Customer Reviews

The Pulse Classic: A Translation of the Mai Jing

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You may well have had a doctor or a nurse take your pulse. They will almost invariably feel for the radial pulse in your wrist just below your thumb.

In traditional Chinese medicine it is said that your do not have just one pulse at each wrist, but three superficial and three deep pulses on each side, that can accurately reflect the condition of the main organ systems of the body. When performed by an expert, pulse diagnosis can be remarkably accurate, though there is little research evidence to support its use. It takes time and personal instruction to learn to do it well.

The Pulse Classic or Mai Jing, was written around the second century A.D. in the late Han Dynasty. It is the oldest surviving book devoted entirely to the art of pulse diagnosis and is considered to be essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the rationale for and methods of reading the pulse.

As good as this book is, it is not a beginner's text. I strongly recommend starting with the excellent "Secret of Pulse Diagnosis" by Bob Flaws or Giovanni Maciocia's masterful "Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide."

This book is an absolute goldmine for anyone wanting to master this skill. You will need a teacher to complete your training, but if you are equipped with the information in this book, your training will proceed by leaps and bounds.

TAKING THE PULSE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS OF MAKING A TCM DIAGNOSIS.BUT THE SKILL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO LEARN;THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN IT IS THROUGH PRACTICE. DOCTORS USED TO TAKE THE PULSE MORE OFTEN THAN WE DO NOW.AS WELL AS THE ARTERIES AT THE WRISTS,THEY USED TO CHECK THE PULSES ON THE HEAD,LEGS AND SOME OTHERS PARTS OF THE BODY.THE METHOD OF PULSE TAKING HAS BEEN SIMPLIFIED SINCE THE FIRST BOOK ON THE SUBJECT(MAI JIG - THE CLASSIC BOOK ON PULSE TAKING)WAS PUBLISHED ABOUT 1,600 YEARS AGO.THE AUTHOR,D.WANG SHU-HE,WAS THE FIRST TO RECOMMEND THE NEW METHOD OF PULSE TAKING:DU QU CUEN KOU(ONLY CHECK THE PULSES AT THE WRIST). THIS BOOK IS DIVIDED INTO TEN BOOKS,A LOT OF TIME AND WORK WAS NEEDED TO TRANSLATE THIS BOOK.IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN MAKING DIAGNOSIS.

This is the only English translation available on the Pulse Classic and it is done very well. The many footnotes add richness to one's understanding of the concepts of Chinese medicine. A must for the serious student.