Net System
Remove weeds, sand and non-medicinal parts. According to the requirements of different species, some need to scrape off the skin, such as white peony root; some need to cut off the rough bark, such as cork; some need to remove the reed head, fibrous root and residual branches and leaves, etc., and then carry out size classification, such as achyranthes, green wood Incense, Salvia, Angelica dahurica, Peucedanum, Shegan, Polygonum cuspidatum, etc.; some have to peel off the wood heart, such as Danpi.
Steaming, boiling, and blanching some medicinal materials that contain more starch or carbohydrates and mucilage are not easy to dry. Some also contain enzymes that decompose and transform some of their own components. If they are heated, the enzymes will lose their vitality. Keep the properties of the medicine without deterioration.
Cut
Some rhizome medicinal materials, such as Danshen, Angelica dahurica, Peucedanum, Achyranthes, Shegan, Polygonum cuspidatum, Phytolacca, Pueraria lobata, Tufuling, Scrophulariaceae, etc., should be cut into slices, pieces or sections while they are fresh, and then dried; Fruit medicinal materials that are not easy to dry, such as xuan papaya, lime, bergamot, etc., should be cut first before drying; bark medicinal materials such as eucommia, magnolia, cinnamon, etc. should also be cut into pieces or slices while they are fresh. Roll into a tube and then dry.
Dry
The purpose of drying is to facilitate long-term storage and use, and try to keep the appearance, smell and active ingredient content of crude drugs unchanged during drying.
Sun-Dried
Use sunlight and outdoor air to dry the herbs. The sun-drying method is generally suitable for medicinal materials that do not require a certain color and do not contain volatile oil, such as coix, burdock, astragalus, paeonol, eucommia, etc. The sun-drying method is simple, but different medicinal materials have different methods. When drying, the harvested medicinal materials are usually spread out on a mat. Pay attention to prevent rain, dew, and prevent the wind from dispersing, and often turn it over to promote early drying.
Drying
Bake the medicinal materials at a low temperature by using a drying or fire pit to dry the medicinal materials. The temperature should be controlled during drying. If the temperature is low, it is not easy to dry. If the temperature is too high, the quality will be affected. If the temperature of roasted rhubarb is not more than 60℃, the body bubble will be dark and the quality will be reduced. Too high, such as the temperature of drying silver flowers is controlled at 38 ℃-42 ℃.