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(Wu's work is titled "Treatise on Determining Life and Death")

When the physical constitution is robust but the pulse is fine and thin, and there is shortness of breath insufficient for respiration, the condition is critical (this indicates excess on the exterior but deficiency in the interior). When the body is emaciated yet the pulse is large, and there is a sensation of excessive Qi in the chest, it is a fatal sign (this is due to Yang excess and Yin deficiency; thus the pulse appears unusually large accompanied by panting and chest fullness). A pulse that is irregular and unharmonious indicates disease (meaning that within the Three Regions and Nine Palpations, if one or two areas are unharmonious, it signifies deviation from normalcy and the presence of disease). If the pulses in all Three Regions and Nine Palpations are mutually disordered, it is a fatal sign (Speaking from the perspective of Heaven, Earth, and Man, the upper, middle, and lower are called the Three Realms. Speaking from the human body, the upper, middle, and lower are called the Three Regions. Each of the three regions is divided into its own Heaven, Earth, and Man, constituting nine palpation points. The nine palpations correspond to Heaven, Earth, and Man. ○ In ancient times, pulse diagnosis was not limited to the Cun Kou (radial artery); pulses at arterial sites of various meridians were all palpated. As stated in this chapter: The Heaven of the Upper Region refers to the arteries at both temples, used to observe the Qi of the head and angles; the Earth of the Upper Region refers to the arteries at both cheeks, used to observe the Qi of the mouth and teeth; the Man of the Upper Region refers to the artery in front of the ears, used to observe the Qi of the eyes and ears; the Heaven of the Middle Region is the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, taking the Cun Kou point to observe Lung Qi; the Earth of the Middle Region is the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, taking Hegu LI4 to observe the Qi of the chest; the Man of the Middle Region is the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, taking Shenmen HT7 to observe Heart Qi; the Heaven of the Lower Region is the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, taking Taichong LR3 to observe Liver Qi; the Earth of the Lower Region is the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, taking Taixi KI3 to observe Kidney Qi; the Man of the Lower Region is the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, taking the artery anterior to the medial malleolus, and also taking Chongyang ST42 on the dorsum of the foot, to observe the Qi of the Spleen and Stomach. This constitutes the Three Regions and Nine Palpations. The Eighteenth Chapter of the Nan Jing states: The Three Regions refer to Cun, Guan, and Chi; the Nine Palpations refer to Floating, Middle, and Deep pressures. This method divides the Three Regions and Nine Palpations solely based on the Cun Kou pulse. Later generations discussing pulse diagnosis have all followed this approach).

Observe the nine palpations: if one region alone is small, it indicates disease (among the nine palpations, one region is exclusively small, same for below); if one region alone is large, it indicates disease; if one region alone is rapid, it indicates disease; if one region alone is slow, it indicates disease; if one region alone feels hot, it indicates disease; if one region alone feels cold, it indicates disease; if one region alone is sunken and depressed, it indicates disease ("Sunken and depressed" refers to deep and hidden pulses).

If the flesh and muscles have already wasted away (indicating severe damage to Spleen Qi), even if the nine palpations are harmonious, death will occur. If the "Seven Diagnoses" are observed (referring to the exclusive conditions of small, large, rapid, slow, cold, hot, and sunken pulses), but the nine palpations generally follow the natural order (following implies compliance; the pulse complies with the laws of the four seasons and conforms to the characteristics of the various meridians), then death will not occur.