Li Shi Zhen

Question 1

floating
rises with strength but falls without strength
big width

Answer 1

flooding

Question 2

flooding meaning

Answer 2

abundant heat (sometimes with yin deficiency)

to determine if disease is excess of deficient, determine weather or not the pulse is strong

Question 3

floating

strong/forceful

Answer 3

floating (excess)

Question 4

floating (excess) meaning

Answer 4

exterior invasion

Question 5

floating

weak/forceless

Answer 5

floating weak

Question 6

floating weak meaning

Answer 6

exterior deficiency caused by blood deficiency

when blood is deficient and unable to support qi, the qi “jumps” to the exterior. Hence the pulse is floating but without strength

Question 7

floating
slow, leisurely
weak/forceless
big width

Answer 7

empty pulse

Question 8

empty pulse meaning

Answer 8

deficiency

of both qi and blood

Question 9

floating
very weak/ very forceless
very wide

Answer 9

scattered

Question 10

scattered meaning

Answer 10

yuan qi scattered (both qi & blood are exhausted and the zang fu is about to scatter)

Question 11

floating
without substance in center
wide

Answer 11

hollow

scallion stalk

Question 12

hollow meaning

Answer 12

severe blood loss (causing yin damage)

superficial excess with internal deficiency

Question 13

floating
impatient
weak/forceless
without substance in center
wiry

Answer 13

leathery

Question 14

leathery meaning

Answer 14

damaged jing blood with cold

Question 15

floating
weak/forceless
thin

Answer 15

soft

Question 16

soft meaning

Answer 16

various types of severe deficiency (qi or blood)

or trapped dampness (not a deficiency condition)

Question 17

floating
disappears intermittently under slight pressure
very thin

Answer 17

minute

Question 18

minute meaning

Answer 18

deficiency and failing of qi and blood (if in a chronic disease the zheng qi is about to be exhausted

when yin qi is failing, the pulse seems to disappear under heavy pressure

Question 19

sinking

strong/forceful

Answer 19

sinking strong

Question 20

sinking strong meaning

Answer 20

internal excess (usually phlegm or cold)

Question 21

sinking

weak/forceless

Answer 21

sinking weak

Question 22

sinking weak meaning

Answer 22

internal deficiency

Question 23

deeper than sinking pulse

Answer 23

hidden

Question 24

hidden meaning

Answer 24

pathogenic qi trapped internally

usually pathogenic cold generating heat

Question 25

``` deeper than sinking long strong/forceful big width wiry ```

Answer 25

firm

Question 26

firm meaning

Answer 26

chronic yin cold accumulation | can be at qi or blood level

Question 27

``` all 3 levels or sinking long very strong/forceful big width wiry ```

Answer 27

full

Question 28

full meaning

Answer 28

excessive conditions

Question 29

sinking weak/forceless thin

Answer 29

weak

Question 30

weak meaning

Answer 30

insufficient qi & blood | deficient or damaged yin jing with failure of ying qi

Question 31

sinking weak/forceless very thin wiry

Answer 31

thin

Question 32

thin meaning

Answer 32

qi & blood both deficient (esp blood) | or stagnation of pathogenic damp in the channels

Question 33

slow | strong/forceful

Answer 33

slow strong

Question 34

slow strong meaning

Answer 34

accumulated cold or knotted heat

Question 35

slow | weak/forceless

Answer 35

slow weak

Question 36

slow weak meaning

Answer 36

deficiency cold

Question 37

leisurely speed

Answer 37

leisurely/moderate

Question 38

leisurely/moderate pulse meaning

Answer 38

damp disease or good health

Question 39

``` slow short weak comes and goes with difficulty sometimes beats 3 then 5 ```

Answer 39

choppy

Question 40

choppy meaning

Answer 40

blood deficiency with damaged jin ye or inadequate blood flow, due to obstruction

Question 41

moderate speed | pauses at irregular intervals

Answer 41

knotted

Question 42

knotted meaning

Answer 42

yin abundance with yang not in harmony (knotting of qi)

Question 43

moderate speed forceless pauses at regular intervals for a little longer than one beat

Answer 43

intermittent

Question 44

intermittent meaning

Answer 44

decline and failure of zang qi or if sudden and strong obstructed qi

Question 45

rapid | forceful

Answer 45

rapid strong/forceful

Question 46

rapid strong pulse meaning

Answer 46

excessive heat

Question 47

rapid | forceless

Answer 47

rapid weak

Question 48

rapid weak meaning

Answer 48

deficiency heat

Question 49

rapid | slippery

Answer 49

slippery

Question 50

slippery meaning

Answer 50

stagnant phlegm or stagnant food with abundant heat | can also occur in health people, indicating abundant qi and blood

Question 51

impatient | tight, wiry

Answer 51

tight

Question 52

tight meaning

Answer 52

cold pain sometimes with retention of food

Question 53

rapid | sometimes rests for one beat at irregular intervals

Answer 53

hasty

Question 54

hasty meaning

Answer 54

excessive yang heat with yin not in harmony (damaged yin)

Question 55

rapid short forceful slippery, wiry

Answer 55

moving

Question 56

moving meaning

Answer 56

yin and yang fighting with each other

Question 57

long

Answer 57

long

Question 58

long meaning

Answer 58

excessive conditions or | good health

Question 59

long forceful wiry

Answer 59

wiry

Question 60

wiry meaning

Answer 60

liver (wood) diseases or wind diseases

Question 61

short | forceful

Answer 61

short strong

Question 62

short strong meaning

Answer 62

qi stasis

Question 63

short | weak/forceless

Answer 63

short weak

Question 64

short weak meaning

Answer 64

qi damage