Source: Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Diseases).

Ingredients:
No.1  Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 12 g
No.2  Guizhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi) 9 g
No.3  Shaoyao (Radix Paeoniae) 9 g
No.4  Xixin (Herba Asari) 3 g
No.5  Zhigancao (Raclix Glycyrrhizae Praeparatae) 6 g
No.6  Tongcao (Medulla Tetrapanacis ) 6 g
No.7  Dazao (Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae) 8 pcs

Administration:
Decoct the above drugs in water for oral application.

Actions:
Warming the meridians to dispel cold, nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation.

Clinical Application:
This recipe is used to treat cold limbs due to cold stagnation with blood deficiency, marked by cold limbs, or local black-and-blue marks, or pain and numbness of the waist, thighs, legs and feet, aversion to cold with preference for warmth, pale tongue with whitish fur, deep thready pulse. It is applicable to thromboangiitis, pulseless disease, Raynaud’s disease, and chilblain, etc., which pertain to cold accumulation with blood deficiency and manifest chiefly such symptoms as coldness and pain of the limbs. Baishaoyao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) is often used clinically as ingredient No.3.

In case of severe pain of the limbs, add Niuxi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae), Jixueteng (Caulis Spatholobi) and Mugua (Fructus Chaenomelis) to promote blood flow and relieve pain. If complicated with cold syndrome of deficiency type in the middle-energizer manifesting abdominal pain and vomiting, add Wuzhuyu (Fructus Evodiae) and Shengjiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) to warm the stomach and stop vomiting, namely the recipe entitled Danggui Sini plus Wuzhuyu Shengjiang Tang.

Elucidation:
The syndrome is due to constitutional deficiency of blood and yang, causing the meridians to be affected by cold as well as obstructed flow of blood. This should be treated by warming the meridians to dispel cold, nourishing blood to remove obstruction in the meridians. Ingredients No. 1 and No. 2 function as monarch drug, the former with the effect of enriching and regulating blood and the latter warming the meridians to dispel cold. Ingredients No. 3 and No. 4 act as minister drug and help bring about the effects of No. 1 and No. 2. Ingredient No.6 can promote blood circulation and enhance the effects of the monarch and minister drugs, playing the part of adjuvant drug. Ingredients No. 5 and No. 7, with the effect of replenishing qi to invigorate the spleen, can help No. 1 and No. 3 achieve the purpose of nourishing blood, and help No. 2 and No. 4 activate yang as well.
 
Cautions:
This recipe is contraindicated for patients with cold limbs due to exhaustion of kidney-yang.