一浮者阳也。指下寻之不足。举之有余。再再寻之。如太过曰浮。主咳嗽气
促。冷汗自出。背膊劳倦。夜卧不安。
浮。阳金也。何谓阳金。谓金之有余也。凡所谓有余者。乃邪气有余。所谓
不足者。乃正气不足。今于指下重手寻之。只觉其不足。谓里之正气不
足也。复于重手之中。而渐举之。则又觉其有余。谓表之邪气有余也。试
于举之之中。再再推寻之。而又觉其如太过。谓浮而有力也。刘氏曰。浮
而有力为风。何以言之。夫寒伤营。风伤卫。营为血。卫为气。肺主气。其变
动为咳。肺苦气上逆。今肺受风邪。故咳嗽气促。卫者所以卫护一身者
也。卫为风邪。头伤则不能卫护。一身元府开而营气外泄。故冷汗自出
也。背膊劳倦者。肺之俞在肩背。肺病故背膊劳倦也。夜卧不安者。因咳
嗽气促。不得安寝也。洁古则治以小柴胡汤主之。夫叔和之所谓浮者
如此。故其主病亦如此。戴起宗乃胶柱鼓瑟。滞于脉之名字。以板定后
人眼目。于二十四道脉之中。或改其指法。而存其主病。或改其主病。而
存其指法。至使病脉不相当。误人非浅。予今悉遵旧章。不移一字。顺其
文以释之。庶免割裂之患也。以下二十四脉悉仿此。
按脉经云。浮脉举之有余。按之不足。一曰浮于指下。又云浮为风。为虚。
A floating pulse belongs to the Yang category. When pressed lightly with the fingers (Ju), the pulse feels vigorous, but when pressed heavily (Xun), the strength is insufficient. Upon repeated and careful examination, if it feels excessively full and abundant, it is termed a Floating Pulse. The Floating Pulse primarily indicates conditions such as coughing, shortness of breath, spontaneous cold sweat, soreness and fatigue in the shoulders and back, and restlessness during sleep at night.
The Floating Pulse corresponds to Yang Metal in the Five Elements. What is meant by Yang Metal? It refers to an excess state of Metal. Generally speaking, "excess" refers to an abundance of pathogenic factors (Xie Qi), while "deficiency" refers to a lack of healthy Qi (Zheng Qi). Now, if one presses heavily under the fingers and perceives only insufficiency, this indicates that the internal healthy Qi is deficient. Subsequently, gradually lifting the pressure from heavy pressing reveals a sense of excess, indicating that pathogenic factors on the exterior are abundant. Attempting to explore repeatedly while maintaining light pressure, and perceiving the pulse as overly forceful, signifies a Floating Pulse that is strong and forceful. Liu states: A Floating Pulse that is forceful indicates Wind pathogen. Why is this so? Cold damages the Ying (Nutrient) level, while Wind damages the Wei (Defensive) level. Ying pertains to Blood, and Wei pertains to Qi. The Lung governs Qi, and its pathological changes manifest as coughing. The Lung dislikes upward reversal of Qi; now that the Lung has been invaded by Wind pathogen, symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath occur. The function of Wei Qi is to protect the entire body surface. When Wei Qi is injured by Wind, the head's protective function fails, causing the Yuan Fu (pores/crypts) of the whole body to open, leading to the leakage of Ying Qi, thus resulting in spontaneous cold sweat. Soreness and fatigue in the shoulders and back occur because the Shu points of the Lung are located in the shoulder and back region; lung pathology leads to these symptoms. Restlessness at night occurs due to coughing and shortness of breath preventing peaceful sleep. Jiegu treats this with Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction). This is how Hehu describes the Floating Pulse and its associated indications. Dai Qizong, however, was rigid and dogmatic, confined by the names of pulses, imposing fixed standards on later generations. Among the twenty-four pulse types, he either modified the finger techniques while retaining the original indications, or modified the indications while retaining the original techniques, causing a mismatch between disease and pulse, misleading people significantly. I now strictly follow the old chapters without changing a single character, explaining the text according to its original flow to avoid the harm of fragmentation. The following twenty-four pulse types shall all follow this principle.
According to the Mai Jing (Pulse Classic): A Floating Pulse feels abundant upon light lifting (Ju) and insufficient upon heavy pressing (An). Another description states that the Floating Pulse is felt under the fingers. It is also said that the Floating Pulse indicates Wind pathogen and Deficiency.