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Things you don’t wanna do:

• Don’t make him sweat.

“少阴病，脉细沉数，病位在里，不可发汗。” (line 285)

Meaning that the illness is within and perspiration is not the correct treatment.

• Don’t make him vomit.

“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。” (line 286)

An explanation that if you induce perspiration, the patient will lose his yang-energy to the extent that it’s all gone (亡阳).

The second part of this line says that since the yang-energy is already insufficient (as read in the weak and ‘astringent’ third-bar pulse), inducing precipitation is contraindicated!!!!

 So what do we do?

 “少阴病，脉沉者，急温之，宜四逆汤。” (line 323)

There is a qualifier before we are exhorted to WARMING TREATMENT immediately - that the pulse is sunken. But the takeaway here is that you don’t “get rid of” anything via vomiting, perspiration, precipitation when 少阴病 is present. You need to provide warmth. That is crucial. And 四逆汤 does this.