Inheritance and Applications of Major Decoctions of Han-Tang Dynasties in the Song Dynasty

Although decocting power(煮散) prevailed in the Song Dynasty,some doctors still used major decoctions(大汤剂) of Han-Tang Dynasties,especially PANG Anshi and CHEN Ziming. The major decoctions of HanTang Dynasties were mainly used in severe cases in the Song Dynasty and the fewer applications were related to the clinical risks and the changes in medical education. The inheritance and applications of major decoctions in the Song Dynasty reflected that some doctors had doubted about the replacement of decoctions with decocting powders and had thoughts on the relationship of traditional Chinese medicine patterns and prescription forms.