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Heat diseases should present with a floating and surging pulse (Fú Hóng Mài, Floating-Surging Pulse). If the pulse is fine and small (Xì Xiǎo Mài, Fine-Small Pulse), even exhausting one's mental efforts will be in vain.
When diagnosing Yin diseases (Yīn Bìng, Diseases characterized by deficiency, cold, or interior pathology), if a Yang pulse (Yáng Mài, Pulse characteristics indicating excess, heat, or exterior pathology) is seen, there is hope for survival; when diagnosing Yang diseases, if a Yin pulse is seen, death ensues. This is the general principle of treating Cold Damage (Shāng Hán, External contraction diseases as defined in the Shanghan Lun). If upon examination the pulse is found to be fine and small, this constitutes a Yang disease presenting with a Yin pulse, which is a fatal sign.
After sweating, the pulse should become calm, and recovery should follow. If after sweating there is panting and high fever, and the pulse is restless, rapid, and chaotic, life is at its end.
After sweating, the pathogenic factor recedes, and the pulse should be tranquil. Now, the body is instead severely hot and panting, with a restless, rapid, and chaotic pulse. This is called "Yin-Yang Jiao" (Yīn Yáng Jiāo, A critical condition where Yin and Yang paths intersect and conflict, leading to death). "Jiao" implies death.

Patients with Yang Toxin (Yáng Dú, A severe heat-toxin syndrome) exhibit mental confusion and restlessness in the four limbs. The face is red, with spots appearing like flowers on the skin. There is delirious speech, as if possessed by spirits or ghosts. Frequent diarrhea occurs, accompanied by throat discomfort.
If sweat covers the whole body, significant recovery should occur. If the mouth opens like a fish's mouth (Yú Kǒu, A sign of impending death due to loss of Qi control), life is about to end. If medicine is available, it should not be withheld; if administered, the patient can recover after seven days.
Chi stated: Yang syndromes are suitable for resolution through sweating. If sweating is missed, the pathogen transmits into the Zang organs. Stagnant heat remains inside without dispersing, causing symptoms such as mental confusion, irritability, facial redness, eruption of macules, delirium, hallucinations of seeing spirits and ghosts, and bloody dysentery. In such critical conditions, where the disease has transmitted to the interior, sweating is contraindicated. Furthermore, if the patient sweats spontaneously all over the body and the mouth opens like a fish's mouth and cannot close, death is certain. Survival beyond seven days implies that the disease has passed through the meridians, Yang heat has subsided, and there is a chance for rescue. Such is Chi's view. I say otherwise. Yang Toxin does not transmit from the exterior to the interior. Rather, Yang pathogenic heat-toxin simultaneously damages both the exterior and interior. Facial redness, mental confusion, and the appearance of spots indicate Yang Toxin attacking the exterior; delirium and diarrhea indicate Yang Toxin attacking the interior. Both internal and external aspects are injured by Yang Toxin. If sweating occurs, akin to the concept of "The Arrogant Dragon Has Regret" (Kàng Lóng Yǒu Huǐ, from the I Ching, implying extreme yang leads to reversal), the illness should recede abruptly and significantly improve. If sweating occurs but the illness does not improve, and the mouth opens with coarse breathing, then righteous Qi fails to overcome the pathogenic Qi, and life is lost. However, Yang diseases are easy to cure; one must not declare them inevitably fatal and neglect treatment. For instance, decoctions for detoxification and resolving macules (Jiě Dú Huà Bān Zhī Jì, Formulas for clearing heat-toxin and resolving skin eruptions) may be used. If the patient can survive past seven days, they can live. After seven days, extreme Yang generates Yin, which is what is meant by "Recovery comes back in seven days" (Qī Rì Lái Fù, A cycle of physiological recovery described in the Shanghan Lun).