脉贵和平,过、不及皆病也,故诊法行焉。寸、关、尺,诊之所也,得其所,则天根月窟都在壳中。浮、沉、
迟、数,脉之纲也,得其纲,则牛鬼蛇神奔会指下。何以言之?夫脉乃脏腑血气附于经络之中,周流四体,至筋
骨交接处则势少抑,故惕然而动。动如应节,犹溪流激湍,与水碓之自舂也。寒则动迟,热则动数,在表则浮,
在里则沉,实则有力而长,虚则无力而短,虚极则微细而散,质清多细缓,质浊多大躁。凝神不分,合内外而消
息之,则某病见某脉,某脉兼某脉,如浮而迟则表冷,浮而数则风热,浮紧风寒,浮缓风湿,浮滑风痰,浮躁火
郁,浮小阳虚,浮芤失血,浮弦饮痛,浮止气结,浮濡阴衰,浮大虚热;沉而迟则里寒,沉而数则内热,沉滑痰
食,沉涩血郁,沉濡阳衰,沉缓寒湿,沉紧冷痛,沉伏吐利,沉小阴虚,沉止积聚;迟而大则阳衰,迟而濡则劳
极,迟伏重阴,迟滑假寒;数而大则重阳,数而滑则痰火,数小精败,数弦假热之类,朗朗如指上螺蚊,不难细
数。乃顾自难其难,首以掌后高骨画定关位,三阴三阳挨次而配,虽褚澄曰∶男子阳顺,自下生上,故右尺为受
命之根。万物从土而出,故右关为脾,生右寸肺,肺生左尺肾,肾生左关肝,肝生左寸心;女子阴逆,自上生下,
故左寸为受命之根,万物从土而生,故左关为脾,生左尺肺,肺生右寸肾,肾生右关肝,肝生右尺心。储泳曰∶
男女形气绝异,脉行于行也之间,岂略不少异耶?此诸氏之说为有理也。赵继宗曰∶心肺居上,为阳为浮,肝肾居
下,为阴为沉,脾居中州,半阳半阴,半浮半沉。当以左寸为心,右寸为肺,左尺为肝,右尺为肾,两关为脾,
所谓脾居五行之中,寄王于四时,不独右关为脾也。肝既为阴,岂宜在半阴半阳,半浮半沉之左关耶。命门即是
肾,不当以右尺为诊。滑伯仁曰∶小肠、膀胱、前阴之病当主左尺;大肠、后阴之病当主尺右。喻嘉言曰∶大小
肠,阴之至浊者也。浊阴居下,安可以心肺清阳并诊,列于两尺是矣。李士材曰∶大小肠皆在下焦腹中,越中焦
而候之寸上,有是理乎?合以左寸心配膻中,右寸肺配胸中,左尺肾配膀胱、小肠,右尺肾配大肠。张会卿曰∶
大小肠皆下部之腑,自当诊于两尺。然脉之两尺,左为水,真阴之舍,右为火,元阳之本。小肠属火,火居火位,
当配于下之右;大肠属金,金水相从,当配于下之左。似各有卓识,总不出寸关尺三部之中,尽可阙而不问也。
必根据经曰,寸部法天,候胸以上至头之有疾;关部法人,候膈以下至脐之有疾;尺部法地,候腰以下至足部有疾,
则三部合有三穴,只就此线之脉,而天地人均分,各责所属,有是事耶?必根据脉诀,左寸候心、小肠,右寸候肺、
大肠,左关候肝、胆,右关候脾、胃,左尺候肾、膀胱,右尺候命门、三焦,左寸、关中夹候人迎,右寸、关中
央候气口,左右尺候神门,则百骸资生与百病传感,不在脏腑而在手,一以治手之法治之,得乎?至陶节庵,寸
关尺三部九候,浮以候表,沉以候里,中以候胃气,固是。第得浮则无中与沉,得沉则无中与浮,非惟达胃气不
出,而九候先讲不去。平脉动而不息,未有以数而止。《难经》曰∶脉必满五十为无病。《脉经》曰∶四十投一
至便是代,一脏无气,却后四岁,春草生而
死。仲景曰∶代脉动而中止,不能自还,因而复动。盖一脏气衰,而他脏之气代至也。夫“止不能还”即是止矣,
“因而复动”即是还矣,何以言代。一脏无气,则四脏相因而绝,闻心绝一日死,肝绝八日死,脾绝五日死,肺
绝三日死,肾绝四日死,人岂能活四年?代之之说亦难通。万一五脏递止,将教何气代之耶?更可怪者,凡诊由
寸至神门,两手共十四部,浮中沉各三候,须去好些功夫,复欲计代脉千百余动,一日六时准消一半,即使自家
耐烦,病患决无此精神。倘施之妇女,则瓜田李下,人言不足畏欤?气口统两手而言,叔和独分于右人迎候旁取
之,高阳扯配于左,且曰人迎强为外感,气口盛为伤食。外感散表,伤食攻里。夫脉体自有阴阳,诸经皆具表里,
纵心肝居左,胡不可言里?而脾肺处右,又独无表症乎?根据彼施治,未有不转轻而为重者。外微、细、虚、弱、
短、散,少异濡小,而真元衰败同之,革、牢不似弦、紧,兼芤弦沉紧即是。软弱皆濡也,不必别其浮、沉。促、
结同止尔。何事尚论迟数,乃一一分列,则沉迟、沉数、浮滑、浮洪必将更有别名,脉学之无定论,有以也夫。
然此雅不背义,但求脉之明,为脉之晦,加以尺寸自囿,翻觉渊深莫测,是以欲关疑不得,欲付模棱又不可,欲
别着一集不能,人未必遽从,爰借习记习诵之书,端详研究,壹启习记习诵之悟,虽颇费心神,而为力亦甚省也。
或曰∶诊法历有绳墨,得诊之微,名贤难言,据若所论,脉其易明矣乎。且篇中特驳尺寸,不知何诊为的?曰∶
诊则仍旧也,可要当以浮沉迟数等。左右手圆通审脏腑,不当以两腕六部寸、关、尺疆界定脏腑。当就病而论脉,
不当执脉以治病,如吾所辨释云云。嗟夫!血气附脉,脉附肌肤,过、不及诊而知之,立法之善也。以故有天根
月窟,牛鬼蛇神之喻。彼
徐徐途守辙,徒知有脉,而不知脉之源。不知脉之源则诊失所据,顾能决脏腑之和平,其谁欺?欺病患乎。又且
脉在肌中,譬水行地下,无往不有,假如凿井得泉,而曰水专在是,岂理也哉?吴草庐知寸关尺非十二经所居之
处,而又曰∶两手六部皆肺之一脉也,分其部位以候他经之气耳。以矛攻盾,离道益远。李濒湖宗其说,且谓凡
诊当以肺、心、脾、肝、肾各候一动,五十动不止,五脏皆足,内有一止,则知一脏之脉不至,据此推之,肺经
一脉,分候诸经之气者,可心解矣。徒圆饰一代脉,毫无补于诊法。又诋王宗正《难经图注》肝肾从沉、心肺从
浮,脾诊中州之非。多见其胸无真见,漫学人饶舌者也。虽然庭镜,直井蛙之窥,曷敢轻侮成言。切思古人之立
法,未许人乖乱,原不禁人有所发明,故峭胆妄建议,读者辟易惊奇,而不究理之然否,此夏虫语冰,不必强渠
从我。
Pulse qualities are most valued when they are harmonious and balanced; both excess and deficiency indicate disease, which is why pulse diagnosis methods exist. The Cun (Inch), Guan (Bar), and Chi (Cubit) positions are the sites of pulse diagnosis; mastering these positions allows one to perceive the fundamental dynamics of heaven and earth within the body. Floating (Fu), Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), and Rapid (Shu) are the general principles of pulse diagnosis; grasping these principles enables one to discern complex pathological signs as clearly as identifying mythical creatures. Why is this so? Because the pulse represents the Qi and Blood of the Zang-Fu organs adhering to the meridians, circulating throughout the four limbs. At the junctions of tendons and bones, the flow encounters slight resistance, causing a vigilant-like pulsation. This movement follows rhythm, akin to swift stream currents driving a water-powered pestle. Cold causes slow pulsation, heat causes rapid pulsation; exterior conditions manifest as floating pulses, interior conditions as deep pulses; excess conditions present with forceful and long pulses, deficiency conditions with weak and short pulses; extreme deficiency results in faint, thin, and scattered pulses. Individuals with clear constitutions often exhibit thin and slow pulses, while those with turbid constitutions show large and restless pulses. By focusing the mind without distraction and observing the rise and fall of internal and external factors, one can correlate specific diseases with specific pulses. For instance: Floating and Slow indicates Exterior Cold; Floating and Rapid indicates Wind-Heat; Floating and Tight indicates Wind-Cold; Floating and Relaxed indicates Wind-Dampness; Floating and Slippery indicates Wind-Phlegm; Floating and Restless indicates Fire Stagnation; Floating and Small indicates Yang Deficiency; Floating and Hollow indicates Blood Loss; Floating and Wiry indicates Pain from Fluid Retention; Floating with Intermittence indicates Qi Knotting; Floating and Soft indicates Yin Decline; Floating and Large indicates Empty Heat. Deep and Slow indicates Interior Cold; Deep and Rapid indicates Internal Heat; Deep and Slippery indicates Phlegm and Food Stagnation; Deep and Choppy indicates Blood Stagnation; Deep and Soft indicates Yang Decline; Deep and Slow indicates Cold-Dampness; Deep and Tight indicates Cold Pain; Deep and Hidden indicates Vomiting and Diarrhea; Deep and Small indicates Yin Deficiency; Deep with Intermittence indicates Accumulation and Masses. Slow and Large indicates Yang Decline; Slow and Soft indicates Extreme Fatigue; Slow and Hidden indicates Heavy Yin; Slow and Slippery indicates False Cold. Rapid and Large indicates Excess Yang; Rapid and Slippery indicates Phlegm-Fire; Rapid and Small indicates Essence Degeneration; Rapid and Wiry indicates False Heat, etc. These principles are as clear as insects on a fingernail, easy to distinguish carefully. Yet people complicate matters by first defining the Guan position at the radial styloid process and sequentially assigning the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians. Although Chu Cheng stated that for men, Yang moves smoothly upward from below, making the Right Chi the root of life; since all things emerge from Earth, the Right Guan corresponds to the Spleen, generating the Right Cun Lung, which generates the Left Chi Kidney, which generates the Left Guan Liver, which generates the Left Cun Heart. For women, Yin moves inversely downward from above, making the Left Cun the root of life; since all things grow from Earth, the Left Guan corresponds to the Spleen, generating the Left Chi Lung, which generates the Right Cun Kidney, which generates the Right Guan Liver, which generates the Right Cun Heart. Chu Yong argued that since male and female forms and Qi differ greatly, how could their pulse movements not differ slightly? These views have merit. Zhao Jizong stated that the Heart and Lungs reside superiorly, belonging to Yang and manifesting as Floating; the Liver and Kidneys reside inferiorly, belonging to Yin and manifesting as Deep; the Spleen resides in the Central Region, being half-Yang half-Yin, half-Floating half-Deep. Thus, the Left Cun should diagnose the Heart, Right Cun the Lung, Left Chi the Liver, Right Chi the Kidney, and both Guans the Spleen. This reflects the Spleen's position in the center of the Five Elements, thriving across the four seasons, not limited to just the Right Guan. If the Liver is Yin, why should it be in the semi-Yin semi-Yang, semi-Deep semi-Floating Left Guan? The Mingmen (Gate of Life) is the Kidney itself and should not be diagnosed solely via the Right Chi. Hua Bolin stated that diseases of the Small Intestine, Bladder, and anterior orifice should primarily be diagnosed at the Left Chi; diseases of the Large Intestine and posterior orifice at the Right Chi. Yu Jiayan noted that the Large and Small Intestines are the most turbid of Yin substances. Since turbid Yin resides below, how can the clear Yang of the Heart and Lung be diagnosed together and placed in the two Chi positions? This is correct. Li Shicai questioned diagnosing the Large and Small Intestines, located in the Lower Jiao abdomen, at the Cun positions above the Middle Jiao, asking if this makes sense. He proposed pairing the Left Cun with the Danzhong (Chest Center), Right Cun with the Chest Center, Left Chi with the Bladder and Small Intestine, and Right Chi with the Large Intestine. Zhang Huiqing argued that since the Large and Small Intestines are lower fu-organs, they should naturally be diagnosed at the two Chi positions. However, the Left Chi represents Water, the residence of True Yin, and the Right Chi represents Fire, the root of Original Yang. The Small Intestine belongs to Fire and should match the Fire position on the right below; the Large Intestine belongs to Metal, following Water, and should match the left below. While each view has insight, all remain within the Cun-Guan-Chi framework and can largely be set aside. If one strictly follows the classic saying that the Cun position mirrors Heaven, diagnosing diseases from the chest to the head; the Guan mirrors Humanity, diagnosing from the diaphragm to the navel; and the Chi mirrors Earth, diagnosing from the waist to the feet, then the three positions only cover three points, dividing heaven, earth, and humanity equally along one line. Does such a rigid division truly exist? If one strictly follows the *Mai Jue* stating Left Cun diagnoses Heart/Small Intestine, Right Cun Lung/Large Intestine, Left Guan Liver/Gallbladder, Right Guan Spleen/Stomach, Left Chi Kidney/Bladder, Right Chi Mingmen/San Jiao, with Renying and Qikou auxiliary positions, does treating the whole body based solely on hand pulses make sense? Tao Jian'an correctly identified that Floating diagnoses Exterior, Deep diagnoses Interior, and Moderate diagnoses Stomach Qi in the Three Positions Nine Holdings method. However, if only Floating is found, there is no Moderate or Deep; if only Deep is found, there is no Moderate or Floating. This fails to reveal Stomach Qi and complicates the Nine Holdings. A normal pulse beats continuously without stopping due to frequency. The *Nan Jing* states a pulse must beat fifty times to be considered healthy. The *Mai Jing* states that if a pause occurs every forty beats, it is a Dai (Intermittent) pulse indicating one Zang lacks Qi, leading to death four years later when spring grass grows. Zhang Zhongjing described the Dai pulse as having pauses that do not self-recover before resuming. "Pausing without returning" means stopping; "resuming thereafter" means returning. Why call it Dai? If one Zang lacks Qi, the other four will sequentially fail. Classics state Heart failure leads to death in one day, Liver in eight, Spleen in five, Lung in three, Kidney in four. How can one live four years? The Dai pulse theory is difficult to reconcile. What if the Five Zangs stop sequentially? Whose Qi would substitute? Furthermore, diagnosing fourteen positions (two hands, seven each) with Floating, Moderate, and Deep holdings requires significant effort. Calculating hundreds of beats to identify intermittent pulses consumes half a day's energy. Even if the practitioner is patient, the patient cannot endure it. Applying this to women raises ethical concerns regarding propriety. The Qikou refers to both hands collectively, but Wang Shuhe isolated it to the Right Renying side, while Gao Yang assigned it to the Left, claiming strong Renying indicates Exterior Pathogens and full Qikou indicates Food Injury. Exterior pathogens require dispersing the Exterior; food injury requires purging the Interior. Pulse bodies inherently possess Yin/Yang and Exterior/Interior aspects. Even though Heart and Liver are on the left, can we say they lack Interior aspects? And since Spleen and Lung are on the right, do they lack Exterior symptoms? Treating based on such theories often turns mild cases into severe ones. Exterior patterns may present as Micro, Thin, Deficient, Weak, Short, or Scattered pulses, slightly differing from Soft and Small, yet both indicate collapse of True Yuan. Ge and Lao pulses differ from Wiry and Tight; combining Hollow, Wiry, Deep, and Tight covers them. Ruan and Ruo are essentially Soft pulses; distinguishing Floating vs. Deep is unnecessary. Cu and Jie pulses merely have interruptions. Why debate Slow vs. Rapid and list them separately? Then Deep-Slow, Deep-Rapid, Floating-Slippery, and Floating-Hong would need new names. This explains why pulse studies lack definitive conclusions. However, these views are not entirely unprincipled; they seek clarity but obscure the pulse, confined by Cun-Chi divisions, making it seem profound. Thus, one cannot resolve doubts nor ignore them, nor write a separate treatise easily accepted by readers. Therefore, relying on familiar texts for detailed study can spark insights through repetition, saving effort despite mental exertion. Some ask: Diagnosis has strict rules, and its subtleties are hard to explain by sages. Based on your arguments, isn't pulse diagnosis now easier? You specifically refute Cun-Chi divisions; what is the accurate method? I reply: Diagnosis remains traditional, but key is using Floating, Deep, Slow, Rapid, etc., to holistically assess Zang-Fu via both hands, rather than rigidly fixing Zang-Fu to the six wrist positions. One should diagnose pulse based on disease, not force treatment based on pulse, as I have explained. Alas! Qi and Blood adhere to the pulse, and the pulse adheres to the skin. Excess and deficiency are known through diagnosis, which is good legislation. Hence the metaphors of heavenly roots and mythical creatures. Those who blindly follow conventions know only the pulse, not its source. Without knowing the source, diagnosis lacks basis. How can one judge Zang-Fu harmony? Who are you deceiving? The patient? The pulse lies in the muscles, like water underground, present everywhere. If drilling a well yields water, can you say water exists *only* there? That is illogical. Wu Caolu knew Cun-Guan-Chi were not the exclusive locations of the Twelve Meridians but claimed both hands' six positions are branches of the Lung pulse, merely dividing areas to monitor other meridians. This is contradictory and far from the Dao. Li Shizhen endorsed this, suggesting diagnosing each Zang with one beat, totaling fifty, where any pause indicates a Zang pulse absence. This supports the idea of the Lung pulse monitoring others. However, this merely embellishes the Dai pulse concept without aiding diagnosis. He also criticized Wang Zongzheng’s *Nan Jing Tu Zhu* regarding Liver/Kidney being Deep, Heart/Lung Floating, and Spleen in the Center, showing his lack of true insight and blind imitation. Nevertheless, Tingjing admits to being a frog in a well, daring not to lightly disparage established words. Ancient legislation forbade chaos but allowed innovation. My bold proposal may startle readers who do not examine the logic, like discussing ice with summer insects. There is no need to force them to agree.