How long does it usually take to boil Chinese medicine?

As we all know, decocting Chinese medicine is a very particular matter. Before the introduction of bagged Chinese medicine packages, patients usually took the medicine home and decocted it by themselves. A casserole is needed to decoct Chinese medicine because the casserole is heated evenly. As for the question of the time required to decoct Chinese medicine, many friends want to know the relevant answer, because time is very critical if you want to fully release the medicinal effects of Chinese medicine. Let’s take a closer look below.

How long it takes to boil a patch of medicine thoroughly depends on the properties of each patch of medicine. For example: conditioning and tonic medicines, that is, medicines that nourish the body. This type of medicine is mostly from the rhizomes and fruits of plants, and crustaceans of animals, such as Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, deer antler, oyster and other heavy products. Its characteristics are hardness, thickness, strong nourishing property, and the medicine contains a large amount of nutrients. The purpose of decocting the medicine is to extract some effective ingredients, so it must be decocted for a long time, otherwise this cannot be achieved. Moreover, after adding water to the Chinese medicine, do not boil it immediately. It should be soaked for 20 to 30 minutes to make the medicine moist and soften, and the medium breaks up, so that the effective ingredients can be decocted as much as possible. The time for decocting the medicine is: half an hour to three quarters of an hour after the first juice is boiled, and about half an hour after the second juice is boiled, until the white core is eliminated.

The temperature and time when decocting the medicine are also very important. When decocting the medicine, use high heat (i.e. strong fire) at the beginning. After it boils, use low heat (i.e. gentle fire) to slowly simmer until the medicine boils but does not overflow. The decocting time should be determined according to the nature and effect of the medicine. For example, tonic medicines are thick, greasy and turbid in nature, and contain a large amount of nutrients that are not easy to be boiled thoroughly, so the boiling time should be longer. The first juice is usually simmered for 40 to 60 minutes after the water boils, and the second juice is simmered for another 30 minutes after the water boils. For example, diaphoretic and antipyretic drugs are dispersing in nature and contain a lot of volatile oils, so they should not be decocted for a long time. After the first water boils, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. After the second water boils, simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. For general treatment, boil the first juice of the medicine for 30 minutes after it is boiled, and boil the second juice for another 20 minutes after it is boiled. The pot should be covered when decocting medicine. However, the first and second juices are generally not less than 400-500 ml (about a small bowl).

Generally speaking, the first frying takes 30 minutes and the second frying takes 20-25 minutes. For those who relieve exterior symptoms and clear away heat, the cooking time for each decoction should be reduced by 10 minutes; for those who nourish the body, the first decoction should take 40-60 minutes. Fry for 30-40 minutes. In special circumstances, please follow your doctor's advice.

Through this introduction, everyone should know how long it generally takes to decoct Chinese medicine. Different Chinese medicine ingredients require different decoction times. Generally, when preparing Chinese medicine prescriptions in the hospital, doctors will specifically instruct on how long the medicine needs to be boiled. If there are no special circumstances, you only need to boil it according to the doctor's instructions. We must remind everyone that although Chinese medicine is bitter, you must never add sugar to it.