The Historical Research Of The Formula Preparation Of The Song Dynasty

Dosage forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have a long history. After a long period of development, the dosage forms of the Tang Dynasty were very rich and full range. Song Dynasty was an important period in the development of innovative dosage forms; Chinese herbal pharmaceutical technology developed greatly. Based on statistics and analysis of dosage forms documented in ten important prescription books of the Song Dynasty, the development vein of the Song Dynasty dosage forms was combed. A few new dosage forms were created, but pharmaceutical technology made great advancement in the Song Dynasty. Achievement of pill pharmaceutical technology was the greatest. Water pills, concentrated pill, pastes pill and beeswax pill were mature. Boiling powder of TCM replaced decoction, and became the most important decoction form. Doctors in the Song Dynasty absorbed the result of alchemy; the medical use of golden elixir began, and promoted the improvement of the level of pharmaceutical technology. Doctors introduced making tea method, invented a new drink decoction. Topical dosage forms were also developed in the Song Dynasty, Tiaoji, Dingji, and Xianji three new topical dosage forms were invented.Flourishing and decline of boiling powder of TCM was a major event in the history of prescriptions. The rise of boiling powder of TCM was mainly caused by the social environment. The war during the Late Tang and Five Dynasties led to the lack of medicine, so physicians had to use boiling powder of TCM for saving medicinal herbs. The decline of boiling powder of TCM had many reasons, because of medicine reasons, but the effect of social economy was more important. The abuse of boiling powder of TCM had affected the clinical efficacy, causing doctors’s opposition to overuse of boiling powder of TCM. Slicing technology gradually matured with the commercialization of TCM trading. Relative to powder, herbal pieces had a more obvious commercial advantages and was more convenient, so became the new standard medicine concocted, so decoction revived.Pills were the most important medicines formulations in the Song Dynasty. Paste pill developed rapidly, occupied more proportion than honey pill. The production processes of concentrated pill had been improved, boiling ointment was separated from granulation, it became the standard production. On the basis of the Tang Dynasty beeswax pill, Song Dynasty physicians created a fine beeswax pill production process. Pill coating technology has been widely used. Cinnabars, indigo, gold, silver and so on were used as coating.The Song Dynasty was heyday of medical golden elixir. Doctors absorbed the results of the Tang Dynasty alchemy, and created a large number of medical golden elixir. Gradual integration of alchemy and medicine, non-stone herbs were added to golden elixirr. The number of Elixirr containing non-stone herbs exceeded traditional golden elixir gradually, and some pills excluding stone herbs were also called golden elixirr. Doctors absorbed the results of alchemy, and promoted the development of pharmaceutical technology of the Song Dynasty, especially stone herbs processing technology. Huodu originated in the alchemy was also accepted by medicine, improving the processing technology of TCM.Not only was the Song pharmaceutical technology development, theory of dosage forms also had new progress. A comprehensive summary of theory of dosage forms of topical oral administration made by ShengJi Jing had important clinical significance. On the basis of theory of dosage forms of Zhang Zhongjing, Shen Kuo further pointed out dosage form can affect the efficacy and toxicity of drugs, the basic ideas was the same as modern pharmacokinetics.Song Dynasty was an important period in the history of TCM dosage form, not only pharmaceutical technology was fully improved, theory of dosage form also had new development. It had a profound impact on the development of Chinese dosage forms.