The general Chinese medicine decoction method is: before decocting, put the medicine into a container (preferably a ceramic casserole), add cold water until the medicine surface is about 3 cm, and then decoct the medicine after soaking, so that the effective components are easy to decoct. After boiling, use a small fire to avoid overflowing or boiling too fast. It is not advisable to uncover the medicine cover frequently when decocting, so as to avoid odor loss and reduce the overflow of volatile components. For sweating, relieving exterior syndrome, relieving cough and clearing heat, it is advisable to decoct with strong fire to avoid volatilization, reducing or even changing the efficacy; For nourishing traditional Chinese medicine with strong taste, it is advisable to decoct it with slow fire for a long time to make the efficacy come out; Some toxic drugs, such as aconite and aconite, should also be decocted slowly for a long time to reduce toxicity. Some special drugs must be treated by special methods, such as shellfish and mineral drugs. They should be smashed and decocted for about 30 minutes before taking other drugs, such as keel, gypsum, tortoise shell and turtle shell. Those with light fragrance should put it later. After the medicine is decocted, it can be put for 4 ~ 5 minutes, such as mint, Uncaria rhynchophylla and Amomum villosum. Some medicines, such as Inula, are wrapped before frying. In addition, some valuable tonics should be fried or stewed separately, such as ginseng and American ginseng. Glue drugs should not be decocted with other drugs. They should be steamed in water until they melt, and then mixed with the liquid medicine while it is hot. Some fragrant or precious powders need to be taken orally, such as agarwood powder and panax pseudo-ginseng.
Also pay attention to the time and method of taking medicine: general drugs should be taken before meals 1 hour; Drugs that stimulate the gastrointestinal tract should be taken after meals; Tonics should be taken on an empty stomach; Take sleeping pills before going to bed; Acute diseases are not limited to time service; Chronic diseases should be taken regularly, usually 1 dose or 2 doses per day, and special circumstances must be followed by doctors. In addition, the tonic should be taken warm and hot in winter, because it is easy to hinder the stomach and affect digestion and absorption; The spleen and stomach of the elderly are weak, so taking a small amount of traditional Chinese medicine can be taken regularly and warmly, which can reduce the burden on the stomach and intestines; It is best to decoct Chinese medicine on the same day, and the storage time of the liquid medicine should not exceed 10 hour.