The slippery pulse (hua mai) is a pulse type that is very easy to grasp, resembling a string of beads distributed between the cun, guan, and chi positions. Sometimes, it appears as a continuous string of beads traversing these positions.
The renowned Li Shizhen described it in detail in his work Bin Hu Mai Xue, stating, “The slippery pulse flows back and forth, smooth and turning, like beads responding to the fingers, slippery as if about to slip away.”
In the Yi Xue Ru Men, the Ming dynasty physician Li Zhen remarked, “Slippery is like a string of beads coming and going swiftly.”
Similarly, Huang Lin in the Mai Que of the Qing dynasty noted, “Smooth like beads is indeed slippery.”
Comparing the slippery pulse to beads refers to the shape of the pulse; however, rigorously speaking, it does not fully encompass the pulse quality, which should also include its strength.
The Ming dynasty physician Gong Tingxian wrote directly in Shou Shi Bao Yuan, “A deep and strong pulse is slippery.”
In the Qing dynasty, Guan Yuheng’s Zhen Mai San Shi Er Bian also emphasized strength, stating, “When strong, it flows smoothly like beads rolling on a plate.”
In the late Qing, Zhou Xuehai described the slippery pulse in Zhen Jia Zhi Jue as “short and strong.” Strength certainly implies a certain degree of force.
Where there is strength, there must also be weakness, which reflects the concept of yin and yang.
Yin and yang is a philosophical concept that is invisible and intangible; how can this idea be practically manifested? In pulse diagnosis, the strength and weakness of the pulse is a very good entry point.
Zhang Zhongjing wrote very clearly in his “Pulse Differentiation Method.”
What is the pulse of yin and yang?
All pulses that are large, floating, rapid, moving, and slippery are termed yang. Pulses that are deep, rough, weak, wiry, and faint are termed yin.
The slippery and wiry pulses often appear simultaneously on a person’s radial artery, representing a confluence of various pathogenic factors. The slippery pulse, in contrast to the wiry pulse, is often stronger. Thus, it becomes easy to discern which pathogenic factor is the primary cause of illness.
The Sage of Medicine feared that everyone might not understand the slippery pulse, so he elaborated further.
When the pulse is floating and slippery, floating represents yang, slippery represents solid; when yang and solid clash, the pulse is rapid and the defensive qi is lost. A floating and slippery pulse that is rapid and accompanied by fever and sweating is considered untreatable.
This passage, when interpreted according to medical principles, still requires some foundational knowledge as a prelude. This time, I will use a common activity that everyone participates in to illustrate.
Running.
If you casually jog for a hundred meters, your pulse will rise, which is referred to as “rapid pulse.” “Defensive qi lost” is easier to understand, as one may feel short of breath. “Fever and sweating” is straightforward. Many marathon runners experience dizziness and collapse, which exemplifies the situation of “yang and solid clashing.”
Of course, when running, an elevated pulse is a normal physiological response.
What the Sage of Medicine is discussing here is clearly pathological. If a person is lounging at home, doing nothing, yet begins to sweat, this is what the common people refer to as spontaneous sweating, which is a clinical manifestation of “defensive qi lost.”
The Suwen: Yin Yang Bie Lun states very well, “Yang added to yin is called sweat.” This statement is not easily understood; it requires insight.
Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun
·ＥＮＤ·
①
Click to read
Step into Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun through the simplified pulse methods of late Qing pulse scholars like Zhou Xuehai
②
Using language that even children can understand
Interpretation of the Huang Di Nei Jing and the acupuncture methods in Ling Shu
Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun and Ye Tianshi’s Wen Bing
Click to follow our public account
Support original content by giving a “like” and “view”