1.Characteristics of poultice (what is the difference between poultice and general Chinese medicine) Poultice is a traditional tonic of Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine, also known as cream, refers to the decoction of herbs with water, dregs and concentrated with gum and sugar or honey made of semi-solid preparations, plays an important role in eliminating diseases, improving the body, tonic deficiency and other aspects. In the past, cream prescriptions were only available to the wealthy and noble people, but now, with the improvement of people’s living standards, they have entered the homes of millions of ordinary people. Compared with other forms of traditional Chinese medicine, poultices have the following characteristics 1.1 Tonic Poultices are mainly for nourishing and tonifying, and also for regulating and treating, so they are mainly suitable for patients with chronic and weak diseases. However, the modern formula is also different from the traditional one, and it is also used for the treatment of some chronic diseases due to the improvement of processing and storage conditions and the improvement of patients’ economic conditions. 1.2 Conveniently, poultice is the concentration of traditional Chinese medicine soup, which is processed, easy to store, smaller dose, good taste, convenient to take, and easy to take for a long time. At present, our hospital also has a small dose package of one-time dose in the packaging, which is convenient to carry and very suitable for frequent travelers. 1.3 Slow The action of poultice is slow, which is not suitable for acute disease evidence or acute attack stage of chronic diseases. 1.4 Medicine Poultice is made of Chinese herbal medicine, not a simple tonic, not a food, but still belongs to the category of medicine, the nature of the difference between hot and cold, warm and cool, the efficacy varies. Therefore, the taking of the cream prescription should be individualized, not a kind of cream prescription, the whole family to take. 2. What kind of people are suitable for taking the formula? 2.1 Chronic disease patients Chronic disease patients in remission, or stable period of the use of poultices while treating, to consolidate the treatment effect, to promote the recovery of the disease healing effect. 2.2 Sub-healthy patients Sub-healthy state refers to the state of low physiological function between health and disease in which there is no obvious abnormality in the body by hospital physical examination and no chronic disease, but there are various physical and psychological discomfort or abnormal symptoms, thus presenting reduced vitality and external adaptability. Common manifestations such as easy fatigue, insomnia and headache, depression or irritability, chest discomfort, frequent colds, irregular menstruation in women, male sexual ability and age incompatibility, etc.. In modern society, the work and life of young people is very stressful and competitive, coupled with frequent socializing, excessive smoking and drinking, staying up late and dieting and other bad habits, often causing the human body’s physiological functions to decline, and over time, the human body is in a state of sub-health. At this time, not only do you need to change your lifestyle, but you also need to take medication, and taking poultices is a very good way. 2.3 Older people, whose physiological functions tend to decline, should take poultices to maintain the balance of yin and yang in the human body, enhance the function of internal organs, strengthen the body and slow down the aging process. 2.4 Female population First, the weak, such as the usual food less thin, less florid, easy to catch a cold, especially cold in winter; second, postpartum conditioning is not appropriate, leaving a variety of discomfort, weak and sickly; third, after middle age, improper maintenance, the face gradually decline, the premature death of youth; fourth, menopause reaction is obvious, such as baking hot easy to sweat and other discomfort symptoms more and more heavy. The winter tonic has the effect of benefiting the spleen and strengthening the body, nourishing the blood and nourishing the kidneys. 2.5 Children with congenital deficiency and acquired disorders. Especially for children with repeated respiratory tract infections, anorexia, weakness and disease, it is recommended to tonify them. 2.6 Those with partial constitution Yin deficiency and fire, such as heavy internal heat, hot hands and feet, dry mouth and throat, insomnia, ulcerated mouth and tongue, dry stools, flushed cheeks, fear of heat and easy sweating, etc. Yang deficiency with cold constitution, such as fear of cold, fear of cold clothes, hands and feet are often cold, cold to the elbows and knees, stools are easy to thin, back cold and waist cold, etc. 2.7 After surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for tumor patients The rehabilitative effect of Chinese medicine in post-operative chemotherapy for tumor patients has been confirmed by many years of clinical practice. For those who are afraid of taking Chinese medicine prescription, poultice is a good choice. 3.What should be noted in taking poultices? 3.1 Poultices are usually taken twice in the morning and evening, 15-30ml each time, about 1-2 spoons (about 30g), with warm water. You can also hold it in your mouth (also known as “contain”, the cream in the mouth, let the medicine slowly dissolve in the mouth, but not suitable for people with cold body). It can be taken in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening about an hour before bedtime. If it is uncomfortable to take on an empty stomach, it can be taken after a meal. Generally, you should start with a small dose and gradually increase it. 3.2 In case of cold and fever, diarrhea, menstrual flow, etc., suspend taking it; when chronic diseases have acute attacks, do not take it, and continue to take it after the symptoms are relieved. 3.3 Patients with special medical history should provide to the doctor, if diabetic patients should not use icing sugar, brown sugar, syrup, honey and other intake cream. The doctor will choose some low-calorie sweeteners instead. Such as:Xylitol, Stevia, Yuanzhen sugar, etc. 3.4 The issue of avoidance of food during consumption. According to the traditional custom, one should avoid eating cold, greasy, hairy, spicy, radish, etc. during the period of taking ointment medicine. Our view is that it should be based on the identification of evidence. In case of Yang deficiency, cold and loose stools, cold foods such as raw and cold, crab and oyster should be avoided; in case of Yin deficiency, fear of heat and dry stools, hot foods such as spicy and fried foods, mutton and fried foods should be avoided. 3.5 Does the cream have to be taken in the winter season? “Everything is born in spring, grows in summer, harvests in autumn and hides in winter, so should people.” All living creatures in nature follow the seasons, forming the laws of birth, growth, transformation, harvesting and hiding. According to the characteristics of “spring, summer, harvest and winter”, winter is the season of hiding, so the human body should also follow the laws of nature and hide and nourish in winter. On the other hand, because a recipe has to be taken for one or two months, in ancient times, due to the condition, only the cold climate in winter is convenient for storage, so the recipe is generally only made and taken in winter. In modern times, the storage conditions have improved, and the production time for taking cream prescriptions has been greatly extended, so that our hospital can make cream prescriptions from October to the end of April every year.