1. Preparation for ingestion and METHODS OF DELIVERY
Materia Medica I

2. Methods of Delivery Decoctions (tang) Powders (san) Pills (wan)
Special pills or vermillion pills (dan)
Syrups (gao)
Plasters (gao)
Medicinal wines (jiu)
Processing vs. preparation

3. Decoctions (tang) Most common method. Pros
Easily absorbed, good for acute conditions
Easily modified to fit clinical need
Easily ingested, no special equipment
Cons
Time-consuming to prepare
Taste and odor
Relatively expensive
Literally, “soup”

4. How to Prepare a Decoction
Use covered non-aluminum cookware (non- metal is best)
Place herbs in pot, cover with sufficient water, and allow herbs to soak
Heat to a boil, then simmer
Cooking time depends on type of formula, minutes being average
When liquid is reduced to approx 2 cups, pour off the “tea”
Dregs may be cooked again or discarded
Military fire, then civilian fire – Li Shi Zhen
10-15 minutes for exterior releasing and heat clearing (especially cool acrid for wind-heat like Sang Ju Yin)
45-60 minutes for tonic formulas

5. Cooking Herbs
Video - How to Prepare a Decoction

6. Herbs Requiring Special Decoction
Decocted first (pre-decocted)
Added near end (post-decocted)
Decocted in cheesecloth/gauze
Decocted separately
Dissolved in strained decoction
Taken at the same time with strained decoction

7. Decocted First (Pre-Decocted)
Type of Herb
Pre-decoction Time
Example Herb
Toxic herbs. Longer cooking time reduces toxicity.
30-45 mins
Fu Zi
Minerals and shells. Longer cooking time to extract ingredients.
10-20 mins
Shi Gao
Lightweight substance with large dosage. Not enough room in the cooking pot.
20 minutes, then use the liquid to decoct the other ingredients
Bai Hua She She Cao
Lists of herbs with special decoct reqs in Bensky introduction.
Fu Zi: acrid, hot, toxic, HT, SP, KD.
Shi gao: acrid sweet very cold, LU & ST.
Bai Hua She She Cao (White flower snake tongue herb) grams, clears heat and detoxifies, anti-cancer herb for GI tract esp

8. Added Near the End (Post-Decocted)
Type of Herb
Post-decoct Time
Example Herb
Aromatic herbs (Exterior Releasing, Qi Regulating). Adding near the end prevents volatile oils from evaporating.
5-10 mins
Bo He
Mu Xiang
Certain herbs requiring a stronger effect.
10 mins
Da Huang
Bo he: acrid, cool. LU and LIV. Wind-heat, regulate Liver qi.
Mu Xiang: acrid bitter warm, SP-ST-GB-LgInt. Move qi, alleviate pain in ST and intestines
Da Huang: bitter, cold, SP, ST, LgInt, LIV, HT. purge heat, cool blood, activate blood.

9. Decocted in Cheesecloth
Wrap herbs with fine hairs, small seeds, and some minerals in order to avoid irritation to the throat or digestive tract
Che qian zi (plantain seed), Xin Yi Hua (pussy willow magnolia bud)
Che Qian Zi
Xin Yi Hua

10. Decocted separately
Rare and expensive substances are sliced thin and simmered in a covered double- boiler for 2 hours to facilitate extraction of ingredients.
Ren Shen
Ren shen, lu rong (young deer velvet antler - $155/lb)
Lu Rong

11. Dissolved in strained decoction
Viscous, sticky substances that will stick to the pot and other herbal ingredients should be dissolved in a separate bowl or pot and then added to the strained decoction.
Yi Tang
E Jiao
Shan Dong (Dong-E) E Jiao is best, Yi Tang

12. Taken with Strained Decoction
Expensive aromatic herbs are not cooked. They are shaved or filed into a powder, mixed with a little water or decoction, and swallowed.
Follow with rest of decoction
San Qi
Niu Huang

13. Taking a Decoction Most decoctions are taken warm
Take approx one cup, 2-3 times per day
In cases of vomiting or for children and the seriously ill, small amounts may be taken more frequently
Usually taken before meals to facilitate absorption, especially tonic formulas
Formulas with ingredients that irritate the stomach are taken after meals
Formulas that calm the spirit are taken before going to bed
Take most decoctions warm, unless warm medicine causes nausea (in which case take cool)
Before meals for maximum absorption

14. Powders (san)
Herb is ground into powder or boiled, freeze-dried, then ground.
Pros
Relatively easy to absorb (less than decoction, greater than pills)
Flexibility in clinical use
Easy to store, convenient to use
Cons
May irritate stomach
Bacteria and other organisms may contaminate ground raw herbs (use cGMP products)

15. Pills (wan)
Herb is ground into fine powder and formed into a pill or bolus using a viscous medium.
Pros
Different mediums may be used (water, honey, wax)
Easy to store, convenient to use
Good for maintenance therapy
Cons
Mild and slow in action
Cannot modify ingredients and dosages within the formula
Honey for tonifying, wax to prevent dissolving until intestines and prevent stomach irritation
Bao He Wan

16. Special Pills (dan) Finely processed and expensive substances
Sometimes called “vermilion pills” because Zhu Sha (Cinnabaris) was used as a protective coating
Zhu Sha, composed mostly of mercury sulfide, is toxic and no longer used
Example formula: Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
Tiny pills
Daoist search for immortality. Were considered very refined and powerful. Today dan is used like wan.

17. Syrups (gao)
Prepared by simmering in water until reduced to a thick concentrate, then adding granulated sugar or honey
Used for treating cough and sore throat or chronic, debilitating diseases
Easily absorbed, palatable, convenient
Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao – loquat cough syrup
Pi Pa Ye Chuan Bei Mu Nan Sha Shen Wu Wei Zi Chen Pi Jie Geng Ban Xia Bo He Kuan Dong Hua Xing Ren Feng Mi

18. Plasters (gao) Applied externally
Used for dermatological disorders, painful musculoskeletal conditions, fractures and sprains
Herbs may be simmered in oil, mixed with beeswax, and spread on a cloth; or herbal powder can be added to heated oil and beeswax
Yun Nan Bai Yao Plasters
Pain Terminator used in clinic

19. Medicinal Wines (jiu) Medicinal substances are steeped in wine
Wine is dispersing and increases circulation
Used to treat wind-damp painful obstruction (rheumatic conditions), traumatic injuries, and some deficiency disorders
Snake wine. Bai hua she: sweet, salty, warm, toxic, LIV. Wind-damp category for W-D Bi and post-stroke hemiplegia. Wu shao she, sweet, salty, neutral and non-toxic. Qi she: sweet, salty, warm, toxic, LIV.
Die da tian qi yao jiu