The Inheritance of Pulse Names and the Textual Research on Evolution of Two Sets of Pulse Characteristics(Part Ⅱ)
SHEN Shunong
Abstract：The Pulse Classic by WANG Shuhe of the Western Jin Dynasty is the first to systematically categorize pulse characteristics into 24 types.This categorization has been the foundation and core of subsequent pulse inheritance and studies in traditional Chinese medicine.Among these 24 pulses,the drumskin pulse(革脉)and the soft pulse(软脉)have undergone changes during their transmission.Later transmitters often fail to understand the original reasons of the changes,leading to varying degrees of misinformation and misinterpretation:the soft pulse is replaced by the"soggy pulse"(濡脉),and the drumskin pulse becomes entangled with the"firm pulse"(牢脉).In-depth research reveals that the"drumskin pulse"and the"firm pulse"are essentially the same pulse,which should originally be the"strong pulse"(坚脉).Moreover,the soft pulse and the strong pulse are a pair of"relative pulses",differing in the force responded to the finger during palpation;the former is soft and yielding,while the latter is firm and strong.
Keywords：Pulse Classicthe soft pulsethe soggy pulsethe firm pulsethe drumskin pulsethe strong pulse
Publication Date：2025-07-05
Online Publishing Date：2026-05-22(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 721-728 )