Some "soups" in Qian Jin Fang in Tang Dynasty are basically the same as modern cream prescriptions, such as perilla soup, and there are six "soups" in Wang Dao's Secret Recipe of Outer Taiwan.
In the Song Dynasty, the ointment gradually replaced the decoction, basically following the style of the Tang Dynasty, and its use became more and more extensive. For example, Qiongyu ointment recorded in Hongshi Jifang in the Southern Song Dynasty is still in use today, and the habit of containing animal medicines in the ointment has also been handed down, such as Shengjigen ointment. At this time, the ointment has both therapeutic and nourishing effects.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cream prescription was more perfect and mature, which was characterized by its formal name and standardized production, referring to nourishing prescription and decoction referring to decoction. The number is greatly increased, and the clinical application is more extensive.
The ointment of Ming Dynasty is widely recorded in various prescriptions, and its composition is simple. The cream formulas that have been handed down to this day include "Learning from the Scriptures" by Hongji, "Guilu Erxian Cream", "Shoushi Baoyuan" by Gong Tingxian, "Fuling Cream" and "Liangyi Cream" by Zhang Jingyue.
In the Qing Dynasty, this ointment was not only circulated among the people, but also widely used in the court. For example, there are nearly 30 oral ointment prescriptions in the Selected Prescriptions of Guangxu Medicine of Cixi.
By the end of Qing Dynasty, the composition of ointment became more and more complicated. For example, in the "ointment" in Zhang Yuqing, the dosage of ointment often reaches 20 to 30 flavors, or even more. Colla Corii Asini and Colla cornus Cervi are often added to the ointment, emphasizing the application of syndrome differentiation, which has a great influence on later physicians.
Modern ointment is widely used in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong, especially in Shanghai.