Theoretical Systems of Chinese Materia Medica Classics:Processing Theory of Decoction Pieces
The clinical application of Chinese materia medica(CMM)has two most important characteristics.First,the raw materials have to be processed into decoction pieces that can provide the nature,flavor,and meridian entry of CMM.Second,decoction pieces should be used after syndrome differentiation and treatment and compound combination by clinical doctors to optimize the treatment effects with the cooperation of sovereign,ministerial,assistant,and conductant drugs.Processing is the critical stage during the formation of the nature,flavor,and meridian entry of CMM and the requisite procedure before the clinical application of CMM.Processing has also experienced the sublimation from the clinical drug needs to the formation of medicinal natures,evolved from the simple purification processing to the combination of water and fire processing to form medicinal natures,changed from physical and chemical reactions to biological reactions,and developed from the rough processing in producing areas to the inheritance of the exquisite skills for toxicity attenuation,efficacy enhancement,nature transformation,and function reservation.In this research,the evolution of the processing appellations,processing techniques,processing purposes,as well as processing successions was sorted out to explore the processing theory of decoction pieces contained in CMM classics.
Chinese medicinal decoction piecesdrug naturetreatment effectprocessing techniquesprocessing procedures