愚往岁侨寓紫阳山时。有以太素脉能验人之富贵贫贱寿夭。来将一月。就诊者概弗纳焉。细诘其故。则曰择吉
开张。其实托人。密向城内访雇随丁。打听其素在绅宦之家。往来而熟悉者。虽辛工稍昂。不与计较。其术已可知
矣。诊费重。奔走踵相接也。今曰弗合。则嘱其明日来。明日弗合。则嘱其教日来。后来终必无不合者。人皆称其奇
中。迷惑而堕其术中。不数月所获不下千余金。愚谓太素脉内经不载。即有其事。不过按脉而约略计之。如气缓
脉长。必寿之征。气急脉薄必夭之征。清而有神。则知其贵。浊而无神。则知其贱。断不能预决其何年何月得失祸
福也。愚在杭阅人多矣。荐绅先生。辄蒙不弃。华贵如朱敏生侍郎。丁松生太守。皆得六阴脉。清要如金苕臣。桑春
元二观察。李梅生词林。寿考如赵忠甫封翁。陆点青汪良甫诸前辈。皆六阳脉。惟陆点翁六阴脉耳。大都肥盛者
多六阴、清 者多六阳。今春二月。同善堂董事邀诊。适应敏斋方伯在座。乘便诊脉。愚素不识面。按而起曰。此必
富浓福泽人也。旁观骇然。疑余何以知之。是亦六阴坤浓之脉耳。敏翁不觉大笑。至术者以富贵贫贱寿夭。决其
年月。而有前知之明。则非余所敢悉也。徐灵胎谓其必别有术。余以其术亦必若是已矣。
自世相传有太素脉之说。亦惟于清浊缓急。有神无神。辨其穷达寿夭而已。术者附会穿凿。窃兹名目。相天下
士。欺弄诡谲。举国若狂。心禅以冷眼觑破之。又能将其心计。曲曲如绘。笔墨之妙。迥非凡手所及。（淞樵评）
我往年寄居在紫阳山时，有人凭借太素脉法能验证人的富贵贫贱、长寿短命，前来求诊的人络绎不绝。但我一概拒绝接待。仔细询问其中的原因，他说要挑选吉日才开张营业。这其实是借口，他暗中派人到城内雇佣随从，去打听那些曾在官宦人家往来且熟悉他的人。虽然诊费稍高，他也不计较。他的医术水平也就可想而知了。因为诊费昂贵，求诊者接踵而至。如果今天说脉象不合（指不符合对方预期的富贵寿夭），就嘱咐他明天再来；明天还不合，就嘱咐他后天再来。后来终究会有符合的。人们都称其神奇准确，迷惑其中而落入他的圈套。不到几个月，获利不下千余金。我认为太素脉法在《内经》中并无记载，即使有此事，也不过是根据脉象大致推算。如气缓脉长，是长寿的征兆；气急脉薄，是短命的征兆。脉象清亮而有神，就知道地位尊贵；脉象浑浊而无神，就知道地位卑贱。绝不能预先断定哪一年哪一月会有得失祸福。我在杭州阅人无数，士大夫先生们往往承蒙不弃。像朱敏生侍郎、丁松生太守这样华贵之人，都得了六阴脉；像金苕臣、桑春元两位观察使这样清要之人，李梅生词林这样的人物，以及赵忠甫封翁、陆点青、汪良甫等前辈这样长寿之人，都是六阳脉。只有陆点翁是六阴脉。大体上，肥胖壮盛的人多表现为六阴脉，清瘦的人多表现为六阳脉。今年二月，同善堂董事邀请我去诊病，恰逢敏斋方伯在场，我便顺便为他诊脉。我平时与他不相识，切脉后起身说道：“此人必定是富有福气泽被深厚的人。”旁观者感到惊骇，怀疑我如何知道。这也是六阴坤厚之脉罢了。敏翁不禁大笑。至于那术士凭借富贵贫贱寿夭来决断年月，并有先见之明，那就不是我敢妄加评论的了。徐灵胎认为他必定另有法术，我认为他的法术也必定是这样罢了。
自从世间相传有太素脉的说法，也只是通过清浊、缓急、有神无神来辨别穷达寿夭而已。术士们附会穿凿，窃取这个名目，相面天下士人，欺骗弄鬼，举国若狂。心禅以冷眼看透这一切，又能将其心机算计，描绘得细致入微，笔墨之妙，绝非普通手笔所能及。（淞樵评）
In previous years, when I was residing in Ziyang Mountain, there was a practitioner who claimed that *Taisu Mai* (Great Origin Pulse Diagnosis) could verify a person's wealth, nobility, poverty, low status, longevity, and early death. Patients came to seek consultation in large numbers over a month, but I refused to receive them all. Upon asking for the reason in detail, he said it was because he selected auspicious days to open his practice. In reality, this was an excuse; secretly, he hired attendants within the city to inquire about those who had previously frequented official households and were familiar to him. Although his fees were slightly high, he did not haggle. His medical skills could thus be imagined. Because the consultation fee was heavy, patients followed each other in succession. If today's diagnosis did not match (i.e., did not align with the patient's expected fortune or lifespan), he would advise them to come tomorrow; if tomorrow still did not match, he would advise them to come the day after. Eventually, there would always be a match. People praised his miraculous accuracy, becoming confused and falling into his trap. Within a few months, his earnings amounted to no less than one thousand taels of silver. I believe that *Taisu Mai* is not recorded in the *Neijing* (Inner Canon). Even if such a thing exists, it merely involves roughly estimating based on the pulse. For instance, slow Qi and long pulse are signs of longevity; rapid Qi and thin pulse are signs of short life. A clear and spirited pulse indicates nobility; a turbid and spiritless pulse indicates low status. It is impossible to predict precisely which year or month one will gain or lose, or encounter disaster or fortune. I have examined many people in Hangzhou. Gentlemen and scholars often condescended to visit me. Those of noble status, such as Vice Minister Zhu Minsheng and Prefect Ding Songsheng, both exhibited *Liu Yin Mai* (Six Yin Pulses); those of pure and important standing, such as Inspectors Jin Shiaochen and Sang Chunyuan, and Linze Li Meisheng, as well as elders like Sealed Elder Zhao Zhongfu, Lu Dianqing, and Wang Liangfu, who enjoyed longevity, all exhibited *Liu Yang Mai* (Six Yang Pulses). Only Elder Lu Dian exhibited a *Liu Yin Mai*. Generally, those who are fat and robust tend to have *Liu Yin Mai*, while those who are lean and refined tend to have *Liu Yang Mai*. In February of this spring, the director of Tongshan Hall invited me to diagnose a patient. By chance, Fangbo Minzhai was present. Taking the opportunity, I diagnosed his pulse. Having never met him before, I palpated the pulse and stood up saying, "This person must be wealthy and blessed with profound favor." The bystanders were startled, wondering how I knew. This is also a *Liu Yin Kun Hou* (Six Yin Earth-Thick) pulse. Fangbo Min could not help but laugh loudly. As for the practitioner claiming to determine years and months based on wealth, nobility, poverty, low status, longevity, and death, possessing clairvoyant insight, I dare not comment further. Xu Lingtai believed he must have other arts; I consider his art to be exactly as described.
Since the legend of *Taisu Mai* has been passed down through generations, it only serves to distinguish poverty/prosperity and longevity/short life through clarity/turbidity, speed/slowness, and presence/absence of spirit. Practitioners force interpretations and make arbitrary connections, stealing this title to physiognomize scholars, deceiving and tricking, driving the whole nation into madness. Xinchan saw through this with cold eyes and could depict their scheming minds in minute detail. The subtlety of his writing far exceeds that of ordinary hands. (Comment by Songqiao)