Pulse Diagnosis

Rating:
Summary: A solid rendition of Li Shi-zhen
Review: First published in 1981, this is among the oldest, if not the oldest translation into English of Li Shi-zhen's Bin Hu Mai Xue, or Lakeside Master's Treatise on the Pulse. Although Bob Flaws' Secret of Pulse Diagnosis is perhaps more engaging, this is a fine presentation of the Bin Hu Mai Xue material.

All aspects of the Bin Hu Mai Xue are present here, including relevant theory, techniques of palpation, normal pulse images, pathological pulse images, and special chapters on pregnancy, pediatric examination, and the pulse images of the eight extraordinary vessels. Each pulse image is diagrammed for the benefit of visual learners, and there is a glossary of pulse image names and disease descriptions which gives an English translation, Chinese characters, and Pinyin romanization with tone marks for each entry.

This book is succinct, reasonably clear, and can serve equally well as a reference or a class textbook.

Rating:
Summary: A good reference book
Review: Ive been reading TCM books for some time now. I find this book full of uselful information. But it could include some graphs or pictures about the points used to taking the pulse. It only explains their positions in a small paragraph and in my opinion not very well. But I still think it is a must have.