The secret skills behind TCM remedies

Judging by its front counter, Ji Sheng Tang, a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy on Yongjia Road, appears no different from any other modern pharmacy.

But go through to the backyard and up to a room on the second floor where the pharmacists prepare prescriptions, a totally different world is unveiled - a traditional world.

In the center of the 40-square-meter room sits a large rectangular wooden table while 7 bai yan chu (cupboards with dozens of drawers that seem like hundreds of eyes) are lined up against the wall.

Whenever a customer comes to the pharmacy with a prescription, pharmacists immediately go to the "battle field."

They check the prescription, collect and weigh the required ingredients, process some medicines as required in the Rx and then divide them into several sets on plates. Each plate represents one day's dosage. They are then packed up.

Ji Sheng Tang (literally meaning "succoring lives hall") was founded in 1931 and named after a TCM classic "Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang" ("Yan's Prescriptions for Succoring the Sick") written by Yan Yonghe in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

According to Yuan Shuiming, general manager of Ji Sheng Tang who has worked there for almost 30 years, TCM pharmacists are classified into different levels, according to their experience and skills, and are responsible for different jobs.

Pharmacists responsible for processing medicines as required in Rx, such as cutting or crushing medicines, are classified as Tou Dao (No. 1 Knife), Er Dao (No. 2 Knife), San Dao (No. 3 Knife) and Si Dao (No. 4 Knife).

Different "knives" are responsible for processing different medicines. The No. 1 Knife with the greatest experience and skill will process the most precious medicines, such as lurong (pilose antler), lingzhi (ganoderma) and ginseng.

Similar to the "knives," other pharmacists responsible for collecting and dividing medicines are categorized as different "cupboards."

The No. 1 Cupboard is in charge of the whole prescription process and he has several crucial tasks. First, he looks at the prescription to get a general idea of what ailments the Rx is for. Then, he checks to ensure there are no tabooed combinations of ingredients.

For example, the medicine soup will turn out poisonous if shellfish and ginseng are cooked together. Lastly, he checks that the pharmacists have accurately collected everything in the Rx before packing.

To make the No.1 Cupboard's task easier to check, the pharmacists put different medicines into different small piles on a plate. They then pack each plate of medicine into a standard futou bao (ax packet) made of brown paper.

"Experience leads to a skillful pharmacist," Yuan says. "Knowing medicines is different from knowing about them from books."