After the second water boils, simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. For general treatment, boil the first juice of the medicine for 30 minutes after it is boiled, and boil the second juice for another 20 minutes after it is boiled. The pot should be covered when decocting medicine. However, the first and second juices are generally not less than 400-500 ml (about a small bowl).

From the above article, we can find that the time for boiling Chinese medicine is mainly related to the medicinal properties. It is recommended that you consult a doctor before boiling Chinese medicine. If you still can't control the time to boil the Chinese medicine, you can choose a pharmacy near you to decoct it for you, or make it into Chinese medicine pills.