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Huangdi asked: What is meant by "Three Parts"? Qibo replied: The Upper, Middle, and Lower parts. Each part has three pulses (Hou), which correspond to Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Heaven of the Upper part refers to the arteries on both sides of the forehead; the Earth of the Upper part refers to the arteries on both cheeks; the Man of the Upper part refers to the artery in front of the ears. The Heaven of the Middle part refers to the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian; the Earth of the Middle part refers to the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian; the Man of the Middle part refers to the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. The Heaven of the Lower part refers to the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian; the Earth of the Lower part refers to the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian; the Man of the Lower part refers to the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. The Heaven of the Lower part is used to inspect the Liver; the Earth to inspect the Kidneys; the Man to inspect the Qi of the Spleen and Stomach. The Heaven of the Middle part is used to inspect the Lungs; the Earth to inspect the Qi of the Chest; the Man to inspect the Heart. The Heaven of the Upper part is used to inspect the Qi of the head and horns; the Earth to inspect the Qi of the mouth and teeth; the Man to inspect the Qi of the eyes and ears. These Three Parts, each with three pulses, form Heaven, Earth, and Man. Three times three equals nine pulses. The nine pulses are divided into nine fields, corresponding to the Nine Zang Organs. Thus, there are five Shen (Spirit) Zang Organs and four Xing (Form) Zang Organs, totaling nine. If the essence of the Five Zang Organs fails, the complexion will inevitably become dull and lifeless; a dull and lifeless complexion indicates death. Huangdi asked: How are these pulses used for inspection? Qibo said: One must first measure the patient's body fat or thinness to adjust for the deficiency or excess of their Qi. For excess conditions, use draining methods; for deficiency conditions, use tonifying methods. One must first unblock the blood vessels before regulating the condition, regardless of the disease, aiming for balance. Huangdi asked: How can one determine life and death? Qibo said: If the body is robust but the pulse is thin, and there is shortness of breath insufficient for respiration, the condition is critical. If the body is emaciated but the pulse is large, and there is excessive Qi in the chest, death ensues. If the body and Qi are harmonious, the patient lives. If the pulses are irregular and uncoordinated, disease exists. If the pulses in all three parts and nine positions are disordered, death ensues. If the pulses above and below, left and right respond to each other like pounding grain, the disease is severe. If the pulses above and below are disconnected and cannot be counted, death ensues. If the pulses in the Middle part are individually coordinated but inconsistent with the other organs, death ensues. If the pulses in the Middle part are diminished, death ensues. If the eye sockets are sunken, death ensues. Huangdi asked: How does one know the location of the disease? Qibo said: Observe the nine pulses. If one is exclusively small, there is disease. If one is exclusively large, there is disease. If one is exclusively rapid, there is disease. If one is exclusively slow, there is disease. If one is exclusively hot, there is disease. If one is exclusively cold, there is disease. If one is exclusively depressed/sunken, there is disease. Place the left hand five cun above the ankle on the left foot and press down. With the right hand, tap at the ankle. If the response is felt more than five cun away and feels like a gentle trembling, there is no disease. If the response is rapid and feels chaotic/hundun to the touch, there is disease. If the response feels slow and steady to the touch, there is disease. If the response does not reach five cun upwards, or if there is no response to tapping, death ensues. If the body is wasted and muscles do not relax, death ensues. If the pulses in the Middle part are alternately sparse and frequent, death ensues. A Dai (intermittent) pulse combined with a Gou (hook-like) quality indicates disease in the Luo (Collateral) vessels. The correspondence among the nine pulses should be consistent above and below, without deviation. If one pulse lags behind, there is disease; if two lag behind, the disease is severe; if three lag behind, the condition is critical. "Lagging behind" means the responses are not simultaneous. By inspecting the Fu and Zang organs, one can predict the time of death. One must first understand the normal Jing (Meridian) pulses before identifying the Bing (Disease) pulses. The appearance of the True Zang pulse indicates that pathogenic factors have overcome healthy Qi, leading to death. When the Qi of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian is exhausted, the feet cannot flex or extend, and death is accompanied by upward staring of the eyes (Daiyan). Huangdi asked: Winter is Yin and Summer is Yang; how does this relate? Qibo said: Patients whose nine pulses are all level may die at dawn (Pingdan). Patients with Heat-Zhong or heat diseases may die at noon (Rizhong). Patients with wind diseases may die at dusk (Rixi). Patients with water diseases may die at midnight (Yeban). Patients whose pulses are alternately rapid and slow, or fast and sluggish, may die during the transition periods of the four seasons (Earth phases). If flesh and muscle have already wasted away, even if the nine pulses are coordinated, death ensues. Although the seven diagnostic signs of death are present, if the nine pulses are compliant, the patient will not die. The cases described as non-fatal refer to wind diseases and menstrual disorders, which resemble the seven fatal signs but are not actually so, hence they are said to be non-fatal. If the seven fatal signs are present and the pulse qualities are also failed, death ensues, accompanied by hiccups and belching. One must carefully inquire about the onset of the illness and the current symptoms, then palpate and trace the pulses, observing the floating and sinking of the meridians, and following the upward/downward and reverse/oblique patterns. A rapid pulse does not necessarily indicate disease; a slow pulse indicates disease; a pulse with no incoming or outgoing flow indicates death; skin adhering tightly to the bone indicates death. Huangdi asked: How should treatable cases be managed? Qibo said: Treat Jing meridian diseases by treating the Jing meridians; treat Luo collateral diseases by treating the Luo collaterals (the character "Sun" precedes "Luo" in Suwen); treat body pain by treating the Jing and Luo meridians. If the disease lies in Qi-Xie (abnormal pathogens), apply Miu-Ci (lateral needling). For chronic emaciation with fixed locations, puncture at the joints. For upper excess and lower deficiency, palpate and follow the trend, seek out knotted collateral vessels, puncture to release blood, and thereby unblock the Qi. High-set eyeballs indicate insufficiency of the Taiyang; upward staring indicates exhaustion of the Taiyang. This is the key to determining life and death and must be carefully examined.