【How much water should be added for the first and second decoction of herbal medicine】
First, let's understand some basic knowledge about boiling herbal medicine. A prescription of herbal medicine is made up of multiple ingredients, each with different properties. The following instructions should be noted:
1. "First decoction" means boiling for 15 minutes before adding other ingredients.
2. "Add later" means adding the ingredient 5-10 minutes before the decoction is done.
3. "Simmer in a bag" means wrapping the ingredient in a cloth bag before putting it in the pot for decoction.
4. "Dissolve" means putting the ingredient in the decoction and gently heating it to dissolve.
5. "Drink immediately" means consuming the decoction immediately after it is done.
When making the first decoction, add cold water to the level of 1-2 finger widths above the herbs and soak for half an hour. This allows the active ingredients to be easily extracted. Boil with high heat, then simmer for 20-30 minutes with low heat. Filter and set aside. For the second decoction, use less water and simmer for 15-20 minutes after boiling.
Different herbs may require different boiling times. Solid herbs may need to be boiled for an additional 5-10 minutes; tonifying herbs may be boiled for 40-60 minutes; heat-clearing herbs should be boiled for a shorter time, around 5-10 minutes. The amount of decoction for the first and second decoction should be about one cup in total, and it should be divided into two doses after mixing.
【Should the pot be covered when boiling herbal medicine】
To ensure that the sliced herbal medicine is thoroughly boiled and the active ingredients are fully extracted, it is recommended to cover the pot when boiling. This is especially important when the decoction contains volatile components that can evaporate with steam, such as mint, patchouli, and cardamom. Covering the pot during boiling allows the steam containing the medicinal volatile components to condense inside the lid and drip back into the pot, reducing the loss of active ingredients.
For most solid herbs, seeds, or animal drugs, such as ginseng, astragalus, polygonatum, ophiopogon, schisandra, haliotis, dragon bone, and oyster shell, it is also recommended to cover the pot during boiling. This can ensure that the active ingredients of the herbs are extracted to a greater extent within a limited time, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect of the medicine.
For loose and bulky herbs, such as loofah vine, senna, agarwood, chrysanthemum, and mulberry leaves, it is not necessary to cover the pot during boiling as the decoction may easily overflow. Stirring should be done continuously to ensure that the herbs are evenly boiled.
