When frying medicine, many people have difficulty determining how much water to use due to the different types of pots. How do you calculate the amount of water? The amount of water added during frying medicine is a very important issue and directly affects the quality of the decoction.
1. How to calculate the amount of water for frying medicine
A research institute conducted 87 experiments of frying medicine using different amounts of water. By using statistical methods to calculate the correlation coefficient between the weight of the medicine and the amount of water used, the following water calculation standards were derived:
First decoction = 100 milliliters × weight of medicine (in liang) + 150 milliliters + dosage
Second decoction = dosage + 200 milliliters
This calculation formula is suitable for medicine weighing 1 to 8 liang and for direct heating during frying medicine. The heating time should be around half an hour, but the amount of water can be adjusted based on specific circumstances, such as when the medicine has a high water absorption rate or when the heat during boiling is too high or too low.
The dosage required by clinical physicians is generally between 150 and 300 milliliters, with adjustments for children.
2. Selection of utensils for frying medicine
The quality of traditional Chinese medicine decoctions is closely related to the selection of frying utensils. Clay pots are still considered the best choice because their material is stable and does not react chemically with the medicinal ingredients. They also have uniform and gentle heat transfer, which is one of the reasons why they have been used since ancient times.
In addition to clay pots, enamel pots, stainless steel pots, and glass decoction vessels can also be used. However, iron pots and copper pots should not be used because their chemical properties are unstable and they are prone to oxidation. When boiling medicine, they can react with the chemical components of the Chinese medicine. For example, they can react with tannins to form tannic acid iron, which darkens the color of the decoction. They can also form insoluble polymers with flavonoids and salts with organic acids. All of these can affect the quality of the decoction and directly impact the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine decoctions.
3. How to control the heat during frying medicine
The temperature during frying medicine, known as "heat", is generally referred to as "low heat" or "high heat". Low heat means gentle heat, with a slow increase in temperature and slow evaporation of water. High heat means strong heat, with a rapid increase in temperature and fast evaporation of water.
If the heat is too strong during frying medicine, the fast evaporation of water can affect the extraction of active ingredients and make the pot easily burnt. On the other hand, if the heat is too low, the effectiveness of the decoction will be reduced. Generally, high heat is used before boiling, and then low heat is used after boiling to maintain a simmering state, which slows down the evaporation of water and helps to extract the active ingredients effectively.
