Introduction: In addition to decoctions made from Chinese herbs, the main forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are pills, powders, pastes, and pellets. There are also forms like tinctures, teas, extracts, tablets, and more. Today, we will easily interpret the “pill form”. We welcome your feedback on whether you like the format and content.
How Are Chinese Medicine Pills Made?
1. Water Pills
Water pills can now also be coated. They are small in size, with a dense and smooth surface, making them easy to swallow and resistant to moisture.
2. Honey Pills
Honey pills are divided into large and small honey pills. A pill weighing >0.5 grams is considered a large honey pill, characterized by a mild medicinal property and stable disintegration, although they can be a bit cumbersome to consume, you know what I mean.
3. Water Honey Pills
Water honey pills were not present in ancient times; they were improved by modern pharmaceutical workers based on the principles of water pills. The characteristics of water honey pills include high production efficiency, ease of swallowing, and good preservation.
4. Paste Pills
Paste pills made from rice paste and medicinal herbs have a long history, mentioned in the Han Dynasty’s “Treatise on Febrile Diseases” and widely used in the Song Dynasty. After drying, paste pills become relatively hard, disintegrating slowly in the stomach, allowing for gradual release of the medicine, prolonging its efficacy, and reducing gastrointestinal irritation.
5. Concentrated Pills
Concentrated pills are currently one of the best forms of pills, as the medicine is extracted and concentrated, reducing its size, making it easy to take and absorb, while also maintaining efficacy and being less prone to spoilage.
Strictly speaking, concentrated pills, micro pills, and drop pills are terms related to the manufacturing process and are not classified in the same way as water pills, honey pills, and paste pills.
6. Wax Pills
Because beeswax is insoluble in water, it releases medicine very slowly in the body, providing a long-lasting effect. For toxic, potent, or irritating medicines, wax pills can delay absorption and reduce toxic side effects. Due to the final shaping being handmade, production by pharmaceutical companies has decreased.
7. Micro Pills
Micro pills can also be encapsulated, compressed into tablets, or made into other formulations. Micro pills are a multi-unit oral dosage form, with a typical dose ranging from dozens to hundreds of small pills. They can be made into various types such as sustained-release, enteric-coated, etc.
8. Drop Pills
Postscript:
I will gradually open a series of illustrated articles on TCM knowledge, and I welcome everyone to provide suggestions and feedback. We strive to make the profound knowledge of TCM accessible and understandable. Just as we advocate, TCM should be practical, understandable, effective, and informative, rather than distant words in ancient texts.
I look forward to your suggestions and even more to spreading this knowledge together with you.
Copyright:
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