My first herb concoction

5 钱 (about 25 grams) of the following each:

丁香 (Syzygium aromaticum)
红花 (Safflower)
玉桂 (Cinnamon)
细辛 (Manchurian Wildginger)
川芎 (Rhizoma Chuanxiong)

bought from a local herb store. It only cost about $3 in total. I don't know the best way to use it. But I figure the easiest is as follows: take each a little and put them in a bowl; add a little water; heat it in microwave for a minute. Use a small piece of paper towel to dab at the liquid and apply it to wherever I feel joint pain, such as my wrist. Wrap around the wrist, and place the wrist in the bowl without touching the very hot water. Cover the wrist and bowl so as to keep the steam inside.

The above are from a prescription on a newspaper that (if I remember right) is supposed to treat women's mentrual cramps. But looking up the herbs in my "中药大辞典" I know they all serve to 舒筋活血 (help blood circulation). I don't remember the amount of each I should use and don't care how to best use it. So I take each just a little and only for 外用 (external use). Since 细辛 is toxic, this is even more important.