四、中药的炮制/ Processing of Chinese herbal medicine
中药材采集后不能直接入药，要去除杂质或者非药用部位。某些具有毒性或者刺激性的药材，还需要通过炮制加以减缓。什么是中药炮制呢？简单地说，中药炮制就是根据用药需要和药物性质，对原药材进行一定的加工处理，以充分发挥中药的疗效，避免或减少一些不良反应，
或改变中药原有的药性以更好地适应病情需要。
具体来说，中药炮制的目的主要有四个：
（一）增强中药的临床疗效
中药炮制往往需要增加一些辅料，如黄酒、蜂蜜、姜汁等等。这些辅料可以增强中药的疗效，如蜜炙甘草可以增强甘草的润肺止咳作用，盐炙杜仲可以增强杜仲的补肝肾作用。
（二）降低或消除药物的毒副作用，保证用药安全
一些中药是有毒的，这些中药如果口服使用，就必须经过炮制来消除或降低药物的毒性。比如川乌通过炮制可以大大减少有毒成分乌头碱的含量。陈皮需要陈制至少一年来减少陈皮中挥发油的含量。
（三）改变药物的性能或功效，以适应病情的需要
比如地黄本身性味甘寒，适宜清热凉血，但通过黄酒反复蒸制晾晒后变为熟地黄，药性由寒变温，用于补益精血。再如麻黄善于发汗解表，而用蜂蜜炒过后的蜜炙麻黄则增强了平喘止咳的功能。
（四）便于储存
刚采集的鲜药材含有大量水分，容易霉变，所以中药材在储存、运输等过程中必须要通过自然晾晒或烘干进行干燥处理。有些药材需要在产地进行盐处理以防霉变，如全蝎等。
中药的炮制大体包括如下方法：
1.修制：对药材进行净化、粉碎或切制。属于药材的初加工，为后续进一步加工、调剂和临床用药做准备。如枇杷叶表面毛茸多，需刮去粗毛；皮类药材需要刮去粗皮；贝壳类药材需要进行粉碎；根类药材需要切片。
2.水制：用水或其他液体辅料处理药材，主要是为了清洁、除杂、软化药材等目的。常见方法如漂洗、闷润、浸泡、喷洒、水飞等。
3.火制：用火加工处理中药材。主要方式有炒、炙、烫、煅、煨、炮、燎、烘等。
4.水火共制：主要有蒸法和煮法。如酒蒸地黄增加补肝肾和补血作用。
Aftercollecting,theChinesemedicinalmaterialscannotbedirectly used.Impuritiesornon - medicinalpartsshouldberemoved.Sometoxic orirritatingmedicinesneedtobeprocessedthrough“processing”.What istheprocessingoftraditionalChinesemedicineInbrief,itmeans toprocesstheoriginalmedicinalmaterialsaccordingtotheneedsof medicationandthenatureofmedicines,soastogivefullplaytothe efficacyoftraditionalChinesemedicines,avoidorreducesomeadverse reactions,orchangetheoriginalmedicinalpropertiestobettermeetthe needsofdiseases. Specifically,therearefourmainpurposesfortheprocessingof traditionalChinesemedicine:
1.EnhancingtheclinicalefficacyoftraditionalChinesemedicine Somepharmaceuticalexcipients,suchasricewine,honey,ginger juice,areoftenusedintheprocessing.Theycanenhancetheefficacy oftraditionalChinesemedicine.Forexample,honey - roastedGancao (liquoriceroot)canhavebetterlung - moisteningandcough - relieving effects.Salt - roastedDuzhong(eeucommiabark)willhavebetterliver andKidney - tonifyingeffects.
2.Reducingoreliminatingtoxicandsideeffectsofherbalmedicines toensuremedicationsafety.
Someherbalmedicinesaretoxic,andmustbeprocessediftheyare usedorallyinordertoreducetheirtoxicity.Forexample,aconitinein Chuanwu(commonmonkshoodmotherroot)canbegreatlyreduced afterprocessing.Chenpi(driedtangerinepeel)needstobeagedforat leastoneyearsothatvolatileoilinitcanbereducedduringaging.
3.Changingtheperformanceorefficacyofherbalmedicinestomeet theneedsofdiseases
Dihuang(rehmanniaroot)issweetandcoldinnature.Itissuitable forclearingheatandcoolingblood.However,itchangestoShudihuang (preparedrehmanniaroot)afterrepeatedsteaminganddryingwithrice wine.Itsmedicinalpropertieschangefromcoldtowarm,anditisoften usedtotonifytheblood.Besides,Mahuang(ephedraherb)isgoodat sweatingandreleasingexterior,whilehoney - friedMahuanghasbetter functionofrelievingasthmaandcough.
4.Easystorage
Duetohighmoisturecontent,thefreshlycollectedmedicinal materialsareeasytomildew.Therefore,theymustbedriedduring storageandtransportation,eitherthroughnaturaldryingorovendrying.
SomemedicinalmaterialssuchasQuanxie(scorpion)needtobetreated withsaltintheproducingareatopreventmildew. Thefollowingmethodsareoftenusedinprocessingoftraditional Chinesemedicine:
1.Preliminaryprocessing:Includingcleansing,crushingorcuttingof medicinalmaterials.Thepreliminaryprocessingofmedicinalmaterials preparesforfurtherprocessing,dispensingandclinicalmedication.For example,loquatleavesarehairyandthethickhairsneedtobescraped off;theroughbarksofbarkmedicinalmaterialsneedtobescrapedoff; theshellfishmedicinalmaterialsneedtobecrushed;therootmedicinal materialsneedtobesliced.
2.Processedwithwater:Theprocessingofmedicinalmaterials withwaterorotherliquidexcipientsismainlyforcleaning,removing impuritiesandsofteningmedicinalmaterials.Commonmethodsinclude rinsing,moistening,soaking,spraying,grindinginwater,etc.
3.Processedwithfire:SomeChinesemedicinalmaterialsare processedbyfire.Themajormethodsincludestir - frying,roasting, scalding,calcining,burning,baking,etc.
4.Co - processingwithbothwaterandfire:Mainlyincludingsteaming andboiling.Forexample,steamingDihuangwithwinecanincreasethe liver - and - kidney - tonifyingandblood - tonifyingeffects.
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