The correct method and steps for boiling Chinese medicine should include soaking, decoction, special decoction, etc. It also needs to be adjusted appropriately according to different medicinal properties and efficacy, e.g., ore-type and poisonous drugs need to be decocted for a long time.
1. Soaking: Pour the medicines into water for a little cleaning, and put them into water for half an hour to one hour to soak the herbs, which is conducive to better decocting the active ingredients or removing the toxicity.
2. Decocting: A pair of Chinese medicines should first be decocted with martial arts fire, and after boiling, turn the fire to slowly decoct, which can last for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, during which the medicines should be avoided from overflowing and drying up too quickly. Pour out the first decoction, add cold water and continue to decoct for about half an hour. Pour out the decoction again and mix the two decoctions into two to three portions for a day’s medicine.
3. Special decoctions: for some dense or toxic drugs, it is necessary to decoct for half an hour before adding other drugs; for drugs containing volatile ingredients, it is necessary to add them after 20 minutes of decocting to reduce the volatilization of the drugs; for antidepressants and purgatives, it is not suitable to be decocted for a long period of time.
It is recommended to follow the doctor’s advice to boil and take the medicine.