Chinese remedies are generally dispensed by
practitioners in separate bags containing enough dried
herb for each dose. This is traditionally boiled in three
cups of water in an earthenware or ceramic pot for
25-30 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. The
mix is then strained and taken in a single dose on an
empty stomach in the morning. Sometimes
the herbs need to be reheated in fresh
water and then the two extractions
are combined. The same herbs might be used
for the following day's brew,
depending on the exact mix: if it
contains soluble ingredients, such as
certain mineral salts, then a fresh prescription
will be needed each day. The decoction (known as
Tang (soup) ) is generally extremely dark brown and
very strongly flavored. Chinese doses are much larger
than those used by Western herbalists (often up to
3 1/2 Oz/90g ) and the resulting mix is usually rather
unpleasant for Western palates.
The aerial parts of herbs (leaves, flowers, and stems) can easily be made into teas or tisanes by infusing them in water. The usual Western approach is to use 10z/25g of dried herb to 1pt/500ml of water that is just off the boil. Infuse the mix for ten minutes, then strain and drink in three equal wine-glass or cup doses during the day. The infusion should be stored in a pitcher, covered, in a cool place and used within 24 hours. Alternatively, use 1-2tsp of the dried herb per cup and make a dose at a time. If using fresh herbs, three times as much plant material (i.e. 3az/75g) is needed. For cold infusions, see macerations below.
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