Boiling medicine need to use plain water Now people boil medicine is often the tap water directly, in fact, boiling medicine is best to boil the water cooled before use. Because some local tap water is disinfected with chlorine, more or less residual; at the same time, tap water has more calcium and magnesium ions, but also easy to react with the compounds in the herbs, affecting the effectiveness of the medicine. First decoction and then decoction of medicinal properties shellfish, minerals, bones and nails should be first decoction. Shells include oyster powder, clam powder, etc., minerals include gypsum powder, dragon bones, etc., and bones and nails include turtle nails and turtle plates. These drugs should be decocted for 10 minutes before adding other drugs. Some herbs are ineffective after long decoction, such as hooked vine, etc.; some herbs have aromatic taste, which reduces the efficacy after long decoction, such as honeysuckle, forsythia, mint, etc. In addition, some drugs can be decocted for a long time to reduce the toxicity of the drug, such as strychnine. It is best to soak the herbs in warm water for 40 minutes before decocting. If some volatile herbs are left open, the active ingredients will be released into the air with the water vapor, and the efficacy will be greatly reduced. These volatile herbs are mostly pungent and dispersing or aromatic drugs, such as peppermint, sorrel, patchouli, etc. The decoction time should not be too long. Another example is that some tonic drugs, such as ginseng, deer antler and American ginseng, need to be decocted slowly and for a long time in a container with low fire in order to make the active ingredients fully decocted. The lid should be covered to prevent the drug ingredients from being lost with water vapor. Some light-weight and bulky herbs, such as money grass and senna, are easy to overflow with the lid on. In addition, some herbs that do not dissolve easily need to be stirred frequently when decocted, and such drugs are best cooked without the lid on. Of course, stirring is best in one direction, so that the herbs are evenly heated, so that the active ingredients are completely dissolved, and generally stirred once at 10-minute intervals. There are some medicines that need to be decocted for a long time with a slight fire, while others need a fierce fire and a short time. Tonic medicine should be decocted for a long time with a light fire, while cold and flu medicine should be decocted for a short time with a fierce fire. The best way to decoct medicine is to use a casserole because it is heated evenly, and when the medicine is boiling, it rolls like a wave and has a crashing force. If you use a pressure cooker to decoct medicine, there is no impact and stirring, and the composition of the medicine will be affected. It is best to decoct 180 ml of medicine juice. The amount of juice taken is very critical. It is better to make three decoctions of about 180 ml at a time. If there is more juice, there will be less active ingredients in the dregs; on the other hand, if there is less juice, the dregs will absorb the active ingredients of the medicine and it will be wasted. Of course, here we are talking about normal prescriptions, not special generosity. False boiling medicine boil for a little longer In the general impression, medicine goo goo goo boiling is boiling well, but sage, Tian Qi, cow’s knee, licorice, orris and other drugs in the temperature does not reach 100 ℃ will begin to boil, if the medicine is taken off the fire at this time, the active ingredients in the herbs are not fully dissolved, the effectiveness of the medicine will be affected.