1、Fu (Floating)
The floating pulse is abundant when lifted and insufficient when pressed (《脉经》). It resembles the feathers on a bird’s back being lightly blown by a breeze, appearing light and floating, like following the elm pods (《素问》), like wood floating on water (Cui’s description), or like twisting the leaves of scallions (Li’s description). (The floating pulse indicates a light and clear image above, corresponding to the Qian hexagram, associated with autumn, and linked to the lungs, also referred to as ‘hair’. If excessive, it becomes firm in the center and weak on the sides, resembling following chicken feathers, indicating an external illness. If insufficient, the qi comes weakly, indicating an internal illness. The pulse manual states that if it resembles excessive, it is a combination of floating and surging, not a floating pulse.)『Body Condition Poem』The floating pulse travels only on the surface, like following elm pods, light and airy.In the autumn, knowing it is well, a long illness encountering it can be alarming.『Similar Condition Poem』Floating like wood in water, large and hollow is the Ke (Leather) pulse.It floats lightly and evenly like twisting scallions. Weakness comes slowly, large and empty.Floating and soft is the Ru (Moist) pulse, dispersing like willow fluff with no fixed trace.(Floating and strong is the Hong (Surging) pulse, floating and slow is the weak pulse, extremely weak is the dispersing pulse, floating and weak is the Ke (Leather) pulse, floating and soft is the Ru (Moist) pulse.)『Main Disease Poem』The floating pulse indicates exterior diseases, slow wind, numerous heat, and tight cold constraints.Strong and floating indicates much wind heat, weak and floating indicates blood deficiency.Floating at the inch indicates headaches and dizziness from wind, or there may be phlegm and wind gathering in the chest.At the guan, the earth is weak and the wood is strong, at the chi, urination is not smooth.(The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; strong indicates excess, weak indicates deficiency; floating and slow indicates wind, floating and rapid indicates wind heat, floating and tight indicates wind cold, floating and slow indicates wind damp, floating and weak indicates heat injury, floating and Ke (Leather) indicates blood loss, floating and Hong (Surging) indicates deficiency heat, floating and dispersing indicates exhaustion.)
2、Chen (Deep)
The deep pulse is felt only when pressing down to the tendons and bones (《脉经》). It is like sand wrapped in cotton, firm inside and soft outside (Yang’s description). Like a stone thrown into water, it must reach the bottom. The deep pulse indicates an image of a deep spring below, corresponding to the Kan hexagram, associated with winter, and linked to the kidneys. Also referred to as stone, it is also called ‘nourishment’. If excessive, it feels like a bouncing stone, pressing it makes it firmer, indicating an external illness. If insufficient, the qi comes weakly, indicating an internal illness.The pulse manual states that a slow pulse at the three positions, resembling rotten cotton, is not so. The deep pulse can be slow or rapid and can vary in depth; rotten cotton indicates a weak pulse, not a deep pulse.『Body Condition Poem』Water flows and moistens, the pulse comes deep, smooth and even between the tendons and bones.For women at the inch and men at the chi, this is the norm throughout the seasons.『Similar Condition Poem』The deep pulse helps adjust the tendons and bones, pressing it pushes the tendons against the bones.Deep and fine like cotton is a true weak pulse, while a strong and large pulse is a firm shape.(The deep pulse travels between the tendons, while the floating pulse travels above the bones; firm and large indicates strength, weak and fine indicates weakness.)『Main Disease Poem』The deep pulse indicates internal diseases, rapid heat, slow cold, and slippery phlegm.Weak and deep indicates deficiency of qi, deep with qi indicates accumulation and cold.Floating at the inch indicates phlegm accumulation and water retention in the chest, at the guan indicates internal cold pain and obstruction.At the chi, it indicates turbid discharge and diarrhea, kidney deficiency, and lower back weakness.(The deep pulse indicates internal conditions; strong indicates excess, weak indicates deficiency. Deep indicates qi, also indicates water retention, deep and slow indicates chronic cold, deep and rapid indicates internal heat, deep and slippery indicates phlegm food, deep and rough indicates qi stagnation, deep and weak indicates cold heat, deep and slow indicates cold damp, deep and tight indicates cold pain, deep and firm indicates cold accumulation.)
3、Chi (Slow)
The slow pulse has three beats per breath, coming and going extremely slowly (《脉经》).Slow indicates that yang cannot overcome yin, hence the pulse comes slowly. The pulse manual states that it is only felt with heavy pressure, indicating a deep pulse without a floating pulse. Three beats per breath are very easy to see. However, if it is faint and difficult to discern, it is a rough pulse, which is a clear error.『Body Condition Poem』The slow pulse comes with three beats, indicating yang cannot overcome the cold blood.Only by distinguishing between floating and deep can one eliminate yin; one must enhance the fire source.『Similar Condition Poem』The pulse comes with three beats, known as slow; slightly faster than slow is called moderate.Slow and fine yet difficult to discern is rough; floating and slow indicates deficiency.(Three beats indicate slow; strong indicates moderate, weak indicates rough, stopping indicates tight, extremely slow indicates failure, floating and large and soft indicates deficiency. Li’s description states: slow and small indicates solid, moderate and large indicates slow; slow indicates yin excess and yang decline, moderate indicates wei excess and ying weakness, which should be distinguished.)『Main Disease Poem』The slow pulse indicates organ diseases or much phlegm, deep chronic conditions require careful observation.Strong and slow indicates cold pain, slow and weak indicates deficiency cold.At the inch, slow indicates upper jiao cold, at the guan indicates middle jiao cold pain and obstruction.At the chi, it indicates kidney deficiency, lower back heaviness, and urinary incontinence.The slow pulse indicates organ conditions; strong indicates cold pain, weak indicates deficiency cold. Floating slow indicates exterior cold, deep slow indicates internal cold.
4、Shu (Rapid)
The rapid pulse has six beats per breath (《脉经》).
The pulse flows thin and rapid (《素问》). Rapid indicates that yin cannot overcome yang, hence the pulse comes too fast. Floating, deep, slow, and rapid are the main pulse types. Both 《素问》 and 《脉经》 describe them as standard pulses. The pulse manual establishes seven exterior and eight interior, but neglects the rapid pulse, only singing its praises in the heart, which is a serious error.
『Body Condition Poem』The rapid pulse has six beats between breaths; yin is weak and yang is strong, causing agitation.Floating and deep distinguish between exterior and interior, only children exhibit auspicious signs.『Similar Condition Poem』The rapid pulse is one beat more than a normal person; tight like a string, it comes and goes like a bowstring.Rapid with pauses is called Cu (Urgent), rapid seen at the guan indicates arterial shape.Rapid and tight indicates tension, flowing indicates slippery, rapid with pauses indicates urgency, extremely rapid indicates extremity, rapid seen at the guan indicates movement.『Main Disease Poem』The rapid pulse indicates yang heat; one should use the fire of the monarch to treat it.It is appropriate to cool and drain excess heat, while warming and tonifying deficiency. Lung diseases in autumn are particularly feared.At the inch, rapid indicates throat sores, red cough, and lung ulcers.At the guan, it indicates stomach heat and liver fire, at the chi, it indicates nourishing yin and lowering fire decoction.The rapid pulse indicates interior conditions; strong indicates excess heat, weak indicates deficiency heat. Floating rapid indicates exterior heat, deep rapid indicates interior heat, qi at the mouth rapid indicates lung abscess, rapid indicates lung atrophy.
5、Hua (Slippery)
The slippery pulse flows back and forth, smooth and turning, like pearls responding to the fingers (《脉经》).It flows like water. The slippery pulse indicates excess yin qi, hence the pulse flows smoothly like water. The pulse is the residence of blood; when blood is abundant, the pulse is slippery, hence the kidney pulse is suitable; when qi is abundant, the pulse is rough, hence the lung pulse is suitable. The pulse manual states: pressing it down reveals it, three positions like pearls, neither advancing nor retreating, which does not distinguish between floating slippery, deep slippery, and inch and chi slippery, this is the correct interpretation.『Body Condition Similarity Poem』The slippery pulse is like pearls, flowing back and forth, coming and going smoothly.Do not confuse slippery with rapid; the rapid pulse is only seen at the intervals.(Slippery is like pearls, rapid has six beats.)『Main Disease Poem』The slippery pulse indicates declining yang qi; phlegm causes numerous diseases, food causes disasters.Above it indicates vomiting and nausea, below it indicates blood retention; women’s pulses regulate time and determine pregnancy.At the inch, slippery indicates phlegm causing vomiting, swallowing sour indicates strong tongue or cough.At the guan, it indicates retained food, liver and spleen heat, thirst, diarrhea, and urination.Slippery indicates phlegm and fluid; floating slippery indicates wind phlegm, deep slippery indicates food phlegm, slippery rapid indicates phlegm fire, slippery short indicates retained food.The pulse manual states: at the guan, slippery indicates stomach cold, red slippery indicates stomach heat. The pulse manual states that at the guan, slippery indicates stomach heat, at the chi, slippery indicates blood retention, which contradicts the essence of women’s menstrual diseases.
6、Se (Rough)
The rough pulse is fine and slow, coming and going with difficulty, short and scattered, or stopping and returning (《脉经》).It indicates disharmony (《素问》). Like lightly scraping bamboo (《脉诀》). Like rain touching sand (《通真子》). Like sick silkworms eating leaves. Rough indicates excess yang qi, hence the pulse comes sluggishly, suitable for the lungs. The pulse manual states: searching beneath the fingers seems to have it, lifting it reveals nothing. This is not related to what is stated in the pulse manual.『Body Condition Poem』Fine, slow, and rough, coming and going with difficulty, scattered and faintly responding between the fingers.Like rain touching sand, it is easy to scatter; sick silkworms eating leaves are slow and difficult.『Similar Condition Poem』Disharmony indicates roughness; lightly scraping bamboo is short and difficult.It resembles fine grass, soft and weak; floating and deep do not distinguish between presence and absence.Fine, slow, and scattered, sometimes stopping indicates roughness. Extremely fine and soft, pressing down feels like absence. Floating and soft indicates Ru (Moist), deep and soft indicates weakness.『Main Disease Poem』Roughness is due to blood deficiency or injury to essence, reversing stomach qi, sweating in rain.Cold dampness entering the nourishment causes blood stasis; women are either pregnant or have no menstruation.At the inch, rough indicates heart deficiency pain in the chest, at the guan indicates stomach deficiency and fullness in the middle.At the chi, it indicates deficiency of essence and blood, constipation, urination, or blood in the stool.Rough indicates blood deficiency and injury to essence; women who are pregnant indicate fetal issues, while those who are not indicate blood loss. Du Guangting states: the rough pulse is only seen at the chi, resembling a dead pulse.
7、Xu (Weak)
The weak pulse is slow and large, pressing down reveals no strength, lifting the hand shows emptiness (《脉经》).Cui Zixi states: it appears large and weak, its weakness is evident. The pulse manual states: searching reveals insufficiency, lifting shows abundance. The floating pulse does not show weakness. Yang Renzhai states: it resembles willow fluff, scattered and slow. Shuaishi states: scattered, large, and soft, all are dispersing pulses, not weak.『Body Condition Similarity Poem』When lifted, it is slow and large; pressing down reveals looseness, the pulse appears boundless like an empty valley.Do not confuse Ke (Leather) with weakness; Ke comes floating and large like scallions.The weak pulse is floating, large, and slow, pressing down reveals no strength.The Ke (Leather) pulse is floating and large, pressing down reveals emptiness; Ke indicates blood loss, while weakness indicates blood deficiency; floating and dispersing pulses indicate floating pulses.『Main Disease Poem』The weak pulse indicates body heat due to heat injury, spontaneous sweating, palpitations, and anxiety.Fever and yin deficiency must be treated early; nourishing the nourishment and enhancing qi should not be delayed.Blood does not nourish the heart; the inch indicates weakness, at the guan indicates abdominal distension and difficulty in digestion.Bone steaming, weakness, and injury to essence and blood are found in the two parts of the spirit gate.The classics state: blood deficiency leads to a weak pulse. It states: qi comes weakly, indicating internal illness. Long-term illness with a weak pulse leads to death.
8、Shi (Full)The full pulse can be both floating and deep, large and long, slightly tight, responding strongly (《脉经》).It appears firm. The pulse manual states: like a rope responding, it is a tight pulse, not a full pulse.『Body Condition Poem』Both floating and deep, large and long, responding strongly without weakness.Heat accumulates in the three jiaos, forming strong fire; clearing the intestines and inducing sweating begins health.『Similar Condition Poem』The full pulse is both floating and deep, strong and firm; tight like a bowstring, it turns unpredictably.One must know that the firm pulse helps the tendons and bones; a full pulse is slightly tight and long.Both floating and deep indicate fullness; tight indicates tension, deep and firm indicates strength, slightly tight and long indicates firmness.『Main Disease Poem』The full pulse indicates yang fire accumulation, causing madness, delirium, and frequent vomiting.It may indicate yang toxicity or food injury, constipation, or abdominal pain.At the inch, the full pulse indicates heat in the face; at the guan, it indicates throat pain, strong tongue, and fullness in the chest.At the chi, it indicates fullness in the abdomen and pain in the lower back.The classics state: blood fullness indicates a full pulse. It states: a full pulse indicates water and food diseases. It states: qi comes full and strong, indicating excess. The pulse manual states that at the chi, fullness indicates urinary incontinence, which contradicts the pulse manual’s statement that fullness indicates abdominal pain and difficulty urinating.
9、Chang (Long)The long pulse is neither small nor large, extending far (Zhu’s description). It resembles following the end of a long pole; like pulling a rope, it resembles a long pole (《素问》).The long pulse has three parts; one part is associated with spring, linked to the liver; the heart pulse is long, indicating strong spirit and qi; the kidney pulse is long, indicating deep roots. The classics state: long indicates qi treatment, all refer to a normal pulse.『Body Condition Similarity Poem』Exceeding the normal position, the pulse is called long; tight is not so, but full and stretched.Tight pulses and long pulses are quite different; a skilled practitioner can measure them accurately.(Full, firm, tight, and strong all can be long pulses.)『Main Disease Poem』The long pulse extends far, evenly sized; abnormality indicates illness, resembling a pulled rope.If not yang toxicity or epilepsy, it indicates deep heat.(The long pulse indicates excess conditions.)
10、Duan (Short)The short pulse does not reach the normal position (《脉诀》).It responds and returns, unable to fill the entire area (《脉经》). Dai Tongfu states: the short pulse is only seen at the inch; if seen at the guan, it indicates shortness, unable to reach the inch and chi, indicating a complete absence of yin and yang, leading to death. Therefore, the guan should not be diagnosed as short.Li Jushi states: length and shortness have no fixed form; all pulses lifted and pressed, exceeding the normal position is long, not reaching the normal position is short. The long pulse belongs to the liver, suitable for spring. The short pulse belongs to the lungs, suitable for autumn. However, when diagnosing the liver and lungs, length and shortness are self-evident.『Body Condition Similarity Poem』Both ends shrink, called short; rough and slow, fine and difficult.Short and rough is seen in autumn; spring is a thief with evil interference.(Rough, fine, moving, and knotty all can be short pulses.)『Main Disease Poem』The short pulse is only found at the inch; short and slippery indicates wine injury to the spirit.Floating indicates blood stasis, deep indicates fullness; at the inch indicates headaches, at the chi indicates abdominal pain.(The classics state: short indicates qi disease; short indicates conditions of insufficiency.)
11、Hong (Surging)The surging pulse is extremely large (《脉经》).It comes strong and goes weak (《素问》).It comes large and goes long (《通真子》). The surging pulse corresponds to the Li hexagram, associated with summer, and linked to the heart. 《素问》 refers to it as large, also called hook.Shuaishi states: it comes strong and goes weak, like a hook that curves up and then down. It responds to the blood pulse’s coming and going, resembling the appearance of all things spreading and hanging down. Zhan Yanju states it resembles a string of pearls, which is incorrect. The pulse manual states: it is suitable for late summer; in autumn and winter, inducing sweating and clearing the intestines is not suitable for the surging pulse, which is a mistake.『Body Condition Poem』The pulse comes surging and strong, then weakens; it fills the fingers, flooding and overflowing in summer.If in spring, autumn, or winter, rising yang and dispersing fire should not be doubted.『Similar Condition Poem』The surging pulse comes strong and then weakens, like waves rising and falling.To know the full pulse, refer to the unevenness; lifting and pressing reveals the tightness.(Strong and powerful indicates fullness; fullness and weak indicates surging.)『Main Disease Poem』The surging pulse indicates yang excess and blood deficiency; the fire of the monarch is inflamed.It is appropriate to cool and drain excess heat, while warming and tonifying deficiency. At the inch, the surging pulse indicates heart fire in the upper jiao; at the guan, it indicates liver fire and stomach heat; at the chi, it indicates nourishing yin and lowering fire decoction.The surging pulse indicates excess conditions; strong indicates real fire, weak indicates false fire. Floating surging indicates exterior heat, deep surging indicates interior heat, qi at the mouth surging indicates lung abscess, surging indicates lung atrophy.
12、Wei (Fine)The fine pulse is extremely thin and soft, pressing down feels like it is about to disappear, as if it is present and absent (《脉经》).It is fine and slightly long (Dai’s description). 《素问》 refers to it as small. Qi and blood are weak, hence the pulse is weak.『Body Condition Similarity Poem』The fine pulse is light and fluttering, pressing down feels like it is about to disappear.Fine indicates weak yang and weak yin. Fine is slightly thicker than weak.Lightly diagnosed is seen; pressing down feels like it is about to disappear, which indicates weakness. Coming and going like a thread and always present indicates fineness. Zhongjing states: the pulse flutters like fat on soup, indicating weak yang; it flows like fine silk, indicating weak yin; long-term illness leads to death, while sudden illness leads to life.『Main Disease Poem』Qi and blood are weak, hence the pulse is also weak; excessive cold and heat lead to sweating.Men indicate extreme exhaustion and various deficiency conditions; women indicate bleeding and discharge.At the inch, the fine pulse indicates shortness of breath or anxiety; at the guan, the pulse indicates abdominal distension and weakness.At the chi, it indicates cold in the lower abdomen, diarrhea, and loss of essence.The fine pulse indicates blood deficiency and weakness; if there are signs, it is normal; otherwise, it is abnormal. Therefore, vomiting and bleeding indicate a deep fine pulse leads to life. Excessive worry leads to a fine pulse.
13、Fu (Hidden)The hidden pulse is felt only when pressing down on the bone, moving beneath the fingers (《脉经》).The pulse travels beneath the tendons (《刊误》). The pulse manual states: searching reveals it seems to be present, lifting shows it is completely absent, which is a serious error.『Body Condition Poem』The hidden pulse pushes the tendons against the bones, moving beneath the fingers.In cases of cold, one desires sweating to resolve; if there is cold pain in the abdomen, it indicates yin.『Similar Condition Poem』See the deep pulse.『Main Disease Poem』The hidden pulse indicates frequent vomiting due to cholera, abdominal pain often due to retained food.Fluid retention and old phlegm lead to accumulation; dispersing cold and warming the interior should not be delayed.Food stagnation in the chest leads to a double inch hidden pulse; desiring to vomit but unable to indicates constant distress.At the guan, abdominal pain is heavy and deep; at the chi, it indicates hernia pain and abdominal rupture.In cases of cold, one hand with a hidden pulse indicates single hidden, while both hands with a hidden pulse indicate double hidden; one cannot diagnose yin conditions as yang. This indicates internal heat, unable to disperse; when yang is extreme, it resembles yin, hence the hidden pulse; there must be great sweating to resolve. Just as prolonged drought leads to rain, the unity of yin and yang, after rain, all things revive.There are also cases of hidden cold injury; first, there is hidden yin inside, then external cold is felt, leading to yin excess and yang decline, with four pulses reversed, six pulses deep and hidden, one must apply ginger and moxibustion to the lower abdomen, and the pulse will return. If the Tai Xi and Chong Yang pulses are absent, it indicates certain death. The pulse manual states: gradually induce sweating. Jie Gu states: ginger, aconite, and ephedra decoction is the treatment, which is incorrect. Liu Yuanbin states: the hidden pulse should not induce sweating.
14、Dong (Moving)The moving pulse is rapid, seen at the guan above and below, without head or tail, like a bean, shaking and trembling.
Zhongjing states: yin and yang clash, hence it is called moving; when yang moves, sweating occurs; when yin moves, heat occurs, leading to cold and aversion, indicating damage to the three jiaos.
Cheng Wujin states: when yin and yang clash, the weak one moves; hence when yang is weak, it moves, and when yin is weak, it moves.
Pang Anchang states: the front third of the guan is yang, the back third is yin, the guan position is half yin and half yang, hence movement is seen with deficiency.
The pulse manual states: searching reveals it seems to be present, lifting shows it is completely absent, remaining in place, neither coming nor going, three guans are heavy. This is vague and erroneous, and is not a moving pulse. Zhan states that its shape is like a hook or hair, which is also incorrect.
『Body Condition Poem』
The moving pulse shakes and trembles at the guan, without head or tail, like a bean-shaped cluster.
Its origin is the clash of yin and yang; the weak one shakes while the strong one remains stable.
『Main Disease Poem』The moving pulse is primarily associated with pain and shock; sweating is due to yang movement, heat is due to yin movement.It may indicate diarrhea, cramping, or loss of essence in men, or bleeding in women.Zhongjing states: movement indicates pain and shock. 《素问》 states: yin deficiency and yang clash is called bleeding. Furthermore, it states: if a woman has a weak pulse at the shaoyin, she is pregnant.
15、Cu (Urgent)
The urgent pulse comes and goes rapidly, sometimes stopping and returning (《脉经》).
It resembles a sudden urge, moving slowly and quickly, but not consistently (Li’s description). The pulse manual states that it only mentions rapid and stopping as urgent; the pulse manual states that it resides at the inch, not mentioning stopping, which is erroneous. Rapid stopping indicates urgency, while slow stopping indicates knotting; why only at the inch?
『Body Condition Poem』The urgent pulse is rapid and sometimes stops; this indicates extreme yang wanting to escape yin.The three jiaos are filled with fire, burning fiercely; advancing leads to no life, retreating may lead to life.『Similar Condition Poem』See the代 pulse.『Main Disease Poem』
The urgent pulse indicates fire diseases; its causes can be classified into five categories.
It may indicate frequent coughing due to phlegm accumulation, or sudden madness, spots, and toxic sores.
The urgent pulse indicates yang excess conditions. The causes of urgency and knotting are all due to qi, blood, phlegm, fluid, and food.
Any stagnation will lead to a pulse that must be seen as stopping.
16、Jie (Knot)
The knot pulse comes and goes slowly, sometimes stopping and returning (《脉经》).
The pulse manual states: it may come or go, gathering and returning. This is unrelated to knots. Zhongjing describes it as being like a long pole, while the other describes it as being like a car cover. The pulse manual also describes it as shaking like a sesame seed, moving and returning, gathering and dispersing irregularly, indicating death. These three pulses share the same name but differ in essence.
『Body Condition Poem』The knot pulse is slow and sometimes stops; it indicates excess yin desiring to escape yang.Floating indicates qi stagnation, deep indicates accumulation; sweating and purging are clearly indicated in the main text.『Similar Condition Poem』See the代 pulse.『Main Disease Poem』The knot pulse is due to qi and blood stagnation; chronic phlegm accumulation leads to heavy stagnation.Internal accumulation leads to external swelling; hernias and lumps are associated with yin conditions.The knot pulse indicates excess yin conditions. The more severe the knot, the more severe the accumulation; the milder the knot, the milder the qi. Floating knots indicate external pain, while deep knots indicate internal accumulation.
17、Dai (代)
The代 pulse moves and then stops, unable to return, then moves again (Zhongjing). The pulse reaches the chi, then returns after a long time (Wu’s description).
The pulse has five beats per breath; the qi of the lungs, heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys all have fifty movements and one breath, corresponding to the great number, called the normal pulse. Conversely, if it stops, it is seen; if kidney qi cannot reach, it will have forty movements and one stop; if liver qi cannot reach, it will have thirty movements and one stop. This indicates that one organ’s qi is weak, while the other organ’s qi is compensating.
The classics state:代 indicates qi deficiency. Shuaishi states: if there is no illness, a thin pulse indicates a dangerous pulse. If there is illness and qi and blood are suddenly lost, the qi cannot continue, indicating a disease pulse. Cold damage and palpitations indicate a代 pulse; pregnancy indicates a代 pulse. The life and death of the代 pulse must be discerned.
『Body Condition Poem』
The代 pulse moves and then stops, unable to return; it moves again due to the cause.
If the patient has it, it can still be treated; if a healthy person has it, it is related to longevity.
『Similar Condition Poem』Rapid and stopping indicates urgency; slow stopping must be called knot pulse.Stopping without returning indicates a代 pulse; knots lead to death, while代 leads to life.
Stopping and returning are not constant; sometimes two movements, three movements, and one stop may occur. The代 pulse has a constant number, which must be based on the number of movements and returns to the chi, taking a long time to return.
『Main Disease Poem』The代 pulse indicates the decline of organ qi, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and lower back weakness.It may indicate vomiting and diarrhea in the middle jiao, or women in the third month of pregnancy.The pulse manual states: a代 pulse indicates death. If there is diarrhea or blood in the stool, it indicates a decline in qi. If there are fifty movements without stopping, the body is healthy; if there are forty movements and one stop, it indicates the organ’s decline; if there are thirty movements and one stop, it indicates three years; if there are twenty movements and one stop, it indicates two years; if there are ten movements and one stop, it indicates one year; one must observe the qi and color along with the symptoms. Two movements and one stop indicate three to four days; three to four movements and one stop indicate six to seven days; five to six movements and one stop indicate seven to eight mornings; sequentially deducing this will yield no errors.戴同父 states: the pulse must have fifty movements, originating from the《难经》; however, the pulse manual’s five organ song states that forty-five movements are the standard, which contradicts the essence of the classics.Li Dongyang states: in ancient times, the number of movements was used to assess the pulse, which is a tight expression. One must observe fifty movements to know the five organs are deficient. Modern practitioners point to the wrist and arm, claiming to have seen it. Fifty movements are not something that can be counted with a snap of the fingers.Therefore, learners should diagnose the pulse, inquire about symptoms, listen to sounds, and observe colors, thus preparing the four examinations without error.
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