decoction (redirected from decoctions)

decoction

[dikok′shən]

Etymology: L, de + coquere, to cook

a liquid medicine made from an extract of water-soluble substances, usually with the aid of boiling water. Herbal remedies are usually decoctions. See also concoction.

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decoction (dē·käkˑ·shn),

n a method of medicine preparation in which herbal roots and stems are boiled in water for several minutes. This increases the efficiency of extraction of medicinal constituents from large, fibrous chunks of herbal material.

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decoction

seeping of a substance, usually woody stems, barks, berries, rhizomes and root material, in water to obtain its soluble principles and use as a tea for oral administration. See also infusion (1).