1. Soaking before decoction: the drug must be soaked before decoction, this is because the origin of plant-based Chinese medicine is mostly dry products, through the addition of water soaking can make the medicine soft, tissue cell expansion to restore its natural state, decoction is easy to active ingredients leaching. Generally, the flowers, leaves and stems are the main drugs, the soaking time is 1-1.5 hours. Roots, seeds, rhizomes, fruit-based drugs soaking time for 2-3 hours.

2. The number of decoctions: the effect of multiple decoctions is better than one long decoction. Practice has proved that two decoctions of soup can be decocted about 80% of the ingredients, so the number of decoctions should be two or three times.

3. The temperature of the decoction: the temperature of the decoction is called "fire" in Chinese medicine, which is generally known as "fire" or "fire". The so-called WenHuo, is a weak fire, the temperature rises slowly, water evaporation slower. The so-called martial arts fire is a strong fire, the temperature rises quickly, water evaporation is also fast. If the decoction fire is too strong, the water evaporates quickly, which will affect the leaching of active ingredients, and it is also easy to paste the pot. On the contrary, if the fire is weak, the effect of the decoction will be poor. Generally in the non-boiling before the use of fire, to boil and then switch to the fire, keep in the state of micro-boiling, can slow down the evaporation of water, which is conducive to the active ingredients of the decoction.

4. Decoction time: mainly according to the nature of the drug and the disease, as well as the condition of the drug. Generally for the first decoction to boil start counting need 20-30 minutes, the second decoction 30-40 minutes. For cold and flu medicines, the first decoction takes 10-15 minutes and the second 15-20 minutes. For tonic medicines, the first decoction takes 30-40 minutes and the second 40-50 minutes.

5. The amount of medicinal liquid retained: generally refers to the amount of medicinal liquid after a dose of medicine is combined by two decoctions. Adults take 400-600 milliliters, divided into two daily doses. Children take 200-300 milliliters, divided into two to three times a day.

6. The method of taking the medicine: Generally, a dose of medicine is boiled twice and then combined and taken in two doses. Children can take it in 2-3 times. Treatment of colds, fever, enteritis, diarrhea medicine, can also be used to take the method of frequency, that is, every 4 hours to take once, each time to take 30-40 ml, while the disease is cured, and then changed to 2-3 times a day, children to a small number of times as well.

7. Decoction of special medicines:The doctor will prescribe medicines with footnotes in the prescription according to the patient's condition and the nature of the medicine.

First decoction: generally some minerals, shells, horns and armor type of drugs, because of its hard texture is not easy to decoct the active ingredient, generally to be first decocted for 30-40 minutes, and then mixed with other medicines after the decoction. Commonly, there are raw gypsum, raw keel, mother-of-pearl, raw ochre and so on. Another toxic drugs first decoction, long decoction can achieve the purpose of toxicity reduction or de-toxicity. If the aconite class of drugs for a long time can make aconitine decomposition of aconitine, its toxicity is only 1/2000 of the original. such as appendicitis for a long time can not only reduce the toxicity can also increase the cardiotonic effect.

After the drug: generally is the smell of aromatic volatile oil or not easy to long decoction of the drug, in the drug decoction well before 10-15 minutes into the pot. Commonly, there are Huo Xiang, hook vine, rhubarb and so on. For example, the garcinia cambogia contained in the hook vine, the decoction time of more than 20 minutes its antihypertensive component is easy to be destroyed. Rhubarb, with diarrhea and clearing heat, is the component of rhubarb glycosides, but its heat is not stable, long time heating will decompose. And rhubarb glycosides laxative effect is stronger than glycosides, so it is not easy to decoct for a long time, more after the method.

Package decoction: generally seeds and other pollen drugs, with gauze bags into the group medicine **** decoction. Commonly, there are psyllium, cyclamen and so on. If the psyllium is easy to stick to the pot, paste, caramelization. Therefore, it needs to be packaged and decocted. The bag of flowers can be avoided to avoid the velvet shedding mixed into the soup liquid irritation throat.

Dissolving service: use hot liquid medicine to dissolve the drug and then take. Common drugs include xuanming powder, manganite.

Melting; mainly some gelatinous drugs, with hot liquid medicine melting after taking. If the mixed decoction will make the liquid viscous, affecting the other components of the leaching, gelatinous drugs also have a certain loss, so the use of melting to take the method. Commonly, there are raw glue, antler glue, turtle plate glue.

Another decoction into, some of the valuable drugs to be decocted separately, and then the liquid into the medicine to be taken together. Commonly, there are ginseng, American ginseng, deer antler and so on.

Flushing, some valuable drugs fine powder can not be decocted with the group of drugs, more using the method of flushing to take, that is, the powder is dissolved in the liquid medicines to take. This is conducive to the role of drugs can also save herbs. Commonly, there are panax ginseng noodles, antelope horn noodles, oxalis noodles and so on.

I am a student of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine~