Boiling

Cooking (foods or medicines) in boiling water or other liquid. Boiling, as a method of processing individual medicinals, has the aim of eliminating toxicity and irritants, preventing side effects, increasing effectiveness, or facilitating storage. For example, boiling genkwa (Genkwa Flos, 芫花 yuán huā) in vinegar can reduce its toxicity; boiling impure mirabilite (Mirabilitum Non-Purum, 朴硝 pò xiāo) with radish can remove impurities, making it into refined mirabilite (Sulfas Natrii Exsiccatus, 玄明粉 xuán míng fěn). Boiling is also the method of making a formula into a decoction. See processing of medicinals.