Library

Mr. Zhu Xi (Hui'an) stated: The ancients employed various methods to inspect the pulse, whereas modern practitioners adhere solely to the method of the Cun, Guan, and Chi positions. The location of the "Guan" is often misunderstood; only the popularly circulated *Mai Jue* (Pulse Manual), despite its crude and shallow language, explicitly identifies the high bone (radial styloid process) as the Guan position. However, eminent physicians of the time, recognizing the book as a forgery, discarded it and shied away from mentioning it. (Postscript on Guo Changyang's Book)

Liu Guan from Dongyang stated: Wang Shuhe authored the *Mai Jing* (Classic of Pulse Diagnosis) in ten volumes, which became a classic for medical practitioners. Today, the *Mai Jue* is widely memorized, and people directly attribute it to Wang Shuhe. They fail to realize that during Wang Shuhe's time in the Western Jin Dynasty, verse formulas did not yet exist. This work was forged by someone in the mid-Song Dynasty to facilitate learning and recitation. Mr. Zhu adopted the theory of using the high bone as the Guan, unaware that this concept actually originates from the *Mai Jing*.

Xie Jinweng from Luling stated: It is unknown when the so-called Wang Shuhe *Mai Jue* originated. In the early Xining era of the Song Dynasty, when the *Mai Jing* was collated, this book had not yet appeared. It was only after Kong Shuo began discussing the emergence of the *Mai Jue* and the obscurity of the *Mai Jing* that it became clear the *Mai Jue* was composed by someone after the Xining era. Only Chen Wuyi, in his *San Yin Fang* (Formulas of Three Causes), claimed that Gao Yangsheng plagiarized content to create verse formulas, and Liu Yuanbin followed suit. While this view seems to demonstrate a deep understanding of the *Mai Jing*, Chen himself coined the terms "Seven Superficial, Eight Interior, Nine Unusual," indicating that he had not studied the *Mai Jing* in detail.

Wang Shixiang from Hedong stated: Mastering the art of pulse diagnosis is not easy. The profound theories of Huangdi and Qibo, as well as the *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) and *Mai Jing* compiled by Bian Que (Yueren) and Wang Shuhe, did not fully reveal their mysteries. Gao Yangsheng of the Five Dynasties period wrote the *Mai Jue*, falsely attributing it to Wang Shuhe. Its language is contradictory and vulgar, and it has been annotated with erroneous comments by secular scholars. Although passed down through generations and recited by households, doctors are bewildered and do not know where to begin. It serves merely as a means of livelihood and offers no benefit to clinical diagnosis.

Qian Pu from Yunjian stated: Wang Shuhe, Grand Imperial Physician of the Jin Dynasty, authored the *Mai Jing*, whose principles should be upheld and not altered arbitrarily. However, once the *Mai Jue*, falsely attributed to Wang Shuhe, gained popularity, the principles of medical classics gradually declined. This occurred because Wang Shuhe was highly trusted by the world, allowing works bearing his name to circulate. Nevertheless, the gradual superficiality of medical practice may well have been misled by this.

Dai Qizong from Jinling stated: Pulse qualities cannot be defined by "Superficial" (Biao) and "Interior" (Li). Huangdi, Qibo, Yueren, and Wang Shuke never discussed Biao and Li. The *Mai Jue* stole Wang Shuhe's reputation by establishing the categories of "Seven Superficial, Eight Interior, and Nine Unusual," causing great confusion. Pulse variations arise from Yin and Yang; they can only be described through Yin-Yang opposition and categorized accordingly. How can one fix an order based on Floating and Sinking and divide them into names of seven, eight, and nine? Generally, pulses revealed by floating belong to the Exterior, and those revealed by sinking belong to the Interior. Why restrict oneself to the categories of seven, eight, and nine? Liu Lizhi of Mount Lu used Floating, Sinking, Slow, and Rapid as guidelines to teach students. While this may seem like a shortcut, one must study extensively and then return to simplicity to enter the subtleties of pulse diagnosis. If one becomes complacent with this, one limits oneself.

Hua Shou (Yingning) stated: The Yin, Yang, Biao, and Li of the pulse are named based on opposing relationships. Gao Yangsheng's "Seven Superficial, Eight Interior, Nine Unusual" are likely forced interpretations. Seeking clarity in pulse diagnosis, he instead made the pulse principles more obscure.

Mr. Xie stated: The *Mai Jing* discusses twenty-four types of pulses, initially without categories of Biao, Li, or Nine Unusual. Regarding the Kou Mai (Cuspidate Pulse), it states, "Empty in the center, solid on both sides," and "Kou indicates Yin." However, the *Mai Jue* classifies Kou under Seven Superficial (Yang), stating, "Present in the middle, absent at the ends." Zhang Zhongjing's pulse law states, "Floating, Large, Rapid, Pulsating, and Slippery are Yang; Deep, Choppy, Weak, String-taut, and Minute are Yin." Yet the *Mai Jue* classifies Pulsating as Yin and String-taut as Yang. Given such numerous errors, it can be deduced that the *Mai Jue* is not a work by Wang Shuhe.

Wu Cheng (Caolu) stated: Secular people mistakenly equate the *Mai Jue* with the *Mai Jing*, while few know of Wang's *Mai Jing*. Pulse texts often confuse Lao Mai (Solid Pulse) and Ge Mai (Drum-taut Pulse). Lao indicates Cold Excess, while Ge indicates Deficiency Cold; how can they be confused? Matching opposite pulse qualities such as Floating/Sinking, Deficiency/Excess, Tight/Relaxed, Rapid/Slow, Slippery/Choppy, and Long/Short is difficult enough. Consider the hard-to-distinguish pairs: Hong Mai (Surging Pulse) and San Mai (Scattered Pulse) are both large, but Hong is forceful, while Wei Mai (Minute Pulse) and Xi Mai (Fine Pulse) are both small, but Wei is weak. Kou resembles Floating, but is empty in the middle and solid on the sides; Fu Mai (Deeply Impounded Pulse) resembles Sinking, but is absent on the sides and present in the middle. A pulse that wavers like a bean is Dong Mai (Pulsating Pulse); a pulse that remains still like a drum skin is Ge Mai. These are opposites. There are also Cu Mai (Intermittent Rapid Pulse), Jie Mai (Intermittent Slow Pulse), and Dai Mai (Intermittent Regular Pulse), all characterized by pauses. Cu is rapid, Jie is slow, so they correspond; Dai has no corresponding pair. In total, there are twenty-seven pulse types, not limited to Seven Superficial, Eight Interior, Nine Unusual, or even the twenty-four pulses. (See detailed writings)

Li Shizhen (Binhu) stated: The *Mai Jing* discusses only twenty-four pulse types, excluding Long and Short. The *Mai Jue* also lists twenty-four, adding Long and Short while removing Rapid and Scattered; both are incorrect. The *Su Wen* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), *Nan Jing*, and Zhang Zhongjing discuss pulses by distinguishing Yin and Yang, without fixed numbers. Examples include the Drumming and Rolling, Panting and Horizontal from the *Su Wen*, and Ping, Rong Zhang, Gang Sun, Zong Heng, Ni Shun from Zhang Zhongjing. The subtleties of pulse diagnosis were lost in later generations due to lack of standards, leading to the creation of names and classifications. Modern students, searching for horses according to a picture, feel overwhelmed as if facing a vast ocean, let alone grasping the full essence. This statement by Mr. Caolu (Wu Cheng) hits the nail on the head.