Yin Chen Si Ni Tang茵陈四逆汤

Virgate Wormwood and Frigid Extremities Decoction

Expelling Dampness 祛湿剂Clear Heat and Expel Damp 清热祛湿

Ingredients4 herbs

HerbDosageWhat it does in this formula

甘Zhi Gan Cao甘草Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata6gModerates the toxicity and heat of Fu Zi and harmonizes the formula 茵Yin Chen茵陈Artemisiae Scopariae Herba6gThe one herb kept from the parent formula — it resolves jaundice in cold as well as heat patterns 干Gan Jiang干姜Zingiberis Rhizoma4.5gWarms the middle burner and supports Fu Zi

附Fu Zi (Zhi)附子破八片Aconiti Radix Lateralis praeparata6gRestores the failing yang of Spleen and Kidney so the cold-damp can be moved at all

Indications

Warms the interior and restores yangDrains cold-damp and resolves jaundiceWarms the Spleen and KidneyRelieves cold limbs and aversion to cold

Yin jaundice from cold-damp with yang deficiency: Spleen and Kidney yang cannot move the damp, so cold-damp stagnates and the yellow that emerges is dark and lustreless rather than bright.

Clinical Manifestations

Yin jaundice with a dull smoky colour
Jaundice with cold limbs and aversion to cold
Chronic jaundice in a yang-deficient patient
Jaundice with loose stool and no thirst
Persistent jaundice worsened by cold-natured treatment

TonguePale with a white slippery or greasy coating

PulseSinking, thin and slow

Health Categories

Liver Health & Detox

Modern Applications

Jaundice Chronic hepatitis Cholestasis Hypothermia of the extremities Hepatic failure

Common adjustments

Marked Spleen qi deficiency — add Bai Zhu 白术 and Fu Ling 茯苓
Abdominal distension — add Hou Po 厚朴 and Chen Pi 陈皮
Damp is very heavy — add Cang Zhu 苍术 and Ze Xie 泽泻
Blood stasis with a fixed hypochondriac pain — add Dan Shen 丹参 and Yu Jin 郁金

Contraindications

Strictly for yin jaundice. Given in yang jaundice — bright colour, fever, thirst, a yellow greasy coating, a forceful rapid pulse — the warming herbs will drive the heat harder. The formula contains prepared Aconite, which is toxic when raw or underprepared: it must be properly processed, decocted first and long, and dispensed only by a qualified practitioner. Jaundice in any form requires a medical diagnosis.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy — Fu Zi is a processed toxic herb that is avoided in pregnancy, and jaundice arising in pregnancy is an urgent medical matter requiring physician assessment.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Wei Zhi Lun 《伤寒微旨论》 · Northern Song

Classical source of record (public domain).
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— 附方 note and pattern analysis cross-checked.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.