Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M2901

Frigid Extremities / Si Ni

Frigid Extremities / Si Ni
BehaviorHigh supportOrganizational Behavior
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Updated 2026-08-03

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Si Ni, literally reversed cold in the four limbs, is a diagnostic sign from the Shanghan Lun, the classical treatise attributed to Zhang Zhongjing. Cold extending from the fingers and toes up past the joints indicates that warming yang is either depleted or blocked and cannot reach the periphery. The clinical constraint is that cold limbs are a signal about the interior, not a local problem: the treatment target is the source of the heat, not the cold hands. The formula Si Ni Tang, containing aconite, dried ginger, and licorice, is used to restore yang.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Root-Cause Read: when the periphery fails, inspect the centre rather than treating the symptom. - Delivery Test: check whether resources can physically reach the last mile. - Blockage Check: separate a weak pump from a blocked pipe before choosing a remedy.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Peripheral warmth depends on a pressure gradient that carries yang qi outward from the core. If the source is depleted, or if the channels are obstructed, that gradient collapses and the extremities cool first because they sit furthest along the line. Cold hands therefore measure the state of the whole distribution system, not the hands.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    dayi.org.cnhttps://www.dayi.org.cn/term/800859ZH · Explicit
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