Seven strange pulses

Seven pulses signifying critical conditions:

Pecking sparrow pulse (雀啄脉 què zhuó mài) 雀啄脉 què zhuó mài: An urgent rapid pulse of irregular rhythm that stops and starts, like a sparrow pecking for food.

Leaking roof pulse (屋漏脉 wū lòu mài) 屋漏脉 wū lòu mài: A pulse that comes at long and irregular intervals, like water dripping from a leaky roof.

Flicking stone pulse (弹石脉 tán shí mài) 弹石脉 tán shí mài: A sunken replete pulse that feels like flicking a stone with a finger.

Untwining rope pulse (解索脉 jiě suǒ mài) 解索脉 jiě suǒ mài: A pulse described as being now loose, now tight, with an irregular rhythm like an untwining rope. Damage to a hemp rope made of tightly twined strands can cause a local slackening of the twine so that it is tight in some places and loose in others; hence the image used to describe this pulse.

Waving fish pulse (鱼翔脉 yú xiáng mài) 鱼翔脉 yú xiáng mài: A pulse that seems to be yet seems not to be present, like a fish waving in the water.

Darting shrimp pulse (虾游脉 xiā yóu mài) 虾游脉 xiā yóu mài: A pulse that arrives almost imperceptibly and vanishes with flick, like a darting shrimp.

Seething cauldron pulse (釜沸脉 fǔ fèi mài) 釜沸脉 fǔ fèi mài: an extremely rapid floating pulse that is all outward movement with no inward movement, like water seething in a cauldron. See also ten strange pulses.