[Introduction to Floating Pulse Characteristics]
The “Pulse Classic” states: “A floating and large pulse indicates wind stroke with heavy head and nasal congestion. A floating and slow pulse indicates numbness of the skin, with wind-cold invading the muscles. A floating and slippery pulse indicates food retention. A floating and short pulse indicates lung injury, with minimal qi, leading to death within a year; it should be treated with coughing. A floating and large pulse indicates damage from cold. A floating, slippery, and rapid pulse indicates undigested food, with the spleen not functioning. A floating and fine slippery pulse indicates injury from drinking. A floating, large, and long pulse indicates wind dizziness and epilepsy. A floating, slippery, and rapid pulse indicates a long-standing illness that is difficult to cure.”
The “Thousand Gold Prescriptions” states: “A floating and slippery pulse at the cun (寸) position indicates head pain. A floating and large pulse at the cun position, when pressed, becomes rough; the chi (尺) position is also weak and rough, indicating food qi is constricted. A scattered floating pulse at the guan (关) position indicates accumulated heat in the chest, leading to vomiting of roundworms and forgetfulness. A scattered floating pulse at the chi position indicates excess yang in the lower jiao.” The “Cui’s Four-Character Essentials” states: “Floating indicates wind-heat, floating and slow indicates wind-damp, floating and tight indicates wind-cold, floating and slow indicates wind-damp, floating and weak indicates heat injury, floating and slippery indicates phlegm-heat, floating and scattered indicates severe deficiency.” The “Three Causes Prescriptions” states: “A floating and large pulse indicates nasal congestion, a floating and slow pulse indicates numbness, a floating and long pulse indicates wind dizziness and urinary issues, a floating and slippery pulse indicates food retention, a floating and large and rough pulse indicates food stagnation, a floating and short pulse indicates lung injury and qi deficiency, a floating and slippery pulse indicates drinking or stabbing pain. A floating and fine and slippery pulse indicates injury from drinking, a floating and slippery and rapid pulse indicates lily disease, a floating and scattered pulse indicates constipation and dark urine, a floating and tight pulse indicates dysuria or cancer.”
The “Surgical Essentials” states: “A floating and large pulse indicates heart issues, a floating and short and rough pulse indicates lung issues, a floating and rapid pulse indicates heat. If a floating and rapid pulse does not indicate heat but instead indicates aversion to cold, it is a sign of sores and pox.”
The “Binhai Pulse Studies” states: “A floating and slow pulse indicates exterior wind, a floating and rapid pulse indicates heat, a floating and tight pulse indicates cold. A floating and strong pulse indicates wind-heat, while a weak and floating pulse indicates blood deficiency.”
The “Diagnostic Essentials” states: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency. A strong pulse indicates excess. A floating and tight pulse indicates wind-cold, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-damp, a floating and weak pulse indicates heat injury, a floating and rough pulse indicates blood injury, a floating and slippery pulse indicates phlegm-heat.”
The “Medical Entry” states: “A strong floating pulse indicates wind, while a weak floating pulse indicates blood deficiency. A floating and rapid pulse indicates mild wind-heat, a floating and slow pulse indicates body itchiness with no sweat, a floating and tight and slippery pulse indicates lily disease, a floating and large pulse indicates chronic rashes, a floating and slippery pulse indicates phlegm and pain like a needle.”
The “Essential Readings of Medical Classics” states: “A strong pulse indicates wind, a weak pulse indicates blood deficiency, a floating and slow pulse indicates cold, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and tight pulse indicates wind-cold, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-damp, a floating and weak pulse indicates heat injury, a floating and rough pulse indicates blood injury, a floating and slippery pulse indicates phlegm-heat.”
The “Ancient and Modern Medical Systems” states: “A floating and strong pulse indicates evil, a floating and weak pulse indicates little qi, a floating and strong pulse indicates a decline in qi, a floating and weak pulse indicates a lack of root. A floating and weak pulse at the left cun indicates exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating, with weak pores unable to protect against cold, leading to aversion to cold and chills. A strong floating pulse indicates exterior evil, with headache and fever, red and dry eyes, body aches, or dry mouth. A weak floating pulse at the left guan indicates exterior symptoms, with unclear vision. A strong floating pulse indicates exterior evil, with side pain and abdominal distension, eye pain and swelling. A weak floating pulse at the left chi indicates exterior deficiency, leading to night sweats, deafness, bladder issues, and short urination. A strong floating pulse indicates dysuria, difficulty urinating, and red or turbid stools. A weak floating pulse at the right cun indicates exterior deficiency, with spontaneous sweating, aversion to cold and wind, skin itching, back chills, sneezing, and clear nasal discharge. A strong floating pulse indicates excess, leading to abdominal distension, chest fullness, and tightness. A weak floating pulse at the right chi indicates the same as the left.”
The “Jingyue Complete Book” states: “A floating and large pulse indicates wind injury, a floating and tight pulse indicates cold injury, a floating and slippery pulse indicates food retention, a floating and slow pulse indicates damp stagnation, a floating and weak pulse indicates blood loss, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and large pulse indicates mania. A strong and spirited floating pulse indicates excess yang, which leads to fire, or phlegm in the middle, or qi stagnation above, which can be inferred. If a floating and weak pulse is empty and hollow, it indicates insufficient yin, leading to water deficiency, or blood not nourishing the heart, or essence not transforming qi, indicating internal deficiency. If these are considered exterior symptoms, the harm is great! If a floating and large and hard pulse is even four times larger, it is called guan ge in the Inner Canon. This is not a sign of spirit, but a true sign of extreme yin deficiency and rootless yang, a great ominous sign.”
The “Pulse Verification” states: “A floating and strong pulse indicates wind-fire, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-fire, a floating and string-like pulse indicates wind-phlegm, a floating and slippery pulse indicates wind-phlegm and wind-heat, a floating and long pulse indicates wind-heat and wind-rash.”
The “Pulse Classification” states: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, a strong pulse indicates excess, a floating and tight pulse indicates wind-cold, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-damp, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-weakness, a floating and weak pulse indicates heat injury, a floating and rough pulse indicates blood injury, a floating and slippery pulse indicates phlegm-heat, a floating and rapid pulse indicates no heat, indicating sores and boils.”
The “Pulse Enlightenment” states: “A floating and tight pulse indicates wind-cold, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-damp, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, a floating and strong pulse indicates wind-fire, a floating and rough pulse indicates blood injury, a floating and weak pulse indicates qi deficiency.”
The “Three-Finger Zen” states: “A floating and tight pulse indicates cold injury, a floating and weak pulse indicates heat injury, a floating and rapid pulse indicates wind injury, a floating and slow pulse indicates damp injury.”
The “Pulse Studies” states: “A floating and slow pulse indicates cold, a floating and strong pulse indicates heat, a floating and slow pulse indicates wind-damp, a floating and weak pulse indicates heat injury, a floating and slippery pulse indicates phlegm, a floating and fine pulse indicates qi deficiency, a floating and rough pulse indicates blood deficiency, a floating and scattered pulse indicates extreme deficiency.”
The floating and slippery pulse indicates both yin deficiency and qi deficiency, and can also indicate heat injury. The pulse is light and easily felt, but the floating pulse is strong, while the slippery pulse is soft and fine. The floating and slippery pulse indicates a shallow pulse position, easily felt with light pressure, but the pulse strength is weak and does not respond to pressure. Therefore, the “Binhai Pulse Studies” states: “A floating and soft pulse indicates a slippery pulse. The slippery pulse indicates blood deficiency and yin deficiency, with the marrow and essence already depleted.” Based on the different divisions of the floating and slippery pulse, the main diseases vary. If seen at the cun pulse, it indicates yang qi deficiency; if seen at the guan pulse, it often indicates damp evil; if seen at the chi pulse, it indicates yin deficiency and blood injury. Therefore, Li Shizhen said: “A floating and slippery pulse at the cun indicates spontaneous sweating… A floating and slippery pulse at the chi indicates blood deficiency and severe cold.” Li Zhongzi also said: “A floating and slippery pulse at the right guan indicates spleen deficiency and damp invasion; a floating and slippery pulse at the left chi indicates blood depletion and damage; a floating and slippery pulse at the right chi indicates fire defeat and life misfortune.” The “Pulse Studies” states: “A floating and slippery pulse indicates heat injury.” This is due to the external evil of summer heat, causing the body to resist the summer heat, leading to a floating pulse. The slippery pulse indicates insufficient qi and yin, and summer heat easily injures fluids and depletes qi, so the floating and slippery pulse is a common pulse pattern seen in summer heat injury.
Ge Gen Tang Syndrome
In the past, I taught at a TCM school in Ximen and had little time to treat patients, so I rarely made house calls. A young man surnamed Yuan from Guanghua Optical Company had been bedridden for four to five days, unconscious. His brother wanted to take him home but asked me to diagnose him first. I went to see him as the day was getting late. The patient was lying on a bed upstairs, silent. I approached the bed and asked him; he showed no signs of cold or heat, but had pain in the neck and back, unable to turn or lie on his side. I checked his pulse; the right three positions were tight and floating, while the left three positions showed no floating signs, becoming tight when pressed. Although I knew it was a case of Taiyang cold damage, the left pulse did not match. At that time, his brother went downstairs to fetch firewood and returned shortly. I asked: “Has your brother been indulging in wine and women?” His brother replied: “No, he just spent a month in Shantou during spring, where he was quite extravagant, staying at a brothel and spending excessively.” I said: “That is it. Now, pressing his left pulse shows no floating; this indicates insufficient yin, unable to respond to the Taiyang condition. However, his tongue coating must be dry and heartless.” I checked, and indeed it was. I prescribed:
Ge Gen (Pueraria) (2 qian), Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) (1 qian), Ma Huang (Ephedra) (0.8 qian), Bai Shao (White Peony) (2 qian), Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-Fried Licorice) (1 qian), Hong Zao (Red Dates) (5 pieces), Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger) (3 slices)
I quietly told his brother: “After taking the medicine, if there is a slight sweat, he will recover. If not, I cannot guarantee anything.”
Before leaving, I was also concerned that his yin fluids were insufficient, unable to reach the surface to sweat, so I instructed him to add a cup of glutinous rice to the medicine before returning. The next morning, his brother came to request a follow-up diagnosis. I went to see him, and all six pulses were harmonious. I asked him, and the patient said: “I have not slept well for five days, but after taking the medicine, I had a slight sweat and fell asleep without realizing it. When I woke up, I felt very relaxed and did not know when the illness had left me.” I then advised him to rest for two to three days, and he later went to Hankou for business after seven days.
[Note] The “Inquiry? Golden Chamber True Words” states: “Essence is the foundation of the body. Therefore, if it is stored in essence, one does not fall ill in spring.” The “Vital Energy Communicating with Heaven” states: “In winter, if harmed by cold, one will surely fall ill in spring.” These phrases are known to all practitioners of TCM. However, there are many discussions, often contradicting the original intent. I, Zuo Jing, am not sensitive; I ask that this case of the young man surnamed Yuan be used as an annotation for the “Inner Canon.” In short, the young man surnamed Yuan indulged in brothels and did not store his essence, leading to a warm disease. Treated with Ge Gen Tang, he was able to recover quickly, as Ge Gen Tang is the main formula for warm diseases. Essence is the fluid gathered in one place. Fluids are the essence dispersed throughout the body. Therefore, essence and fluids are originally one and two, two and one. Since this person usually does not store essence, it means that the fluids are already injured, and when he is invaded by external wind, he does not present as Taiyang wind stroke or Taiyang cold damage, but rather as Taiyang warm disease, which is not suitable for Gui Zhi Tang or Ma Huang Tang, but rather suitable for Ge Gen Tang. This is how the “Inner Canon” and “Cold Damage” can be interpreted together.
However, it is also important to note that the importance of storing essence is not limited to winter, but is especially crucial in winter. Therefore, the “Cold Damage Examples” states: “In winter, when it is severely cold, all things are deeply hidden. A gentleman must be cautious, so as not to be harmed by the cold. Those who are exposed are called cold damage.” The formation of warm disease is not limited to spring; the case of the young man surnamed Yuan moaning in mid-autumn shows this, but it is especially severe in spring. This is because spring follows winter, and at that time is near; if winter does not close and store, it disturbs the yang, then spring cannot flourish, and cannot grow and thrive with all things in nature. The leakage of essence is not limited to sexual relations; anyone who is diligent and has many desires, who is anxious and fearful, who is fatigued and exhausted, will not store essence. This is especially true for those who directly deplete kidney essence. Therefore, we can conclude: “If essence is not stored in winter, one will surely fall ill in spring.” This is a significant principle that should be understood.
Nevertheless, as I write this, I cannot help but feel a sense of dread. What do I fear? I fear that people will use this case as a basis to extend the theory of warm disease lurking in the Shaoyin, as the so-called Shaoyin refers to the kidney meridian. I say: If kidney essence is depleted, the entire body’s fluids will be insufficient. Once invaded by external wind, one cannot expel the evil, and it easily transforms into heat. This is still an abstract statement, and it is closer to saying that those with weak stomachs are prone to Gui Zhi Tang syndrome, which is still a valid argument. However, if one insists on saying that the warm disease evil qi lurks in the kidney, it is akin to saying that the evil qi of wind stroke must lurk in the stomach. Can this be reconciled? Not only this, but children, who are innocent and pure, do not deplete kidney essence; why do they suffer from warm diseases like rashes? This is because their pure yang body, during their growth, requires fluids urgently, and transforming heat is easy, which is not related to kidney issues. Why is it said that warm disease lurks in Shaoyin and manifests in other meridians? This is indeed an unresolved issue.
Copyright Notice: The article and images are sourced from the internet. If there are any improper uses, please feel free to contact us.
Recommended Excellent TCM Public WeChat Professional Platform
Long press the above QR code to follow, “National TCM Development Cooperation Information Sharing Platform“
Public Account ID: zyjyccbk
Long press the above QR code to follow, “Treasure House of Experience of Famous Old TCM Doctors” Welcome!
For cooperation and communication, please add WeChat ID:1064726688