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Understanding Floating Pulse
By the Late Flow Physician
There are many schools of thought regarding pulse diagnosis. This article provides a superficial explanation based on the “Binhuh Pulse Studies” and serves as a gateway for beginners.
To take a pulse briefly, it is referred to as “lifting, pressing, and searching”. This method distinguishes between floating and deep pulses. Lifting refers to floating, pressing refers to medium, and searching refers to deep.
【Original Text】 Floating pulse: lifting is excessive, pressing is insufficient (from “Pulse Classic”). It resembles a gentle breeze blowing the feathers on a bird’s back, light and floating in appearance, like following the elm pods (from “Suwen”), like wood floating on water (Cui’s description), like pinching scallion leaves (Li’s description).
【Explanation】 The basic definition of floating pulse: lifting is excessive, pressing is insufficient. This means that the method of taking a floating pulse is to lift. When moving to the medium level, the pulse strength decreases, indicating insufficiency.
The tactile sensation of the pulse: like a gentle breeze blowing the feathers on a bird’s back, light and floating in appearance, like following the elm pods, like wood floating on water, like pinching scallion leaves.
First, the feathers on a bird’s back refer to down feathers, not wing feathers, as wing feathers are hard and not soft enough. This “light and floating appearance” can be observed by holding a chick that has grown two-thirds of its feathers, lifting it, and letting a gentle breeze blow on it to observe its condition. At the same time, one can hold the chick with one hand and gently stroke against the feathers with the other hand to feel the light floating sensation under the fingers.
“Like following the elm pods”, these pods are found in some places and not in others. If conditions allow, one can try this. Note that the pods should not be detached from the branch; the fingers should press on the pods that are still on the branch.
“Like pinching scallion leaves”, scallions are the most common item in daily life. There are two methods to pinch scallion leaves: one is to take the scallion leaves with the stem, ensuring not to break the scallion tube, using the thumb as lightly as possible, and rolling it back and forth on the table with the remaining three fingers, or using one or three fingers to roll back and forth. The second method is to take the scallion tube on the table and lightly rub it with one or three fingers. This can be practiced repeatedly to experience the sensation.
【Original Text】 The floating pulse is associated with the heavens, symbolizing lightness and clarity above. In the hexagram, it corresponds to Qian (Heaven), in the season, it corresponds to autumn, and in the human body, it corresponds to the lungs, also referred to as “fur”. If excessive, it is firm in the center and empty on the sides, like following chicken feathers, indicating an external illness. If insufficient, the qi is weak and the fur is light, indicating an internal illness. The “Pulse Classic” states that searching for it like excessive indicates a combination of floating and surging tightness, which is not a floating pulse.
【Explanation】 This section has profound meaning. First, it refers to the way of the three talents, hence it is said, “the floating pulse is associated with the heavens, symbolizing lightness and clarity above”. Next, it states that the floating pulse is the normal qi transformation pulse of the lungs, representing the qi transformation of a healthy person. The previous statements refer to the floating pulse of a healthy person, while the latter discusses the conditions of excessive and insufficient floating pulses.
“If excessive, it is firm in the center and empty on the sides, like following chicken feathers, indicating an external illness”. This pulse shape is high and firm, with emptiness on both sides. “If insufficient, the qi is weak and the fur is light, indicating an internal illness”. This pulse shape is slow and weak, although floating, it lacks strength, indicating an internal illness.
“The “Pulse Classic” states that searching for it like excessive indicates a combination of floating and surging tightness, which is not a floating pulse”. A surging pulse is large and strong, and if it is floating, the pulse position is elevated. This is actually a surging pulse, indicating a severe illness. If a virtual appearance is observed, it is a sign of impending collapse, not a floating pulse, hence clinical examination must be cautious.
【Original Text】 [Body Condition Poem] The floating pulse travels only on the surface, like following elm pods, light as fur. In the third autumn, knowing there is no illness, encountering it in a long-term illness can be alarming.
【Explanation】 The position of the floating pulse is on the skin, below which is the flesh; below the flesh is the tendons, which is the medium pulse position; between the tendons and bones is the deep pulse position. The first two lines indicate the position, strength, and condition of the pulse are clear; the last two lines state that in autumn, the floating pulse indicates normal qi transformation. A floating pulse in a long-term illness is a warning signal. This part is subtly expressed, and one can understand it intuitively, indicating that a floating pulse is commonly seen in routine internal injuries or external pathogens.
【Original Text】 [Similar Pulse Poem] Floating like wood floating in water, large and hollow is the Kuo pulse. If it floats with a pat, it is the Hong pulse; when it comes strong and goes weakly, it is the floating pulse. The floating pulse is light and flat like pinching scallions. If it is weak and comes late, it is large and hollow.
【Explanation】 “Floating like wood floating in water” indicates that it is floating but not empty. The next lines describe the general characteristics of Kuo pulse, Hong pulse, Xu pulse, and San pulse.
The Kuo pulse is large and hollow. The Hong pulse is large and strong, coming strong and going weak, indicating a sense of being restrained. If it is unrestrained, excessive jumping indicates a collapsing pulse. The Xu pulse is floating and slow, large and has a hollow feeling. The floating pulse is fine and soft, which is the Ru pulse. The San pulse can be understood as the shape of a broom or paper fan; one can also slowly pour a ladle of water on a small slope to intuitively understand its condition.
Thus, after the “Similar Pulse Poem”, Binhuh clearly states that a floating pulse with strength is Hong, a floating pulse that is slow and large is Xu, a very weak floating pulse is San, a floating pulse that is fine and soft is Ru, and a floating pulse that is weak is Kuo.
【Original Text】 [Main Disease Poem] The floating pulse indicates a Yang exterior disease; slow wind, rapid heat, tight cold, and restrained. A strong floating pulse indicates much wind heat, while a weak floating pulse indicates blood deficiency. A floating pulse at the inch indicates headache and dizziness from wind, or there may be phlegm wind gathering in the chest. The Guanshu indicates earth deficiency and wood excess, while the Chizhong indicates urinary flow obstruction.
【Explanation】 This part is simple: first, it indicates the location of the disease, then the nature of the disease, and finally the symptoms. From this, it can be seen that the elder Shen Zhen was deeply aware of the principles of qi transformation and the interaction of forms and qi.
It is feared that people may not fully understand, so it is reiterated. The floating pulse indicates deficiency; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. A floating pulse that is slow indicates wind (this refers to wind-cold), a floating pulse that is rapid indicates wind-heat, a floating pulse that is tight indicates wind-cold, a floating pulse that is weak indicates heat from summer heat, a floating pulse that is Kuo indicates blood loss, a floating pulse that is Hong indicates excess heat, a floating pulse that is San indicates exhaustion. Thus, Binhuh uses the floating pulse to summarize the eight pulses.
The Late Flow Physician says: The elder Binhuh was a practitioner who diligently practiced medicine. I write this article as a guide for beginners. Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish, so those who are destined can follow this path. However, this article on pulse diagnosis is only this one. One reason is that I am too busy, and the other is that practice is necessary; laziness is a major taboo in medicine.
This article is adapted from the WeChat public account “Zeng Shiwuyu”; please follow.
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