What is the common sense about decocting Chinese medicine?

Even in modern society, our country's traditional medicine is still widely used in people's treatment and health preservation. The quality of Chinese medicine decoction and the correctness of the method of taking the medicine directly affect the efficacy of the treatment. However, many young people do not know how to decoct Chinese medicine. If taken in this way, the efficacy of the medicine is greatly reduced and it has no therapeutic effect. Next, let me tell you the necessary knowledge to correctly decoct Chinese medicine.

1. Soaking before decocting

Generally, add cold water to cover the surface of the medicine, soak it and then boil it, so that the effective ingredients can be easily extracted. Generally, it only takes about 30 minutes of soaking, but it should also be treated differently according to the texture of the medicinal material itself and the differences in season and temperature. Flowers, grasses, and leaves can be soaked for 20 minutes; rhizomes, seeds, fruits, minerals, and crustaceans should be soaked for 30 to 60 minutes. In short, it depends on the penetration of the medicinal materials.

2. Selection of decoction utensils

The decoction container is closely related to the quality of the medicine liquid. Historical records believe that "silver is the best, and magnet is the second best." It is not recommended to use tin, iron or other pots for decoction. Because some drugs will precipitate when encountering metals such as tin and iron, reducing their solubility and even causing chemical changes and side effects. Currently, it is more advocated to use ceramic and earthenware jars instead of iron and copper pots. It is best not to use aluminum pots, stainless steel or enamel containers to decoct medicine in order to ensure the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine.

3. Choice of water for decoction

Water is the most commonly used solvent for decocting Chinese herbal medicines. Generally, clean cold water should be used, such as tap water, well water, distilled water, etc. The amount of water used should be determined by factors such as the weight, volume, water absorption capacity, decoction time, heat and required amount of medicine. Generally, it is appropriate to use water that covers the medicine by about half an inch. The amount of water used for decocting medicine should be sufficient at one time. Do not add water several times in the middle. Do not boil the medicine until it is dry and then add water to boil it again. The boiled medicine should be discarded.

After reading the full text, you should know how to decoct a Chinese medicine with excellent efficacy. It seems that there are many things to pay attention to when decocting Chinese medicine. Therefore, you must be familiar with this knowledge before decocting Chinese medicine in order to treat the disease more effectively. Different prescriptions have different time requirements after decoction. The editor recommends that you must ask clearly when seeing a doctor and do as the doctor instructs.