Ms. Lu, female, 4 years old, diagnosed on June 5, 1981. Since October 1980, the child has experienced severe cramping and unbearable pain in both feet before falling asleep, accompanied by crying and restlessness, yellow sweat, lasting for about 10 to 20 minutes. The pain only subsides after the parents forcefully hold her feet, and this occurs almost every night. In the past two weeks, the cramping pain has intensified, lasting for 1 to 2 hours, and the hands have also started to cramp. She has sought treatment from various places, but the diagnosis remains unclear. Blood calcium and phosphorus levels are within the normal range. A hospital suspected "neurovascular spasm" and prescribed nicotinic acid and vitamin B, but the pain persisted. Her complexion is pale and sallow, and she is thin and weak. She has always been irritable and often experiences abdominal pain that improves with massage. Her stool is dry, and her urine is slightly yellow. The pulse is slippery and rapid, and the tongue is slightly red with a greasy coating of blackened swallowwort root. This is due to liver yin deficiency and insufficient nourishment of the tendons. Following Zhang Zhong-jing's approach of using Peony Root Liquorice Root Decoction to treat cold-damage disease with mistaken sweating and foot cramps, the following prescription was tried:
Large Peony Root 30g, Liquorice Root 15g
. After taking 5 doses of the above prescription, the pain was reduced by half, and her mother was delighted, not expecting such efficacy from just these two ingredients. After taking 3 more doses, the pain disappeared completely. A follow-up one year later showed no recurrence of the condition.