The 28 pulse diagnosis songs are detailed below:
1. **Floating Pulse (Fu Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Floating on the skin, like wood floating on water; strong when lifted, weak when pressed.
【Main Disease Song】Floating pulse is Yang, indicating disease on the surface. Floating at the cun position indicates wind; floating at the left guan indicates wind in the middle jiao; floating at the right guan indicates wind-phlegm in the diaphragm; floating at the chi indicates wind in the lower jiao, with difficulty in urination and constipation.
【Combined Pulse Song】Weak indicates exterior deficiency, strong indicates exterior excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke; floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating soft indicates wind-damp. Floating hollow indicates blood loss, floating short indicates qi deficiency; floating surging indicates empty heat, floating weak indicates summer heat fatigue; floating rough indicates blood injury, floating moist indicates qi failure.
2. **Deep Pulse (Chen Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Deep pulse travels through the muscles and bones, like a stone thrown into water; strong when pressed, weak when lifted.
【Main Disease Song】Deep pulse is Yin, indicating disease within. Deep at the cun position indicates shortness of breath and chest pain; may indicate phlegm or water and blood. Deep at the guan indicates cold in the middle, causing pain and fullness; may indicate fullness and stagnation, acid reflux, and muscle tension. Deep at the chi indicates back pain, also indicating waist and knee issues; dampness and itching below.
【Combined Pulse Song】Weak indicates interior deficiency, strong indicates interior excess. Deep slow indicates chronic cold, deep rapid indicates internal heat; deep slippery indicates phlegm and fluid, deep rough indicates blood stasis; deep weak indicates deficiency, deep firm indicates accumulation; deep tight indicates cold pain, deep soft indicates damp cold.
3. **Slow Pulse (Chi Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Slow pulse belongs to Yin, characterized by insufficient beats; slow and steady, three beats per breath.
【Main Disease Song】Slow pulse indicates organ issues, primarily cold. Slow at the cun indicates upper cold, causing heart pain and stagnation; slow at the guan indicates middle cold, causing knots and muscle spasms; slow at the chi indicates fire deficiency, with difficulty in urination and bowel movements, or issues with the waist and legs.
【Combined Pulse Song】Strong indicates accumulated cold, weak indicates deficiency cold. Floating slow indicates exterior cold, deep slow indicates interior cold; slow rough indicates blood deficiency, slow soft indicates damp cold; slow slippery indicates fullness and distension, slow weak indicates difficulty in settling.
4. **Rapid Pulse (Shu Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Rapid pulse belongs to Yang, characterized by excessive beats; six beats per breath, coming and going frequently.
【Main Disease Song】Rapid pulse indicates issues with the bowels, primarily heat. Rapid at the cun indicates wheezing and cough, mouth sores, and lung issues; rapid at the guan indicates stomach heat, with evil fire attacking upwards; rapid at the chi indicates heart fire, with urinary issues.
【Combined Pulse Song】Strong indicates real fire, weak indicates false fire. Floating rapid indicates exterior heat, deep rapid indicates interior heat. Yang rapid indicates fire excess, Yin rapid indicates heart fire. Right rapid indicates excessive fire, left rapid indicates Yin damage.
5. **Slippery Pulse (Hua Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Slippery pulse flows smoothly, like beads rolling; shaped like a pearl, indicating moisture.
【Main Disease Song】Slippery pulse is Yang, often indicating phlegm and fluids. Slippery at the cun indicates cough; fullness in the chest and nausea; slippery at the guan indicates stomach heat, obstructing qi and harming food; slippery at the chi indicates urinary issues, or may indicate dysentery, blood in urine for men, and menstrual issues for women.
【Combined Pulse Song】Floating slippery indicates wind-phlegm, deep slippery indicates phlegm-food. Slippery rapid indicates phlegm-fire, slippery short indicates qi obstruction. Slippery and floating indicates urinary pain; slippery and floating indicates stroke paralysis. Slippery and harmonious indicates pregnancy can be confirmed.
6. **Rough Pulse (Se Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Rough pulse is stagnant, like a knife scraping bamboo; slow and thin, three images are fearful.
【Main Disease Song】Rough indicates blood deficiency, also indicating essence injury. Rough at the cun indicates heart pain, or palpitations. Rough at the guan indicates Yin deficiency, causing internal heat; right guan indicates earth deficiency, left guan indicates fullness. Rough at the chi indicates urinary issues, blood in stool; pregnancy indicates fetal issues, no pregnancy indicates blood depletion.
【Combined Pulse Song】Rough and firm indicates real heat; rough and weak indicates false fire.
7. **Weak Pulse (Ruo Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Weak pulse is small and soft, seen at the deep level; cannot be felt when lifted, but can be felt when pressed.
【Main Disease Song】Weak indicates Yang deficiency, true qi is weak. Weak at the cun indicates heart deficiency, causing palpitations and forgetfulness; weak at the right cun indicates lung deficiency, with spontaneous sweating and shortness of breath. Weak at the left guan indicates liver injury, blood not nourishing muscles; weak at the right guan indicates spleen cold, food not digesting. Weak at the left chi indicates kidney deficiency, waist and knee weakness; weak at the right chi indicates cold symptoms.
8. **Full Pulse (Shi Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Full pulse is strong, long, and firm; responds to pressure, all three positions are the same.
【Main Disease Song】Full pulse indicates blood fullness, heat, and obstruction. Full at the left cun indicates heart labor, tongue strong, qi surging; full at the right cun indicates lung disease, nausea, and throat pain. Full at the left guan indicates liver fire pain; full at the right guan indicates fullness and pain. Full at the left chi indicates constipation and abdominal pain; full at the right chi indicates excessive fire.
【Combined Pulse Song】Full and tight indicates cold accumulation. Full and slippery indicates phlegm accumulation.
9. **Long Pulse (Chang Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Long pulse is long and straight, both ends are clear; goes straight up and down, like following a long pole.
【Main Disease Song】Long indicates excess, qi counterflow, and fire excess. Long at the left cun indicates heart disease; long at the right cun indicates fullness and counterflow. Long at the left guan indicates wood excess; long at the right guan indicates earth fullness and distension. Long at the left chi indicates rebellious qi; long at the right chi indicates excessive fire.
10. **Short Pulse (Duan Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Short pulse is thin and small, both ends are low; rises in the middle, cannot fill the whole area.
【Main Disease Song】Short indicates insufficiency, indicating qi deficiency. Short at the cun indicates heart instability; short at the right cun indicates lung deficiency and headache. Short at the left guan indicates liver qi injury; short at the right guan indicates issues in the diaphragm. Short at the left chi indicates lower abdominal pain; short at the right chi indicates true fire not rising.
11. **Surging Pulse (Hong Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Surging pulse is extremely large, resembling a flood; comes strong and goes weak, flowing abundantly.
【Main Disease Song】Surging indicates fullness, qi obstruction, and fire excess. Surging at the left cun indicates heart agitation; surging at the right cun indicates chest fullness and qi counterflow. Surging at the left guan indicates liver wood excess; surging at the right guan indicates spleen earth heat. Surging at the left chi indicates water depletion; surging at the right chi indicates fire scorching.
12. **Minute Pulse (Wei Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Minute pulse is extremely thin and soft; seems to exist yet not exist, almost imperceptible.
【Main Disease Song】Minute pulse is vague, indicating severe qi and blood deficiency. Minute at the left cun indicates fright; minute at the right cun indicates shortness of breath. Minute at the left guan indicates cold cramps; minute at the right guan indicates stomach cold. Minute at the left chi indicates severe depletion; minute at the right chi indicates Yang deficiency and imminent death.
13. **Thin Pulse (Xi Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Thin pulse is straight and soft, winding and coiling; resembles a silk thread, more pronounced than minute.
【Main Disease Song】Thin indicates qi deficiency, various deficiencies and damage. Thin at the left cun indicates palpitations and insomnia; thin at the right cun indicates vomiting and shortness of breath. Thin at the left guan indicates liver Yin depletion; thin at the right guan indicates stomach fullness. Thin at the left chi indicates diarrhea and seminal emission; thin at the right chi indicates cold and fatigue.
14. **Moist Pulse (Ru Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Moist pulse is thin and soft, seen at the floating level; appears when lifted, disappears when pressed.
【Main Disease Song】Moist indicates Yin deficiency, essence depletion. Moist at the left cun indicates forgetfulness and palpitations; moist at the right cun indicates spontaneous sweating. Moist at the left guan indicates blood not nourishing muscles; moist at the right guan indicates spleen deficiency and dampness. Moist at the left chi indicates essence and blood depletion; moist at the right chi indicates fire failure and life-threatening.
15. **Weak Pulse (Ruo Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Weak pulse is small and soft, seen at the deep level; cannot be felt when lifted, but can be felt when pressed.
【Main Disease Song】Weak indicates Yang deficiency, true qi is weak. Weak at the cun indicates heart deficiency, causing palpitations and forgetfulness; weak at the right cun indicates lung deficiency, with spontaneous sweating and shortness of breath. Weak at the left guan indicates liver injury, blood not nourishing muscles; weak at the right guan indicates spleen cold, food not digesting. Weak at the left chi indicates kidney deficiency, waist and knee weakness; weak at the right chi indicates cold symptoms.
16. **Tight Pulse (Jin Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Tight pulse is strong, snapping under fingers; like a twisted rope, like a tightly pulled string.
【Main Disease Song】Tight indicates cold evil, also indicates various pains. Tight at the left cun indicates heart fullness and acute pain; tight at the right cun indicates cold damage and wheezing. Tight at the left guan indicates wind-cold; tight at the right guan indicates food stagnation. Tight at the left chi indicates severe pain below the navel; tight at the right chi indicates hernia issues.
17. **Slow Pulse (Huan Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Slow pulse has four beats, coming and going evenly; like a gentle breeze, early spring willows.
【Main Disease Combined Pulse Song】Slow indicates stomach qi, not indicating disease; can only be diagnosed when combined. Floating slow indicates wind damage, deep slow indicates cold damp. Slow large indicates wind deficiency, slow thin indicates damp obstruction. Slow rough indicates spleen deficiency, slow weak indicates qi deficiency. Right cun floating slow indicates wind evil; left cun rough slow indicates blood deficiency.
18. **String-like Pulse (Xian Mai)**
【Body Image Song】String-like pulse resembles a string, light and soft; straight and long, firm under fingers.
【Main Disease Song】String-like indicates liver wind, indicating pain, malaria, phlegm, and fluids. String-like at the left cun indicates heart pain; string-like at the right cun indicates chest and head pain. String-like at the left guan indicates phlegm and malaria; string-like at the right guan indicates stomach cold pain. String-like at the left chi indicates fluid in the lower jiao; string-like at the right chi indicates leg cramps and pain.
【Combined Pulse Song】Floating string-like indicates fluid retention, deep string-like indicates suspended fluids. String-like rapid indicates heat, string-like slow indicates cold. String-like large indicates deficiency, string-like thin indicates tightness. Yang string-like indicates headache, Yin string-like indicates abdominal pain. Single string-like indicates fluid retention, double string-like indicates cold accumulation.
19. **Moving Pulse (Dong Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Moving pulse has no beginning or end, its movement is like beans; shaking and trembling, must be combined with slippery and rapid.
【Main Disease Song】Moving pulse indicates pain, also indicates fright. Moving at the left cun indicates fright; moving at the right cun indicates spontaneous sweating. Moving at the left guan indicates fright and cramps; moving at the right guan indicates heart and spleen pain. Moving at the left chi indicates loss of essence; moving at the right chi indicates rapid fire.
20. **Rapid Pulse (Cu Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Rapid indicates urgency, stopping every few beats; like rushing and stumbling, advancing leads to death.
【Main Disease Song】Rapid indicates fire excess, also due to stagnation. Rapid at the left cun indicates heart fire; rapid at the right cun indicates lung wheezing. Rapid at the left guan indicates blood stagnation; rapid at the right guan indicates food stagnation. Rapid at the left chi indicates slippery issues; rapid at the right chi indicates burning heat.
21. **Knotted Pulse (Jie Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Knotted indicates stagnation, stopping intermittently; moving slowly and lazily, gaining its essence.
【Main Disease Song】Knotted indicates Yin cold, also due to accumulation. Knotted at the left cun indicates heart cold, pain can be determined; knotted at the right cun indicates lung deficiency, qi cold accumulation; knotted at the left guan indicates hernia; knotted at the right guan indicates phlegm stagnation and food retention. Knotted at the left chi indicates weakness; knotted at the right chi indicates Yin cold symptoms.
22. **Intermittent Pulse (Dai Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Intermittent indicates a pause, with a constant rhythm; cannot return to normal, takes a long time to move again.
【Main Disease Song】Intermittent indicates organ failure, a sign of danger. Spleen earth failure indicates vomiting and diarrhea; middle cold indicates inability to eat, abdominal pain difficult to relieve. Two movements and one stop indicate death in three to four days; four movements and one stop indicate death in six to seven days. Sequentially deducing, do not lose the essence.
23. **Leather Pulse (Ge Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Leather pulse is large and tight, easily felt when floating; pressing reveals emptiness, like a drum skin.
【Main Disease Song】Leather indicates exterior cold, also indicates middle deficiency. Leather at the left cun indicates heart blood deficiency; leather at the right cun indicates metal deficiency and qi obstruction. Leather at the left guan indicates hernia; leather at the right guan indicates earth deficiency and pain. Leather at the left chi indicates essence emptiness; leather at the right chi indicates life-threatening issues. Women with this pulse may experience postpartum hemorrhage.
24. **Firm Pulse (Lao Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Firm pulse is seen at the deep level, large and string-like; floating in two positions, cannot be felt.
【Main Disease Song】Firm indicates accumulation. Disease is internal. Firm at the left cun indicates liver issues; firm at the right cun indicates stomach issues. Firm at the left guan indicates liver blood accumulation; firm at the right guan indicates Yin cold and fullness. Firm at the left chi indicates rebellious qi; firm at the right chi indicates severe pain.
25. **Dispersed Pulse (San Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Dispersed pulse is floating and chaotic, with surface but no interior; gradually empties in the middle, pressing reveals emptiness.
【Main Disease Song】Dispersed indicates primary injury, indicating danger. Dispersed at the left cun indicates palpitations and insomnia; dispersed at the right cun indicates spontaneous sweating. Dispersed at the left guan indicates fluid retention; dispersed at the right guan indicates fullness and illness. Located at the left chi indicates water depletion; located at the right chi indicates Yang depletion and imminent death.
26. **Hollow Pulse (Kao Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Hollow pulse is empty in the middle, indicating blood loss. Hollow at the left cun indicates heart blood loss; hollow at the right cun indicates Yin injury. Hollow at the left guan indicates liver blood not stored; hollow at the right guan indicates spleen blood not absorbed. Hollow at the left chi indicates red stool indicating danger; hollow at the right chi indicates fire burning essence.
27. **Hidden Pulse (Fu Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Hidden pulse is hidden, deeper than deep; pressing reveals the shape.
【Main Disease Song】Hidden pulse is Yin, indicating deep disease. Hidden at the left cun indicates blood stagnation; hidden at the right cun indicates qi stagnation. Hidden at the left guan indicates liver blood in the abdomen; hidden at the right guan indicates cold condensing fluids. Hidden at the left chi indicates hernia; hidden at the right chi indicates Yang deficiency.
28. **Rapid Pulse (Ji Mai)**
【Body Image Song】Rapid indicates extreme urgency, with the highest frequency; seven to eight beats, pulse flows thin and rapid.
【Main Disease Song】Rapid indicates extreme Yang, Yin qi is about to deplete; pulse deviates from the norm, spirit is about to perish; gradually advancing and rapidly increasing, often leads to death. Rapid at the left cun indicates do not suppress self-immolation; rapid at the right cun indicates metal being consumed by fire. Rapid at the left guan indicates liver Yin has been exhausted; rapid at the right guan indicates spleen Yin has been depleted. Rapid at the left chi indicates difficulty in moistening; rapid at the right chi indicates extreme heat.
