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Shao Gong said: From the initial fever, one can know auspiciousness or inauspiciousness. Severe cases present with dense pustules (variolous eruptions), while mild cases present with sparse pustules. If they erupt completely within half a day, even miraculous elixirs cannot cure them; if they emerge slowly over three days, there is still hope for survival. The newly erupted pustule buds, with moist roots and sharp tips, will certainly rise vigorously; if the tips are scorched and the roots are sluggish, it will be difficult to form pus and scab eventually. If hidden red macules are concealed within the flesh, observe the trend of the buds at the Tianli acupoint (Tianli). If this area is coarse, plump, and moist, medication can transform it into a mild condition. Generally, slight fever for three days followed by a cool body before seeing the marks is an auspicious omen; if within half a day or two days, spots appear accompanied by fever, this is extremely ominous. Initial heat is the beginning stage; full eruption by the sixth day is considered complete. If buds appear within the second, third, fourth, or fifth days while heat has not subsided, all should use methods to clear fire and detoxify until the distribution is clear and the base color is pure white; only after the seventh day can tonification and support methods be used to assist pus formation. By the ninth day, favorable cases are full and solid, adverse cases have dry and adhering flesh, and dangerous cases show raised pits at the Lixun acupoint (Lixun). Without moist pus feet, by the tenth day they lengthen; by the twelfth or thirteenth day, the head and face are fully covered. There may be complicated symptoms; with medication treatment, safety can be ensured. When pustules swell and form pus, also examine the tongue, throat, back, and ears. A black tongue indicates certain death; lack of pus on the back indicates certain demise; dryness on the ears indicates failure; blockage in the throat indicates fatal injury. If pus is thick and firm, scabs will naturally be dense and solid; if pus is thin and scanty, it will surely turn black and scorched. With moist feet and firm pus, why worry about various complications? If qi is deficient and blood is lacking, disaster is imminent. Before the eighth day, poor appetite is harmless; after the tenth day, poor appetite should be guarded against. Redness during the initial eruption phase should not be disliked; water leakage during the vigorous phase is detestable. Clear voice is auspicious; hoarse voice is difficult to manage. If teeth are clenched, distinguish between cold and heat. If shivering occurs, verify the presence of pus. Heat-induced shivering and teeth clenching require methods to support heat and disperse coolness; cold-induced shivering and jaw locking require tonifying methods combined with warming attacks. Detailed examination of adverse signs determines treatment, which must adhere to fixed principles. Those who understand this need not worry about their reputation or wealth not being abundant.

He also said: Observing the ears reveals whether the smallpox syndrome is mild or severe; listening to the voice reveals which areas have dense or sparse eruptions. Only by observing sores can one discern the patient's state; observing the face reveals bodily afflictions. For example, body heat and dry lips indicate thirst; red and purple pustule buds indicate delirium. If eruptions are sparse, headache usually precedes them; shapes resembling silkworm eggs initially indicate lower back pain. A complexion showing white and yellow suggests prior vomiting and diarrhea; a body feeling like "disaster fire" indicates yellow urine. Eruptions appearing like snake skin shed due to heat, erupting all at once in half a day; those resembling dogwood berries burn continuously for two days, emerging gradually on the yang side. If eruptions are moist and sparse, there will definitely be three days of fever followed by a cool body before spots appear; if buds are dry and slightly dense, without waiting for three days, apply medication to the sores while fever persists. Red eruptions on the head and face imply spots will arise on the abdomen and flanks; depressed eruptions on the cheeks and zygomatic area imply depressions on the waist and back. White pus with clear fluid implies a second layer of small eruptions will appear; flat-topped and depressed sores imply the presence of "thief sores." Insufficient pus filling raises fear of gum disease causing tooth loss; if scabs fall off easily, guard against abscesses in limbs draining pus. After scabbing, closed eyes indicate toxin entering the Liver Meridian (Gan Jing). Swelling recurring at the end stage on the buttocks indicates evil lingering in the Stomach and Intestines meridians. This is a secret method; applying it ensures accuracy; those following my methods surpass ordinary practitioners.