1. Opposite as a means of production refers to the use of auxiliary materials (including drugs) with opposite pharmacological properties to counteract the bias of traditional Chinese medicine or change its pharmacological properties. For example, using hot wine made from hot and ascending herbs to process cold and descending rhubarb, transforms its nature from descending to ascending. Using hot and pungent wine to process the bitter and cold coptis chinensis can eliminate its extreme cold nature. Using salty, cold, and moisturizing saline solution to process ginkgo biloba can moderate its warm and dry nature. It has been proven that raw rhubarb is bitter and cold, which can easily damage the spleen yang and cause abdominal pain. By using hot and sweet wine for processing, the damage can be avoided and its descending nature can be transformed into ascending, in order to clear the upper burner heat. Ginkgo biloba is warm and dry, and prolonged use can easily damage yin. Using salty and cold saline solution for processing can rectify this bias.
2. Mutual supplementation as a means of production refers to the use of auxiliary materials with similar pharmacological properties or a certain processing method to enhance the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine. The term "supplementation" implies assistance. For example, using salty and cold saline solution to process the bitter and cold anemarrhena and phellodendron can enhance their nourishing yin and reducing fire effects. Roasting Xianmao and Yangqi stone with wine can enhance their warming kidney and assisting yang effects. Honey-roasted lily bulb can enhance its lung-moistening and cough-relieving effects. Honey-roasted licorice can enhance its tonifying middle and benefiting qi effects. Anemarrhena and phellodendron are originally bitter and cold substances, but clinical practice has shown that they have certain effects in clearing empty heat and diarrhea. Using salty and cold saline solution for processing can guide the medicine into the kidneys and enhance the effects of nourishing yin and reducing fire. Xianmao and Yangqi stone are originally pungent and hot substances. Using hot and pungent wine for processing can enhance their warming kidney and assisting yang effects, which has been proven by long-term clinical practice.
3. Mutual avoidance or antagonism as a means of production refers to the use of certain auxiliary materials to counteract the toxicity or side effects of certain drugs during processing. For example, ginger can counteract the toxicity of pinellia ternata and star anise (both pinellia ternata and star anise are afraid of ginger), so ginger is used to process pinellia ternata and star anise. Ginger processing can reduce the toxicity of pinellia ternata and Tian nanxing, which has been proven not only by clinical practice but also by pharmacodynamics.
4. Mutual aversion as a means of production refers to the extended application of "mutual aversion" in the compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine during processing, which aims to weaken the strong nature of a drug to avoid damaging the body's vitality. For example, fried Fructus Aurantii Immaturus can moderate its qi-breaking effect; rice soup processing can moderate the dryness of Atractylodes macrocephala. Simmered moschus has no dispersing nature, so it can solidify the large intestine and stop diarrhea and dysentery. Sometimes, the pungent and warm nature of a drug may be necessary for treatment, but it may also bring adverse reactions or side effects. By using certain auxiliary materials for processing, the side effects can be suppressed. Pharmacological experiments have proven that excessive volatile oil from Atractylodes macrocephala is harmful to organisms, but it can be suppressed by frying with bran.
Specific methods include:
1. Changing the form refers to altering the appearance and separating the medicinal parts of the drug. "Form" refers to shape and parts. For example, cutting white peony into thin slices changes its cylindrical shape into a thin slice shape; slicing Poria cocos changes its appearance, and crushing seeds, minerals, and shells after calcination. Traditional Chinese medicines have different forms and large volumes, which are not conducive to formulation and decoction. Therefore, they are processed into herbal pieces before formulation to meet the requirement of "shared medicinal power". This is often achieved through milling, pounding, or slicing.
2. Changing the nature refers to changing the properties of the drug through processing. For example, raw licorice is processed into roasted licorice; raw Rehmannia glutinosa is processed into prepared Rehmannia glutinosa; raw rhubarb is roasted with wine; Atractylodes macrocephala is fried with bran; Lai Fu Zi is fried with yellow; and Gardenia is fried to black. By processing, the extreme nature of the drug can be suppressed to avoid damaging the body's vitality, or the cold, hot, warm, cool, ascending, descending, floating, and sinking properties of the drug can be changed to meet the requirements of flexible clinical use.
