A study of the earliest extensive account of Chinese pulse diagnosis, focusing on a biography of Chunyu Yi.

This is a study of the earliest extensive account of Chinese pulse diagnosis, or more accurately, the examination of mai. Dr Hsu focuses on a biography of Chunyu Yi, a doctor of the early Han, and presents the first complete translation into English of the Memoir in the Historical Records by Sima Qian (d. ca 86 BCE). This Memoir contains biographies of the physician, medical case histories and interviews, and constitutes a document of enormous importance to the history of medicine in China. The analysis covers the first ten medical cases and their rich vocabulary on touch, as used in Chinese pulse diagnosis. The patients treated were mostly nobility of the kingdom of Qi in Eastern China, who suffered from the indulgences of court life and were treated with early forms of decoction, fomentation, fumigation, acupuncture and moxibustion. To date there is no book on early China of its kind.

Pulse diagnosis is a subtle yet highly effective instrument used in Chinese medicine for the diagnosis and prevention of disease. The method set forth in this book is unsurpassed in obtaining the greatest amount of physical and psychological information about an individual. Although based on traditional methods, it is contemporary because it recognizes that pulse diagnosis must continue to develop over time. In the hands of master pulse diagnostician Dr. John Shen, his apprentice Dr. Leon Hammer, and their students, it has evolved in recent decades to better reflect modern times and lifestyles. This handbook summarizes the key elements of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis: A Contemporary Approach in a portable edition. It is the result of the very hard work, by many practitioners, of extracting the essentials from each area of this subject. The present volume offers a clear and practical path toward a better understanding of traditional pulse diagnosis, while recasting its interpretation in the context of our own times. The book is organized in eighteen chapters. The early chapters consider such general issues as terminology, classification of pulse qualities, historical comparisons of positions and depths, and a methodology for taking the pulse. The middle chapters provide an in-depth look at each of the individual pulse qualities, identified by felt sensation based on such characteristics as rate and rhythm, stability, volume, depth, size, and shape. The types of pathology associated with each of the qualities are also discussed. Later chapters examine the significance of the qualities when found across the entire pulse, or large segments of the pulse, and at different depths. The relationship of the pulse qualities to psychology and prognosis are addressed in separate chapters. The final chapters on interpretation and case histories draw everything together to show how this information can be formulated into a rational diagnosis. Key information in the book is organized and richly illustrated in over a hundred tables and graphic drawings. There is also a glossary of special terms, bibliography, and full index to the contents.

Pulse diagnosis is a notoriously complicated area in Chinese medicine with very few practical or accessible resources available to practitioners to improve their skillset. This clear, didactic manual provides detailed yet user-friendly instructions for a pulse diagnosis method the author has developed called Mai Jing A-B-C, allowing for clinical competency and confidence in pulse diagnosis. Jamie Hamilton draws on pulse methods and techniques found primarily in the 3rd century classic of Chinese medicine, Mai Jing, that have often been overlooked in later centuries. He uses his teaching background to reassess these methods and breaks down incredibly complex concepts into simpler forms to enable learning and immediate application into practice. The method has been honed into six simple steps, each accompanied by detailed case studies to further aid clarity.

The Mai Jing or Pulse Classic was written in the late Han dynasty by Wang Shu-he. It is the first book in the Chinese medical literature entirely devoted tp pulse diagnosis. As such, it is the undeniable and necessary foundation text for anyone seriously interested in understanding the rationale for and method of reading the pulse in Chinese medicine. Although not an easy read, this book is a mine of valuable information for those wishing to go more deeply into a study of the pulse.