Traditional Chinese medicine decoction is the earliest used dosage form in traditional Chinese medicine and is still the most widely used. In the "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Jia Yi Jing" by Huangfu Mi of the Jin Dynasty, there is a record of "Yi Yin, using Shennong Bencao as decoction liquid", which shows that our ancestors had begun the application of decoction as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Because it is easy to prepare, it works quickly, and it is flexible to add or subtract, and it is especially suitable for the needs of traditional Chinese medicine's syndrome differentiation and treatment. Although the taste is mixed with five flavors, it is still loved by the majority of patients. The preparation of decoction liquid has accumulated a lot of valuable experience in thousands of years of application. Xu Lingfei of the Qing Dynasty said: "The method of decoction is the most suitable for exploring the method, and the effect and ineffectiveness of the medicine are all about this." Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty said: "Everyone taking decoction medicine, even if the substance is specialized in the treatment, the treatment is in accordance with the method, and the decoction medicine is reckless and ineffective, and the medicine is useless."

However, the separation of traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese medicine in today's medical units is particularly prominent. The asarum decoction used by pharmacies in a certain county's traditional Chinese medicine hospital in the past half month has changed from Asarum to Asarum. However, outpatient Chinese medicine practitioners are still considering the dosage of Asarum for patients. In most cases, after treating patients with syndrome differentiation, traditional Chinese medicine only prescribes a "written prescription". The accurate weighing of single-flavored drugs in the prescription is generally determined by the quality of the adjuster. The decoction container, decoction medium, decoction time, decoction times, decoction timing, decoction temperature and amount of the decoction medium are all selected or carried out technical operations by the patient or the patient, and they are not supervised and cannot be strictly stipulated. What's more, the preparation of decoction is also handed over to the patient and the patient to make and take it by himself.

Traditional Chinese medicine preparation is a professional discipline, and it is difficult for professionals to master its specific operations. When formulating a traditional pharmaceutical technology, it is handed over to patients who do not have medical knowledge and skills, how can they be assured that safety and efficacy? Aconitum soup is an effective prescription for treating cold and numbness. Some pharmacies and pharmacies still don’t know whether the formula is a raw product or a preparatory product. They just ask the disease to use honey to prepare it. If the formula is a raw product, can the patient master the "degree" of "attenuation and increase efficiency"? If it has been prepared, will it still have the effect of dispelling rheumatism, dispelling cold and relieving pain? This is the characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine medicine. There are many intermediate links, unlike Western medicine, which can take oral tablets with a cup of warm water. Therefore, it is very necessary to let the patient and the patient understand the many elements of scientific decoction.

Soak the adjusted Chinese medicine in cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes before decocting. Because most Chinese medicine tablets come from the roots, stems, flowers, leaves, fruits, seeds and other organs of plants, when the fresh medicine is dried, the water is evaporated and the tissue cells atrophy. The active ingredients such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, anthraquinones, etc. that were dissolved in the cells are crystallized or amorphous solids precipitated in the cells. To make these active ingredients completely decocted, first the water must moisten the surface of the tablets, then penetrate into the internal tissue through the cell gap, and at the same time penetrate into the cell wall, so that the originally dry and atrophic cells will swell again. The water continues to penetrate into the cell tissue, so that the solid active ingredients in the cells gradually dissolve, forming an active ingredient concentration solution in the cells, thus forming a difference in osmotic pressure.

The external water continues to penetrate into the tissue cells, and the concentrated solution of active ingredient in the tissue cells continues to spread from the inside of the tissue cells to the solution due to the poor concentration. Soak the loose-textured flowers, leaves, and whole grass decoctions for about 20 minutes; soak the hard-textured rhizomes and fruit seeds for about 30 minutes; if the soaking is not soaked or the soaking is insufficient before decoction, it will quickly boil it with high heat, which will damage the capillaries on the surface of the Chinese herbal decoction, and the moisture cannot enter the medicinal material, hindering the dissolution of the active ingredient. Experiments have proved that the unsoaked Yinchenhao Decoction, the first decoction is 16.05%, the second decoction is 7.69%, and the total amount is 23.74%. Under the same conditions, pre-soaked for 30 minutes, the first decoction is 21.3%, the second decoction is 9.67%, and the total amount is 30.97%, which is 7.23% higher than the unsoaked one.

It is best to use a casserole to decoct medicine. The casserole is the best. The decocting medicine is evenly heated, has a slow heat transfer, and has strong insulation. The decocted medicine is stable in nature and can maintain its original flavor. Li Shizhen said: "Don't decoct medicine, avoid copper and iron utensils, and silver utensils should be used." The chemical composition of traditional Chinese medicine is very complex. Because of the active chemical properties of metals such as copper, iron, aluminum, etc., it is easy to react with the chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine. For example, iron can easily form iron tannins to form iron tannins, which will deepen the color of the medicine liquid and make the medicine liquid have a rust smell; aluminum reacts with organic acids to form compounds absorbed by the human body and accumulate in the liver, kidneys and other tissues, causing damage to the human body; copper utensils are easily oxidized when heated to form patina that is harmful to the human body.

Adding water should be moderately done. To add more medicine, less water or less water, which will affect the quality of the decoction. Tao Hongjing of Liang Dynasty said: "The water is based on the prescription. About twenty taels of water is used for one dou of water, and boil it for four liters, which is the basis." Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty also said: "Today's small decoction, use two bowls of water for each tael, add it if it is too much, and reduce it if it is too little. If it is too much, the medicine tastes will not be released, and the decoction will be less, and the decoction will consume the power of the decoction." The amount of water used for decoction depends on the amount and texture of the decoction. If the amount of decoction is less than 90g, the amount of decoction increases or decreases, and the amount of water used will also be increased and decreased accordingly.

For the same amount of decoction, the amount of water added to the same texture is larger than the general water consumption; for the same amount of decoction, the amount of water added to the same amount of decoction, the amount of water added to the same amount of water used; for the same amount of solid texture, the amount of water added to the same amount of water used, such as minerals, shells, fruit seeds and other solid textures, the amount of water added to the general amount of water used. In general, traditional experience, adding water is placed in a decoction container, and adding water exceeds 3 to 5cm of the surface of the decoction. This method is used by most people because of its practical ease of operation, but the speed of water evaporation is related to the utensils, time and heat of decoction.

The time should be appropriate for the time of decoction in "Pharmaceutical Science". According to the different texture and smell of the decoction, there are generally three types: 1. Drugs that relieve exterior symptoms, qi and light texture, and fragrant smell, decoct for 15 to 20 minutes for the first time (all calculated after boiling), decoct for 10 to 15 minutes for the second time. 2. Generally, decoct for 20 to 30 minutes for the first time, decoct for 15 to 25 minutes for the second time. 3. Drugs that nourish and solid texture, decoct for 40 to 60 minutes for the first time, decoct for 30 to 40 minutes for the second time, decoct for this type of medicine can be decocted three times.

. Traditional decoction methods, the first decoction time is longer than the second decoction time. However, some decoctions should be treated separately according to the characteristics of the decoction, such as senna, the laxative ingredients of morning globe, and the antihypertensive ingredients of Uncaria are all heat-resistant substances. They can be decomposed or destroyed after a little longer decoction. However, the cough-relieving ingredient of aster, the flavonoid methin, and the active ingredients of aster must not be decocted. Therefore, the medicines that are decocted first and then decocted must be clearly stated during the prescription, and the adjuster explains to the patient or the patient when preparing the prescription.
Chapter completed!