Pulse Classic

Chinese medical text

Also known as: “Mojing”

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July 13, 2026

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The Pulse Classics (Maijing) is a foundational text in Chinese medicine, written by the physician Wang Shuhe around 180–270 CE. This influential work emphasizes the critical role of pulse diagnosis in identifying diseases.12

The text details how physicians examine the pulse at three specific points on each wrist: the cun (inch), guan (bar), and chi (cubit). Each point, when palpated at different pressures, corresponds to different organs and bodily conditions. The pulse is further categorized into superficial (biao) and sunken (li) types, with numerous variations indicating a wide range of ailments. This intricate system of pulse lore allowed skilled physicians to make remarkably accurate diagnoses.12

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history of medicine
China
Other famous works are the Mojing (known in the West as the “Pulse Classic”), composed about 300 ce, and the Yuzhuan yizong jinjian (“Imperially Commissioned Golden Mirror of the Orthodox Lineage of Medicine,” also known in English as the Golden Mirror), a compilation made in 1742 of medical writings of…
Read More
Other famous works are the Mojing (known in the West as the “Pulse Classic”), composed about 300 ce, and the Yuzhuan yizong jinjian (“Imperially Commissioned Golden Mirror of the Orthodox Lineage of Medicine,” also known in English as the Golden Mirror), a compilation made in 1742 of medical writings of…
Read More