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If the pulse is deep and solid, accompanied by fever and irritability, but without external redness or pain, it indicates that the pathogenic factor is deeply seated in the interior. One should first promote unblocking to cut off the source of the disease. If the pulse is floating, large, and rapid, with swelling located superficially, one should first support the interior to prevent the pathogen from entering inward. If the pulse is neither deep nor floating, and there are no obvious internal or external symptoms, it is known that the pathogen is in the meridians; one should harmonize Ying (Nutrient) and Wei (Defensive). A rapid pulse with no body heat indicates the presence of carbuncle and pus within. A rapid pulse, which should be associated with fever but instead presents with aversion to cold, suggests that if there is a painful area, a carbuncle will develop. If a rapid pulse appears intermittently, a malignant sore will arise.

Floating: For a swelling ulcer (Zhongyang), it indicates deficiency and wind. For an open ulcer (Kuailong), it indicates deficiency, and tonification is appropriate.

Surging: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates deficiency and excessive heat; one should disperse heat and draw out toxins. If the patient is young and robust, purgation is appropriate. For an open ulcer, if it is caused by excessive pathogenic factors and fails to recede after prolonged medication, it is difficult to treat.

Slippery: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates heat. For an open ulcer, it indicates heat, deficiency, or lingering pathogenic factors.

Rapid: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates disease progression and heat. A rapid pulse combined with surging suggests impending suppuration. An open ulcer with a rapid pulse is difficult to heal. Extremely rapid pulses are difficult to treat.

Scattered: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates Qi failing to consolidate. For an open ulcer, it indicates unresolved pain; if the pulse is surging, slippery, large, and scattered, it is difficult to treat.

Hollow: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates blood deficiency. For an open ulcer, it indicates deficiency, and the pulse corresponds to the disease.

Long: For a swelling ulcer, methods for resolution and reduction are appropriate. For an open ulcer, it indicates easy healing, as a long pulse signifies regulated Qi.

Firm: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates excessive pathogenic factors and impending suppuration. For an open ulcer, it indicates lingering pathogenic factors.

Excess: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates excessive pathogenic factors. For an open ulcer, it indicates lingering pathogens and excess; if the pulse is slow and expansive, it indicates deficiency.

Wiry: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates pain and impending suppuration; when wiry and surging pulses interact, presenting with exterior tightness and interior heat, it indicates the onset of a deep abscess (Ju). For an open ulcer, it indicates blood deficiency and pain.

Tight: For a swelling ulcer, a floating and tight pulse with fever, aversion to cold, or painful areas indicates carbuncles and deep abscesses. For an open ulcer, it primarily concerns Qi and Blood; a deep and choppy pulse indicates pain and external cold.

Choppy: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates Qi excess and stagnation. For an open ulcer, it indicates blood deficiency, and the pulse corresponds to the disease.

Short: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates insufficiency of Yuan Qi. For an open ulcer, it indicates severe deficiency, and tonification is appropriate.

Fine: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates deficiency; improvement with medication indicating gradual repletion is good. For an open ulcer, a fine and even pulse indicates deficiency and correspondence between pulse and disease.

Slow: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates cold and deficiency; slowness at the Chi position indicates blood scarcity. For an open ulcer, it indicates deficiency, where Qi and Blood fail to nourish the wound, or external cold is present.

Relaxed: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates treatability; a large and relaxed pulse indicates deficiency. For an open ulcer, a relaxed and choppy pulse indicates healing due to correspondence between pulse and disease, and sufficient Stomach Qi.

Deep: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates deep-seated pathogenic factors. For an open ulcer, it indicates residual toxins remaining inside; deepness at the Cun position indicates phlegm in the chest.

Hidden: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates latent Yang pathogenic factors within Yin. For an open ulcer, it indicates Yang hidden within Yin, leading to internal erosion, or conditions like flowing deposits and spreading sores, which are difficult to treat.

Deficient: For a swelling ulcer, tonification and internal support are appropriate. For an open ulcer after pus discharge, substantial tonification of Qi and Blood is appropriate.

Weak: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates insufficiency of Yuan Qi, and internal tonification with support is appropriate. For an open ulcer, it indicates correspondence between pulse and disease, and tonification is appropriate.

Knotted: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates knotting of pathogenic factors. For an open ulcer, gradual evenness indicates healing, while irregularity indicates danger.

Rushing: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates heat and disease progression. For an open ulcer, if heat persists and progresses, death ensues; if heat recedes, survival occurs.

Intermittent: For a swelling ulcer, it indicates deterioration of Qi and Blood and damage to Yuan Qi. For an open ulcer, it indicates exhaustion of Yuan Qi.