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Preface Wang Shuhe's *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic) seems to leave no utility unexploited. Yet, the Chang Mai (Long Pulse) and Duan Mai (Short Pulse) are missing and not recorded; the Lao Mai (Deep-Firm Pulse) and Ge Mai (Drum-Tapping Pulse) are confused and not distinguished; thus failing to fully reveal its profound meaning. Wang Chang correctly criticized the crude theory of "Seven Superficial and Eight Interior Pulses" in the false pulse manuals, but why did he further add Chang Mai (Long Pulse) and Shuo Mai (Rapid Pulse) to make nine superficial pulses, and Duan Mai (Short Pulse) and Xi Mai (Fine Pulse) to make ten interior pulses? The movement and stillness of pulses certainly arise from Yin and Yang, yet their variations are not limited by names and numbers. This compilation discriminates the forms of the twenty-eight pulses based on their meanings, exhausting the essential principles. For those whose governing diseases are roughly similar, no explanation is added; the extension and elaboration are left for the insightful to comprehend.

Physical Characteristics The Fu Mai (Floating Pulse) is located at the skin and hair level, like a piece of wood floating on water; it feels abundant when lifted lightly (Ju), but insufficient when pressed heavily (An).
The meaning of the Floating Pulse is like wood floating on the surface of water. Its pulse response corresponds to the skin and hair, so it can be felt with light touch, just like wood floating in water; even if pressed down to sink, it will rise back up immediately upon release.

Governing Diseases The Floating Pulse belongs to Yang, and the disease is in the Exterior (Biao). If the Floating Pulse appears at the Left Cun position, it indicates headache and dizziness. If the Floating Pulse appears at the Left Guan position, it indicates abdominal distension and restlessness. If the Floating Pulse is obtained at the Left Chi position, it indicates wind-heat in the Bladder.
If the Floating Pulse appears at the Right Cun position, it indicates wheezing and cough due to wind pathogen. If the Floating Pulse appears at the Right Guan position, it indicates epigastric fullness and loss of appetite. If the Floating Pulse is obtained at the Right Chi position, it indicates difficulty in defecation.
The Six Fu Organs belong to Yang, and their responses are in the Exterior; therefore, the Floating Pulse governs exterior diseases. At the high peak of the head, only wind can reach, disturbing the clear Yang Qi, leading inevitably to pain and dizziness. The Liver is the storehouse of Wind-Wood; when wind prevails, Wood expands, causing hypochondriac distension. When the Bladder is affected by wind, wind prevalence leads to excessive heat, drying the body fluids, thus causing difficult and scanty urination. When the Lung is invaded by wind pathogen, its function of clearing and descending fails, causing Qi to rise excessively resulting in wheezing and cough. Wind-Wood overacting on Spleen Earth exhausts Middle Qi, leading to reduced appetite. The Kidney system governs both urination and defecation; when wind pathogens lodge in the Lower Jiao, the Large Intestine becomes dry and uncomfortable.

Combined Pulses Floating and weak indicate Exterior Deficiency; Floating and forceful indicate Exterior Excess. Floating and Tight (Jin) indicate Wind-Cold; Floating and Slow/Relaxed (Huan) indicate Wind-Dampness. Floating and Rapid (Shuo) indicate Wind-Heat; Floating and Slow (Chi) indicate Wind-Deficiency. Floating and Empty (Xu) indicate exhaustion due to Summer-Heat; Floating and Scallion-Stalk (Kou) indicate blood loss.
Floating and Surging (Hong) indicate deficient heat; Floating and Soft (Ru) indicate Yin deficiency. Floating and Choppy (Se) indicate blood injury; Floating and Short (Duan) indicate Qi disorders. Floating and String-Taut (Xian) indicate phlegm-fluid retention; Floating and Slippery (Hua) indicate phlegm-heat. Floating and Rapid without fever is an omen of carbuncles and sores.
Pulses are not singular; there must be combined manifestations. Whether externally biased towards the Six Exogenous Pathogens (Wind, Cold, Summer-Heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) or internally biased towards the Seven Emotions (Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Grief, Fear, Fright), the pulse images will become mixed. Then, one must gauge their severity to distinguish the condition.
For instance, if the Floating Pulse should appear at the skin level but is felt as weak upon palpation, this indicates that Qi cannot respond to the finger, which is a sign of Exterior Deficiency; if the force comes too strongly, how can there be doubt about Exterior Excess? Tightness implies contraction, which is the nature of Cold, indicating wind combined with cold; slowness/relaxation implies lethargy, which is the nature of Dampness, indicating wind combined with dampness. Rapidity implies excessive pulsation, representing the struggle between wind and heat; Slowness implies a leisurely arrival, representing weakness due to wind-induced deficiency.
Summer-heat injures Qi; when Qi leaks, the pulse becomes empty. Ying-Qi (Nutritive Qi) circulates within the vessels; when blood is lost, the pulse becomes Kou-like (scallion-stalk). One type feels empty upon light palpation, indicating Qi leaking outward; the other type feels present upon light palpation but hollow inside, indicating depletion within the blood. Scorching upward evaporation is the image of Fire; however, since the Floating Pulse has only the exterior and lacks the interior, it is called deficient heat. Extreme thinning and weakness, feeling as if the lower part is absent, is called Yin deficiency. A Floating and Choppy pulse is the Lung pulse corresponding to Autumn; if accompanied by fever, it signifies Fire excess and Metal deficiency, with blood daily diminishing. Floating, Choppy, and Short is the fundamental pulse of the Lung; if the image is excessively short, it means True Qi cannot converge at the Cun-Kou position to form a standard of balance, indicating Qi is nearly exhausted. Fluid-retention should typically present as Deep (Chen); if it presents as Floating, it is because Upper Jiao Yang Qi fails to transport, allowing fluids to stagnate. If it is Floating and Slippery, it is not the image of string-tight contraction without pulsation; Cold transforms into Heat, and fluid retention transforms into Phlegm. A Floating and Rapid pulse should theoretically involve fever; if there is no fever but rather aversion to cold, and there is a fixed, immovable painful area, it is an omen of carbuncles and sores.
Regarding the Floating Pulse, it models Heaven, representing the quality of being light and clear and residing above. In the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), it corresponds to Qian (Heaven); in seasons, to Autumn; in humans, to the Lung. *Su Wen: Yu Ji Zhen Zang Lun* states: "When the Qi arrives prickling-like with a firm center and empty sides, this is termed 'Excessive,' indicating disease in the Exterior. When the Qi arrives prickling-like but faint, this is termed 'Insufficient,' indicating disease in the Interior." It also states: "Excess leads to rebellious Qi and back pain; insufficiency leads to panting, shortness of breath, and cough, with upper Qi manifesting blood." *Su Wen: Ping Ren Qi Xiang Lun* states: "A normal Lung pulse arrives gently and softly, like falling elm catkins, called Normal Lung. A diseased Lung pulse arrives neither up nor down, like tracing chicken feathers, called Diseased Lung. A dying Lung pulse arrives like a floating object, like wind blowing hair, called Dying Lung." However, the Lung governs Autumn-Metal. The Qi of heaven and earth descends in autumn; moreover, the nature of Metal is heavy and sinks downward. Why does it correspond to the Floating Pulse? One must understand that although Lung-Metal is heavy, what it actually governs is Yang Qi. Since the separation of Clear and Turbid, Heaven moves Qi outside to encompass Water, while Earth occupies the center with form and floats on Water. This Qi is essentially Heaven. Humans mirror Heaven; thus, the Lung governs Qi and corresponds externally to the skin and hair. Yang serves as the external defense, which is indeed the skin and hair; this is the image of Heaven. Encasing bones, flesh, and zang-fu organs within is the image of Earth. Blood circulating in the spaces between skin and muscle, flowing endlessly day and night, is the image of Water. Observing these three together, is it not Water floating Earth, Heaven encompassing Water, and Earth suspended in the middle? Therefore, the Sages created the I Ching, taking Metal as the image of Qi. Generally, the Great Qi is extremely pure, extremely strong, and extremely vigorous, belonging to Metal. Only extreme strength can encompass this Water; only extreme vigor can operate ceaselessly to lift the weight of Earth. Thus, attributing Qi to Metal has profound significance! Wang Shuhe said: "Abundant when lifted, insufficient when pressed." This best fits the meaning of the Floating Pulse modeling Heaven. Li Shi considered it like pinching a scallion stalk, which confuses it with the Kou Mai (Scallion-Stalk Pulse). Cui Shi said: "Having exterior but no interior, having upper but no lower." This describes a pulse detached and rootless, confusing it with the San Mai (Scattered Pulse). The false manual says: "Searching feels like excessive fullness." This refers to fullness at the intermediate pressure, having no relation to the name and meaning of the Floating Pulse. One must know: Floating and grand is the Hong Mai (Surging Pulse); Floating and soft-large is the Xu Mai (Empty Pulse); Floating and soft-fine is the Ru Mai (Soft Pulse); Floating, string-taut, and kou-like is the Ge Mai (Drum-Tapping Pulse); Floating and rootless is the San Mai (Scattered Pulse); Floating and hollow in the middle is the Kou Mai (Scallion-Stalk Pulse). A difference of a hair's breadth in similarity leads to a thousand miles of divergence.