The Benefits of a Decoction Maker

Herbal medicine is a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation, revered worldwide by patients for its unique minimal side effects and efficacy. However, the method of decocting herbal medicine is very particular, from the heat to the utensils, with a sequence of first decocting and then adding, melting and dissolving before serving. Yet, the decocting process is time-consuming and the medicine is not convenient to carry. Li Shizhen, in the Ming Dynasty, proposed...:"Even when herbs and medicine are meticulously selected and prepared according to the correct methods, if the person boiling the medicine is reckless and the water and fire are not properly managed, the temperature is not controlled, the medicine will be ineffective. Traditional manual decocting methods, which involve using medicine pots in an open state, have posed two major challenges to the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine: the quality of the decoction and its preservation."

       For a long time, the quality issue of manually decocting medicine has been a major challenge for us. This is mainly influenced by two aspects: first, the issue of water addition, which should be determined by the weight, volume of the medicine, as well as its water absorption and therapeutic efficacy. Second, the issue of decocting time. Traditional Chinese medicine often involves issues such as one decoction, two decoctions, and the use of gentle or strong fire, which are difficult to control in the actual process.

        A decocting machine is a type of device used for rapid decoction of medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine decoctions are one of the traditional forms of Chinese medicine, and the quality of the decoction directly affects the clinical efficacy. The material basis that influences efficacy is primarily the active components extracted from the decoction. Therefore, to maximize the clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine decoctions, it is essential to extract as many active components as possible. The traditional method of individual decoction using small pots is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Aside from the relatively shorter cooking time for exterior-relieving medicines, it generally requires at least a daily effort.2After hours of decocting, the herbal medicine is prepared by the hospital. Patients simply hand over the medicine to the pharmacy, and they can retrieve the decocted liquid medicine in the afternoon of the same day. The entire course of treatment can be taken home in one go, neatly packaged for convenient portability and consumption.