管侗人先生。不知何许人。此书为其手着。言简意赅。了如指掌。洵有裨初学之书也。予于今春。得于吴市之旧书
肆中。虽为抄本。而简端有新刊二字。似当时已付梓行。大约流传未广。 致湮没。惜哉。爰将原本邮寄吉生仁丈。即
烦校正付印。以公同好云。
癸亥鞠秋下浣海昌后学祝绍钧识于吴门客次
脉者。血气之先也。血气盛则脉盛。血气衰则脉衰。王叔和分七表八里九道七表者。浮芤滑实弦紧洪也。八里者。
微沉缓涩迟伏濡弱也。九道者。长短虚促结代牢动细也。滑伯仁括之以浮沉迟数滑涩之六脉。浮沉之脉。轻手重手而取
之也。芤洪散大长濡弦皆统于浮。伏短细牢实皆统于沉。迟数之脉。以己之呼吸而取之也。缓结微弱皆迟之类。疾
促皆数之类。滑涩之脉。则察夫往来之形也。滑类乎数。涩类乎迟然脉虽似而理则殊。数为热。迟为寒。滑为血多气少。
涩为气多血少。究而论之。叔和表里之说。不可不知。伯仁之论。尤捷而便。诊时男左女右。人臂长则疏下指。臂短则
密下指。掌后高骨为关。先以中指定关位。徐下前后二指。要得举按寻三法。轻手循之曰举。重手取之曰按。不轻不重
委曲求之曰寻。下指时轻按以消息之。次重按以消息之。然后自寸至关逐部寻究。须均呼吸。以定至数。一呼一吸。要
以脉四至为率。呼出心与肺。吸入肾与肝。间以脾脉在中为一息。五至是平脉也。其有太过不及。则为病脉。又须识时
脉胃脉与脏腑平脉。然后及于病脉。时脉谓春弦夏洪秋毛冬石也。胃脉谓三部中每部各有浮中沉。浮主皮肤。候表及腑。
沉主筋骨。候里及脏。胃脉在中。按之和缓。无胃则真脏脉见矣。平脉如心脉洪大而散之类。既推病在何部。更分
在气在血。又须识三部所主。寸为阳。为上部。主头以下至心胸之分。关为阴阳之中。为中部。主脐腹肚胁之分。尺为
阴。为下部。主腰足胫股之分。病脉见时。在上为上病。在下为下病。左曰左病。右曰右病。左脉不和病在表。右脉不
和病在里。脉法之要。不外乎此。
Mr. Guan Tongren, whose origin is unknown. This book is his handwritten work. The language is concise and the meaning comprehensive; it is as clear as looking at one's own palm. It is indeed a book of great benefit to beginners. In the spring of this year, I obtained it from an old bookstore in Wu city. Although it was a manuscript copy, there were the characters "Newly Printed" on the edge of the pages, suggesting that it had been woodblock printed and circulated at that time. Probably due to limited circulation, it became obscured and forgotten. What a pity! Therefore, I mailed the original text to Mr. Ji Shengren, requesting him to proofread and publish it, so as to share it with fellow enthusiasts.
Signed by Zhu Shaojun, a junior scholar from Haichang, during the latter ten days of Juqiu (Autumn) in the Guihai year, at his lodging in Wumen.
The pulse is the precursor of blood and qi. When blood and qi are abundant, the pulse is vigorous; when blood and qi are deficient, the pulse is weak. Wang Shuhe divided pulses into Seven Exterior (Qi Biao), Eight Interior (Ba Li), and Nine Pathways (Jiu Dao). The Seven Exterior refer to Floating (Fu), Knotted/Empty (Kou), Slippery (Hua), Solid (Shi), Wiry (Xian), Tight (Jin), and Surging (Hong). The Eight Interior refer to Faint (Wei), Deep (Chen), Slow/Lax (Huan), Rough (Se), Delayed (Chi), Hidden (Fu), Soft (Ru), and Weak (Ruo). The Nine Pathways refer to Long (Chang), Short (Duan), Deficient (Xu), Rapid/Interrupted (Cu), Knotted/Jie (Jie), Intermittent (Dai), Firm (Lao), Moving (Dong), and Fine (Xi). Hua Borén summarized them into six basic pulses: Floating, Deep, Delayed, Rapid, Slippery, and Rough.
Floating and Deep pulses are examined by light and heavy pressure respectively. Kou, Hong, Scattered, Large, Long, Ru, and Xian pulses are all categorized under Floating. Fu, Duan, Xi, Lao, and Shi pulses are all categorized under Deep. Delayed and Rapid pulses are counted based on the examiner's respiration. Huan, Jie, Wei, and Ruo belong to the category of Delayed pulses; Ji and Cu belong to the category of Rapid pulses. Slippery and Rough pulses involve observing the shape of the pulse's coming and going. Slippery resembles Rapid, and Rough resembles Delayed. However, although the pulses may seem similar, their underlying principles differ significantly. Rapid indicates Heat; Delayed indicates Cold. Slippery indicates excess blood and deficient qi; Rough indicates excess qi and deficient blood. Ultimately, Wang Shuhe's theory of Exterior and Interior must be understood, while Hua Borén's discussion is particularly swift and convenient.
During pulse diagnosis, for males, the left hand is used; for females, the right hand. If the arm is long, fingers are placed wider apart; if short, closer together. The high bone behind the palm is called the Guan (Cun-Kuan-Chi junction). First, use the middle finger to locate the Guan position, then slowly place the index and ring fingers. One must master the three techniques: Ju (Lifting), An (Pressing), and Xun (Searching). Lightly touching the surface is Ju; pressing heavily is An; neither light nor heavy, seeking carefully, is Xun. Upon placing fingers, first press lightly to assess, then press heavily to assess, and finally search each section from Cun to Guan. Respiration should be even to determine the rate. During one exhalation and one inhalation, four beats are considered normal. Exhalation relates to Heart and Lung; inhalation relates to Kidney and Liver. The Spleen pulse is in the middle. Five beats per breath constitute a Ping Mai (Normal Pulse). Deviations indicating excess or deficiency are Bing Mai (Pathological Pulses).
One must also recognize Seasonal Pulses (Shi Mai), Stomach Qi Pulse (Wei Mai), and Zang-Fu Normal Pulses before identifying pathological ones. Seasonal Pulses are Wiry in Spring, Surging in Summer, Hair-like (Light) in Autumn, and Stone-like (Deep) in Winter. The Stomach Qi Pulse refers to having Floating, Middle, and Deep positions in all three sections (Cun, Guan, Chi). Floating indicates skin/surface and Fu organs; Deep indicates bones/tendons and Zang organs. The Middle position reflects Stomach Qi; if gentle and harmonious, it is good. Without Stomach Qi, the True Zang Pulse appears. Normal pulses include the Heart pulse being Surging and Scattered. After determining the location of the disease, distinguish whether it is in Qi or Blood. Also, understand the areas governed by the three positions: Cun is Yang, Upper, governing the head down to the chest and heart; Guan is the midpoint of Yin and Yang, Middle, governing the umbilicus, abdomen, and flanks; Chi is Yin, Lower, governing the waist, legs, shins, and thighs. Pathological pulses appearing in the upper part indicate upper body diseases; in the lower part, lower body diseases. Left abnormalities indicate Left-sided diseases; Right abnormalities indicate Right-sided diseases. Left pulse disharmony suggests exterior disease; Right pulse disharmony suggests interior disease. These are the essentials of pulse methodology.