How to make Chinese medicine for children

There are many differences between adults and children in taking Chinese medicine. The most obvious one is the method of boiling Chinese medicine for children. So what is the correct way to boil Chinese medicine for children? The dosage of Chinese medicine for children should be prepared according to the child's weight, age, etc. When boiling traditional Chinese medicine for children, it is better to choose a clay pot or a clay pot. These materials are very effective in maintaining the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine. Be careful not to use an iron pot or a copper pot.

(1) Utensils: Generally, clay pots and earthenware jars are suitable. Ceramics and glassware are also acceptable. Iron pots and copper pots should not be used. To prevent the medicine from changing color or causing chemical reactions that may affect its efficacy. The size of the container should be appropriate. If it is too large, the amount of water will be relatively small, which will affect the decoction of the medicinal flavor; if it is too small, the medicinal liquid will easily overflow after the water boils. Both situations will affect the efficacy of the medicine. The medicine should be covered when decocting to prevent the effective ingredients from volatilizing and the amount of decoction from decreasing.

(2) Preparation: Soak the medicine in cold water for about 30 minutes before decocting it so that its active ingredients can be easily decocted. Fire: There are two types of decocting medicine: "strong fire" and "gentle fire". Depending on the purpose of treating the disease, it is divided into decocting first, adding later, decocting in a wrapped form, and taking with water. If you are taking tonic medicine that clears away heat, detoxifies and nourishes yin and replenishes qi, it is better to start with high heat and then low heat, and the time will be 30 minutes. How to use it depends on the properties of the medicine and the medicines in the prescription. The amount of water added should be based on their properties. It should be determined by the water absorption of the medicine, the decoction time and the amount of liquid medicine to be decocted. Generally, for the first decoction, the amount of water added is 2 to 3 times the amount of medicine to be decocted, or the water surface exceeds the medicine surface by 3 to 5 cm. The amount of water added during decoction should be enough to submerge the medicine surface. In winter and spring, water can be added to the medicine 2 to 4 hours in advance to extract some of the active ingredients of heavy and difficult-to-decoct medicines, and to prevent light medicines from floating on the water surface when water is added before decoction. For some light medicines that float on the water, it is best to turn them over after the water boils to help fully extract the medicinal properties. 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. (3) The decoction time may vary according to the different effects of the drugs. Antipyretic drugs are generally decocted for 10 minutes, antipyretic drugs for 15 to 20 minutes, and tonic drugs for about 30 minutes. Aromatic drugs should be added later, and simmered for another 4 to 5 minutes after the main drugs are ready. After boiling, do not open the lid frequently to prevent the smell from dissipating and the medicine from overflowing or the water from drying up. Chinese medicine needs to be decocted twice, and the decocted medicine juice should not be too much. The dosage can be controlled according to the age of the child; generally 150-200 ml for school-age children, 100-150 ml for toddlers, and 50-100 ml for infants.

(4) Failure to follow the Chinese medicine decoction method will affect the efficacy. For example, if the Chinese medicine does not need to be decocted for a long time, it will become ineffective if it is decocted for too long; if the Chinese medicine needs to be decocted for a long time, it will have no efficacy if it is decocted for too short a time. Therefore, the decoction method of Chinese medicine should be taken seriously.