少阴病。脉细沉数。病为在里。不可发汗。
少阴与太阳为表里。而少阴亦自有表里。经病为在表。脏病为在里也。浮沉而身发热。为病在
表。脉细沉数。身不发热。为病在里。病在表者可发汗。如麻黄附子细辛汤之例是也。病在里而汗
之。是竭其阴而动其血也。故曰不可发汗。
少阴病。脉微。不可发汗。亡阳故也。阳已虚。尺脉弱涩者。复不可下之。
少阴虽为阴脏。而元阳寓焉。故其病有亡阳亡阴之异。脉微者为亡阳。脉弱涩者为亡阴。发汗
则伤阳。
故脉微者。不可发汗。下则伤阴。故阳已虚而尺脉弱涩者。非特不可发汗。亦复不可下之也。
少阴病。但厥无汗而强发之。必动其血。未知从何道出。或从口鼻。或从目出。是名下厥上竭
。为难治。
少阴中寒。但厥无汗。邪方内淫而气不外达。非可得汗愈者而强发之。则汗必不出。而血反自
动。或口鼻。或目。随其所攻之道而外出也。盖发汗之药。其气上行。而性多 悍。不得于气。则去
而之血。必尽其性而后止耳。然既脏虚邪入。以致下厥而复迫血妄动。以致上竭。上下交征。而血
气之存者无几矣。尚何以御邪而却疾耶。故曰难治。
少阴病。咳而下利谵语者。被火气劫故也。小便必难。以强责少阴汗也。
少阴之邪上逆而咳。下注而利矣。而又复谵语。此非少阴本病。乃被火气劫夺津液所致。火劫
即温针灼艾之属。少阴不当发汗。而强以火劫之。不特竭其肾阴。亦并耗其胃液。胃干则谵语。肾
燥则小便难也。
少阴与太阳互为表里，但少阴自身也有表里之分：经病属于在表，脏病属于在里。如果脉象浮、沉而身体发热，说明病在表；如果脉象细、沉、数，且身体不发热，说明病在里。病在表者可以发汗，例如麻黄附子细辛汤（Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang, Ephedra, Aconite and Asarum Decoction）的用法就是如此。病在里却强行发汗，会耗竭阴液并扰动血液，所以说不可发汗。
少阴病。脉象微弱，不可发汗，因为会导致亡阳（Yang Qi Exhaustion）。阳气已经虚弱，如果尺脉（Cun-Guan-Chi Pulse Diagnosis, 尺部脉象）弱而涩，则更不可使用泻下法。
少阴虽然属于阴脏，但其中寄寓着元阳（Original Yang Qi），所以其病症有亡阳和亡阴的不同。脉微是亡阳的表现，脉弱涩是亡阴的表现。发汗会损伤阳气，所以脉微者不可发汗。泻下会损伤阴液，所以阳气已虚且尺脉弱涩者，不仅不可发汗，也不可用泻下法。
少阴病。仅有四肢厥冷而无汗，若强行发汗，必定扰动血液，不知血液会从哪个部位溢出，有的从口鼻出，有的从眼睛出，这叫做“下厥上竭”（Lower Jue and Upper Exhaustion），属于难治之症。
少阴感受寒邪，仅有四肢厥冷而无汗，此时邪气正在向内浸淫而正气不能外达，并非可以通过发汗治愈的病证，若强行发汗，汗必不出，反而导致血液妄动。或从口鼻，或从眼睛，随着攻伐的途径向外溢出。大概是因为发汗药的气机上行，性质多猛烈悍急，当气机不得宣通时，就会转而波及血液，必须耗尽血液的本性才会停止。既然脏气已虚，邪气内入，导致下部厥逆，又因逼迫血液妄动导致上部枯竭，上下同时受损，存留的气血已经寥寥无几，还用什么来抵御邪气、祛除疾病呢？所以说难治。
少阴病。咳嗽并伴有腹泻及谵语（Delirium），这是因为被火劫（Fire Therapy Complication）所致。小便必定困难，这是由于强行索取少阴汗导致的。
少阴的邪气上逆则咳嗽，下注则腹泻，却又出现谵语，这不是少阴病的本证，而是被火气劫夺津液所致。“火劫”即指温针、灼艾等疗法。少阴病不当发汗，却强行用火法劫汗，不仅耗竭肾阴，也消耗胃液。胃干燥则出现谵语，肾燥则小便困难。
Shaoyin disease. The pulse is fine, deep, and rapid, indicating the pathology is in the interior; sweating therapy is contraindicated.
Shaoyin and Taiyang are exterior-interior counterparts, yet Shaoyin itself has its own exterior and interior aspects: meridian diseases are considered exterior, while zang organ diseases are considered interior. If the pulse is floating or deep accompanied by fever, the disease is in the exterior. If the pulse is fine, deep, and rapid without fever, the disease is in the interior. For diseases in the exterior, sweating may be employed, as exemplified by Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang (Ephedra, Aconite and Asarum Decoction). However, applying sweating to a disease located in the interior depletes Yin fluids and agitates blood; therefore, sweating is contraindicated.
Shaoyin disease. The pulse is faint; sweating is contraindicated due to the risk of Yang Qi Exhaustion. If Yang Qi is already deficient and the Chi pulse (pulse at the distal position on both wrists) is weak and choppy, purgation is also contraindicated.
Although Shaoyin is a Yin Zang, it harbors Original Yang Qi. Consequently, its pathologies may involve either Yang Qi Exhaustion or Yin Fluid Exhaustion. A faint pulse indicates Yang Qi Exhaustion, while a weak and choppy pulse indicates Yin Fluid Exhaustion. Sweating damages Yang Qi; thus, those with a faint pulse should not undergo sweating. Purgation damages Yin fluids; therefore, when Yang Qi is already deficient and the Chi pulse is weak and choppy, not only is sweating contraindicated, but purgation is also prohibited.
In Shaoyin disease, if there is cold extremities (Jue) without sweat, forcing sweating will inevitably disturb blood. It is uncertain from which orifice the blood will emerge; it may come from the mouth and nose, or from the eyes. This condition is termed "Lower Jue and Upper Exhaustion" and is difficult to treat.
When Shaoyin is invaded by cold, presenting with cold extremities and absence of sweat, the pathogenic factor is invading inward while healthy Qi fails to reach the exterior. This is not a condition curable by sweating. Forcing sweating will fail to produce sweat but will instead cause blood to move recklessly, exiting through the mouth, nose, or eyes depending on the site of attack. Generally, diaphoretic herbs have ascending properties and are often harsh and vigorous. When Qi flow is obstructed, the pathogenic influence shifts to the blood vessels, exhausting the blood before subsiding. Since the Zang organs are already deficient and pathogens have entered, causing lower cold extremities, and forced movement of blood causes upper exhaustion, both upper and lower are simultaneously depleted. With little Qi and Blood remaining, how can the body resist pathogens and cure the disease? Hence, it is described as difficult to treat.
In Shaoyin disease, coughing accompanied by diarrhea and Delirium results from Fire Therapy Complications. Urination will certainly be difficult because sweating was forcibly extracted from Shaoyin.
When Shaoyin pathogens rebel upward, coughing occurs; when they sink downward, diarrhea ensues. The appearance of Delirium here is not intrinsic to Shaoyin disease but results from the depletion of Jin-Ye (Body Fluids) by fire methods. "Fire therapy" refers to techniques such as warm needle moxibustion or burning mugwort. Shaoyin disease does not warrant sweating; forcibly inducing sweat via fire methods not only depletes Kidney Yin but also consumes Stomach fluids. Dryness of the Stomach leads to Delirium, while dryness of the Kidney leads to difficulty in urination.