The Essential Pivot of Diagnosis

滑寿Tibet People's Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

3.8

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

The affairs of the world have their unifying principles and their meeting points. Words that are concise yet complete, and matters that are accurate and appropriate—this is the highest attainment. Among the hundred schools, none is greater than medicine, and in medicine none takes precedence over the pulse. The differences between floating and sinking, and the opposition between slow and rapid, are called yin and yang, exterior and interior; these too are named and symbolized through paired relationships. Once there are names and symbols, there are unifying principles. Gao Yangsheng's seven exterior, eight interior, and nine pathways are indeed precise. Seeking clarity in the pulse has made the pulse obscure. Some say: the way of the pulse is great, and the words of the ancients are many; even so we fear falling short—and now you wish to encompass it with such unifying principles. Is that not too simple? Alas, what is most subtle is the principle of the pulse, yet names and symbols are manifest in it, and unifying principles reside in it. To observe its connections and thereby know its norms and ceremonies—this is what the capable gentleman can do. Extending from this, one may trace the stream to its source and, through this, recognize that; then the completeness of the various schools will leave no regret of a lost pearl.

Editor's review

Zhenjia Shuyao is a specialized work on the pulse by the Yuan dynasty physician Hua Shou; it is modest in length but clearly organized. The whole book takes "unifying principles" as its guiding thread, grouping paired pulse images such as floating and sinking, slow and rapid, yin and yang, and exterior and interior into a graspable framework. It emphasizes first establishing names and symbols and then seeking overall coherence, so as not to lose one's way among the multiplicity of pulse names. The book offers some correction of Gao Yangsheng's doctrines of seven exterior, eight interior, and nine pathways, reflecting the author's scholarly orientation of moving from the broad to the concise and tracing the stream to its source. This new edition is published according to the 2024 edition by Xizang People's Publishing House, and beyond the main text it is convenient for modern readers to study in comparison. It is suitable for readers who already have basic TCM theory and wish to systematically sort out the framework of pulse studies, and may also serve as an advanced reader after an introduction to pulse diagnosis. When reading, it is best to cross-reference works such as the Maijing and Binhu Maixue, and to appreciate Hua's choices through comparison; if one attempts to learn pulse diagnosis from this book alone, clinical demonstration is needed to put it into practice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

TCM students who need to systematically establish a framework for pulse classification and unification
Clinical TCM physicians who wish to revisit the classics of pulse studies to correct their diagnostic approach
Enthusiasts of TCM literature interested in the pulse views of the Yuan dynasty physician Hua Shou
Readers who have already read introductory works such as Binhu Maixue and wish to compare the various schools further

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners lacking basic TCM theory and concepts of the channels, network vessels, and zang-fu organs
Those seeking a quick practical method for "taking the pulse to diagnose illness"
Readers who prefer modern medical examinations and evidence-based diagnostic systems

Reading tips

First read through the whole book to grasp the main theme of "unifying principles," then read closely through the specific pulse images one by one.
Keep the Maijing and Binhu Maixue at hand and mark and compare differences and similarities.
With each category of pulse, try to feel the sensation under the fingers on one's own or a classmate's wrist.
After reading, organize a brief table of pulse classification in one's own words to test understanding.

About the publisher

Tibet People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1971

Tibet People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for collating Tibetan and Chinese ancient texts and publishing traditional culture. Judging from the books in its catalogue, its publishing focuses on medicine, Eastern philosophy, classics, and ancient poetry. It offers traditional Chinese medical and health-preserving works such as the Compendium of Materia Medica, Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold, and Principles of Correct Diet, as well as canonical and philosophical texts including the Book of Changes, Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Annotated Edition of the Erya, and Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals, along with historical and geographical works such as The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores. Its authors include figures such as Li Shizhen, Sun Simiao, King Wen of Zhou, Zuo Qiuming, Guo Pu, Dong Zhongshu, Hu Sihui, and Ma Huan. The house emphasizes the collation and republication of ancient texts, balancing scholarship and accessibility, and has developed its own strengths in transmitting Tibetan and Chinese cultural classics. Public information is limited, so other publishing details are omitted here.

版权信息
序
脉象大旨
左右手配脏腑部位
五脏平脉
四时平脉
呼吸沉浮定五脏脉
三部所主
诊脉之道
脉阴阳类成
妇人脉法
小儿脉
诊家宗法
附录
诸脉条辨
持脉总论

FAQ

Can I read this book directly without a foundation in TCM?

Not very advisable. The book discusses the yin-yang, exterior-interior, floating-sinking, and slow-rapid aspects of pulse images and assumes that the reader already has basic concepts such as the zang-fu organs, channels and network vessels, and qi, blood, and body fluids. Complete beginners may first read textbooks of basic TCM theory and plain-language explanations of the Binhu Maixue; the book will then be much smoother to read.

What is the difference between this book and the Binhu Maixue?

The Binhu Maixue discusses the twenty-seven pulses separately and is easy to recite and remember; the Zhenjia Shuyao places greater emphasis on unifying the various pulses through paired relationships and on establishing a framework and distinguishing names and symbols. The two are complementary: first use the Binhu Maixue to memorize pulse names, then use this book to clarify the correspondences among pulses.

Are the pulse views in the book still useful in clinical practice today?

Pulse diagnosis, as one of the four diagnostic methods of TCM, is still used in clinical practice. The value of this book lies in providing a structured approach to distinguishing pulses, not in replacing modern examinations. Readers should treat it as a framework book for understanding traditional pulse studies, and appreciate it through clinical demonstration and mentored practice rather than diagnosing themselves in isolation from the text.

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About the author

滑寿 Author

Hua Shou is an ancient physician of traditional Chinese medicine. Publicly available information about his life is very limited, and neither his nationality nor his dates of birth and death are clearly recorded; his surviving works are chiefly medical writings. The library holds three of his works, including Zhenjia Shuyao, Du Suwen Chao, and a duplicate entry of Zhenjia Shuyao, commonly classified under medicine. Judging from their titles and subject matter, Hua Shou focused on pulse diagnosis and on the study of the Suwen: the former belongs to the foundational categories of clinical diagnosis, while the latter involves theoretical organization, excerpting, and annotation of a classic of Chinese medicine, suggesting that his scholarship emphasized the study of classics and the summary of diagnostic methods. Because historical sources are scarce, details of his life, associates, and scholarly background cannot be reliably established. This introduction therefore relies only on the library's work information to outline the direction of his writings, highlighting his writing on pulse studies and the organization of classical texts for readers' reference.