Making Dit Da Jow (Hit Medicine) in a different way...

[Rob87]

Hey guys,

I have a few recipes for some jow and obviously they require a soak method of raw herbs in alcohol for a number of weeks/months.

I have been wandering, would a jow made with the concentrated herbal powders work the same? Say, if I were to get the concentrated herbal powders and just dissolve them in alcohol, would it then be 'instant' jow, rather than having to wait for weeks/months.

Cheers

 

[clfsean]

Hey guys,

I have a few recipes for some jow and obviously they require a soak method of raw herbs in alcohol for a number of weeks/months.

I have been wandering, would a jow made with the concentrated herbal powders work the same? Say, if I were to get the concentrated herbal powders and just dissolve them in alcohol, would it then be 'instant' jow, rather than having to wait for weeks/months.

Cheers

Don't think so... check with Dale Dugas, but I'm going out on a limb & saying probably not.

 

[Kittan Bachika]

Speaking of Dit Da Jow, is this the same stuff you put on your hands so they heal after doing iron palm exercises so your hands heal properly and look normal or is this the liniment?

 

[Rob87]

I mean the iron palm medicine

 

[Grenadier]

I have been wandering, would a jow made with the concentrated herbal powders work the same? Say, if I were to get the concentrated herbal powders and just dissolve them in alcohol, would it then be 'instant' jow, rather than having to wait for weeks/months.

Without knowing exactly what was in the powders, in what composition, amount, etc., I'd have to say "no."

The dry ingredients (non-powdered) are measured in fairly consistent amounts from one batch to another. Also, by soaking in the alcohol solution for a month+, you give the ingredients time to interact with each other, until they reach the appropriate equilibrium. When you try to instantly dissolve powdered forms of the above, you may very well get the solubility, but what happens if that recipe needs time for things to mesh together?

Or, what happens if the reaction rates aren't what you're supposed to use?

As a chemist, I'm guessing that by changing all of those variables, which include surface area exposure to solvent, ingredient amounts, interactions, etc., you're creating a process here that is too complex to predict right away, and if something doesn't go quite right, you're going to have to backtrack several steps, and figure out where something went wrong. As a result, you're going to be involved in a lot more trial and error (more error than trial...) than you would hope to encounter.

 

[geezer]

One of the preparation methods recommended to me years ago began by mixing and pulverizing all the ingredients in a blender. This supposedly facilitated the release of the active ingredients into the alcohol base. But the stuff was still supposed to cure in a cool dark place over a long time. Personally, the preparation of dit dar jow is such a mix of tradition and folklore that it's anybody's guess how well any recipe will work. There simply haven't been any controlled studies done to determine the effectivenss. It's all a matter of personal experience which can be highly subjective and variable. Still I use the stuff. Maybe it's just a placebo, but I like the ritual of application, massaging it in, and so on... and I actually like the funky smell too, but it really annoys my wife.

 

[David43515]

Maybe it's just a placebo, but I like the ritual of application, massaging it in, and so on... and I actually like the funky smell too, but it really annoys my wife.

I always liked the smell too, and find it comforting in a way. But the wife hates it. And my students think it`s wierd.

 

[Kittan Bachika]

I mean the iron palm medicine

I have always read about it but I could never find the stuff. Does anyone have the recipe? Has it really worked for all of you?

 

[ride57]

Lots of info here:

http://www.theironlotussociety.com/home.htm

You can get their recipe book. The DVD is very good.