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Varicella (smallpox) prognosis is categorized into "Five Auspicious Signs" and "Seven Inauspicious Signs," which practitioners must be thoroughly familiar with. What are the "Five Auspicious Signs"? First, normal appetite and intake; second, regular bowel movements and urination; third, lesions that are red, vibrant, and firm; fourth, a calm pulse, cool body temperature, and warm hands and feet; fifth, clear voice and calm behavior. If all five cannot be present simultaneously, the presence of two or three naturally indicates a favorable outcome. What are the "Seven Inauspicious Signs"? First: restlessness, irritability, delirium, and mental confusion; second: vomiting, hiccups, diarrhea, and inability to eat; third: lesions turning cyanotic, dry, black, depressed, itchy, collapsed, ulcerated, or eroded; fourth: premature swelling of the head and face, nasal congestion, closed eyes, and cracked lips; fifth: chills, teeth grinding, hoarse voice, and dark complexion; sixth: ulceration of the throat and tongue, vomiting upon eating, and choking upon drinking; seventh: abdominal distension, rapid breathing, and cold limbs. The appearance of any single sign among the Seven Inauspicious Signs indicates an untreatable condition. Beyond these seven, if there are also blood blisters over the entire body, severe stabbing pain in the heart and abdomen, lesions that are depressed and fail to erupt, hard nodules, hematuria and melena, and unconscious fumbling at clothes or air (Groping for clothes), these are signs of imminent death.

Sweating (Diaphoresis) and purging (Purgation) are treatments of last resort; even slight errors can lead to significant residual toxicity. For instance, if the varicella case is originally sparse and lacks symptoms of exterior heat stagnation causing discomfort, but heavy sweating agents are rashly used, it will later result in lesion erosion, hoarseness, thin and itchy/collapsed skin, or even collapse due to deficiency. Conversely, if Qi and Blood are originally harmonious and lack symptoms of constipation or deep-seated heat toxin manifesting as purple-black lesions, but heavy purgatives are rashly used, it will later cause lesions to sink and fail to rise, weak Stomach Qi leading to grayish-white lesions, or transformation into emaciation and abdominal distension. These are all consequences of rash sweating and purging; how can one not be cautious? However, there are cases where mild sweating and mild purging are indicated. The term "mild" warns against excess. For example, when fever is intense and raging, before red spots appear, if the lesion shadow does not emerge, accompanied by restlessness, red cheeks, and non-mobile eruption, light and ascending formulas should be used to mildly open the Cou Li (skin pores) to facilitate eruption. Furthermore, fire stagnation should be treated with ascending methods to reduce its excessive force. Such formulas include Shengma Gegen Tang (Cimicifugae Radix and Puerariae Radix Decoction) and Shen Su Yin (Ginseng and Perilla Infusion). Once red spots have appeared, Gegen (Puerariae Radix) should be avoided to prevent excessive dispersal of the exterior, which could lead to deficiency and easy collapse of the lesion roots; however, for patients with Excess exterior patterns, its use may still be acceptable. Additionally, failing to purge when indicated leads to purple-black lesions, stagnant heat toxin accumulation, and blood depletion, constituting a failure to purge. Therefore, before eruptions occur, if the pulse is rapid and surging, urine is red and scanty, stool is constipated, breathing is coarse with abdominal distension, and lips are dry with thirst and irritability, this indicates excessive heat toxin stagnation that cannot vent. Mild purging should be employed to remove internal obstruction, allowing Ying (Nutritive Qi) and Wei (Defensive Qi) to ascend and descend freely, ensuring smooth progression of the disease. Nevertheless, if there are no urgent conditions throughout the course of varicella, one must strictly avoid rash sweating or purging. Otherwise, once Yuan Qi (Original Qi) is depleted, the pus/serum cannot form naturally, leading to subsequent complications.