The decoction time of Chinese medicine is short

Most Chinese herbal medicines are used for brewing and taking, and decocting Chinese medicine is also a science. Many people hold the Chinese medicine bags but don’t know how to decoct it correctly. Here I will teach you some basic knowledge about decocting Chinese medicine. Is it okay if the decocting time is too short? What is the proper way to boil Chinese medicine? Let’s take a look together!

The decocting method of Chinese medicinal materials is very particular. For example, Chinese medicinal materials that are more tonic need to be decocted for a long time over a slow fire; medicines that are more inclined to clear away heat and relieve exterior symptoms need to be decocted urgently, etc. There is also the amount of Chinese medicinal materials in a dose, which cannot be decocted separately. After separate decoction, the amount of medicine used is reduced, and the effect of the medicine cannot be well manifested.

1. Use of equipment for decocting Chinese medicine

The quality of Chinese herbal medicine is closely related to the decoction device used. Nowadays, stone pots are still the best choice because the material of stone pots is stable and not easy to produce chemical reactions with drug ingredients. Its heat conduction is evenly distributed and slow, which is one of the reasons why it has been used since ancient times. In addition, enamel pots, stainless steel steamers and laminated glass fryers can also be used. However, frying pans and copper hot pots cannot be used. The main reason is that the physical properties of frying pans or copper hot pots are unstable and easily oxidized by air. When decocting medicine, it can react with the ingredients contained in Chinese medicinal materials. For example, it can be converted into tannic acid iron with tannins, which darkens the color of the medicine. It can be transformed into insoluble polymers with flavonoids and polysaccharides. It can be converted into acid salt with citric acid. These all affect the quality of the medicine and are directly related to the clinical efficacy of the Chinese herbal medicine.

2. Water flow rate for decocting Chinese medicine

The water flow rate when decocting Chinese medicine is also very important. The amount of water added will immediately affect the quality of the medicine. If too little water is added, the medicine will not be decocted thoroughly and the ingredients will not be completely extracted. If too much water is added, more medicine will be boiled, which is very inconvenient for patients to take the medicine. Due to the different materials of Chinese herbal medicines, their water absorption flow rates vary greatly. Generally, the water addition flow rate is controlled at 5-10 times. For medicines with the same net weight, loose materials will have a larger volume and will naturally absorb more water. The firmer the material, the smaller its volume and the less water absorption rate. Therefore, when decocting flowers, leaves, and whole herbs, more water needs to be added. When decocting mineral and shellfish medicines, add less water. According to the traditional method of adding water, the medicine is placed in the pot. The water flow rate for the first decoction is 3-5 cm above the surface of the medicine. The water flow rate for the second decoction is 3 cm above the surface of the medicine. This type of water release method is simple and easy to implement, and very easy to master.