Pulse

The throbbing of a blood vessel, especially one, such as at the wrist, palpated to determine the state of health of the body. Up to the Hàn Dynasty, the pulse was commonly taken at three positions: Man’s Prognosis rén yíng, i.e., the common carotid artery of the neck; inch opening cùn kǒu, the radial styloid pulse on the wrist, and the instep yáng pulse fū yáng, dorsalis pedis artery. Nowadays, the first and third positions are rarely used, and the pulse palpated is that of the wrist. The wrist pulse is felt on the inner (palmar) face of the wrist, at the location described in modern anatomy as the styloid process of the radius.

Anomalies of the pulse include oblique-running pulse and pulse on the back of the wrist.

The pulse is divided into three sections: inch (寸 cùn), bar (关 guān), and cubit (尺 chǐ), which in standard procedure are felt with the index, middle, and third fingers respectively. It is generally agreed that, on the left wrist, the inch pulse reflects the heart, the bar reflects the liver, and the cubit reflects the kidney, whereas on the right wrist, the inch reflects the lung, the bar the spleen and stomach, and the cubit the life gate. pulse examination.