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Twenty-eight pulses
二十八脉 〔二十八脈〕 èr shí bā mài
Twenty-eight commonly observed pulses listed by Lǐ Zhōng-Zǐ (aka Shì-Cài). This list comprises the twenty-seven pulses of Lǐ Shí-Zhēn, with the addition of the racing pulse. The twenty-eight pulses
still remains a standard list, but an additional large pulse is now often added. See the list below and pulse condition.
The Twenty-Eight Pulses
- Floating (浮脉 fú mài): Superabundant under light pressure and insufficient under heavy pressure
- Sunken (沉脉 chén mài): Not felt under light pressure, and felt only under heavy pressure
- Slow (迟脉 chí mài): Less than fours beats per respiration (less than 60 beats per minute)
- Rapid (数脉 shuò mài): Over five beats per respiration (over 90 beats per minute); associated with heat (with repletion heat when forceful and vacuity heat when forceless)
- Surging (洪脉 hóng mài): Extremely large, billowing like waves and arriving with a great force
- Faint( 微脉 wēi mài): Extremely fine and soft, and feels as if it is on the verge of expiry, barely detectable
- Fine (细脉 xì mài): Like a fine but distinct thread
- Scattered (散脉 sàn mài): Diffuse and floating without root
- Vacuous (虚脉 xū mài): Forceless at all three positions, and feeling empty and vacuous under pressure
- Replete (实脉 shí mài): Forceful at all three positions
- Slippery (滑脉 huá mài): A smooth-flowing pulse classically described as
pearls rolling in a dish
orsmall fish swimming
- Rough (涩脉 sè mài): The opposite of a slippery pulse, i.e., one that does not flow smoothly and that is classically described as
a knife lightly scraping bamboo
- Long (长脉 cháng mài): Can be felt beyond the inch and cubit positions
- Short (短脉 duǎn mài): Felt only at the bar point
- String-like (弦脉 xián mài): Feels like the string of a musical instrument
- Scallion-stalk (芤脉 kōu mài): Floating and empty in the middle
- Tight (紧脉 jǐn mài): String-like and forceful
- Moderate (缓脉 huǎn mài): Three to four beats per respiration
- Drum-skin (革脉 gé mài): String-like and empty in the middle
- Firm (牢脉 láo mài): Forceful and feels as though
tied to the bone
- Weak (弱脉 ruò mài): A deep pulse without force
- Soggy (濡脉 rú mài): A soft pulse lacking in force
- Hidden (伏脉 fú mài): A pulse even deeper than the deep pulse; considerable pressure has to be applied in order to feel it
- Stirred (动脉 dòng mài): A combination of the rapid, short, and slippery pulses
- Racing (疾脉 jí mài): 7 or more beats per respiration
- Skipping (促脉 cù mài): Rapid irregularly interrupted
- Bound (结脉 jié mài): Slow irregularly interrupted
- Intermittent (代脉 dài mài): Interrupted at regular intervals