THE CHINESE PULSE

The taking of the pulse rate and noting the strength of the beats have been, and still are important procedures for a long time now in medical practice; but this act is restricted to just one radial pulse located on the thumb side of the hand near to the wrist joint. It is helpful, diagostically, only in a general way, and is not related to any specific organ of the body, except the heart. The Chinese acupunture doctor, on the other hand, using the discovery of his very ancient forefathers, makes use of no less than fourteen Radial pulses, six of which are on the left and eight on the right, and these, in turn, relate to fourteen different organs, viz.: —

Left  radial pulse:

1. Light pressure with 1st finger left hand

2. Firm pressure with 1st finger left hand

3. Light pressure with 2nd finger left hand

4. Firm pressure with 2nd finger left hand

5. Light pressure with 3rd finger left hand

6. Firm pressure with 3rd finger left hand

small intestine

heart

gall bladder

liver

bladder

kidneys

Right radial

1. Light

2. Firm

3. Light

4. Medium

5. Firm

6. Lieht

7. Medium

8. Firm

pulse: pressure with 1st with 1st with 2nd with 2nd with 2nd with 3rd with 3rd with 3rd right hand large intestine lung stomach pancreas spleen three heaters circulation sexual sphere

To be able to discern the fine differences in the quality of each of the pulse beats in the six radial positions stated above, requires great sensitivity in the finger tips and much skill born of concen­trated and patient practice. Diagnosis is arrived at not from the frequency of the pulse beats, but from their relative strengths. Such differences that are felt enable those, well versed in the art of pulse palpation according to the Chinese method, to relate them to the organ or organs affected. Thus the acupuncture physician can be made aware of any disturbance in the distribution of the life forces Yinn and Yang in one or more of the organs mentioned above. The meridian involved is then known, and the appropriate points on that meridian can be treated accordingly either by the gold and/or silver needles.

The fingers are placed on the radial pulse in the following order:

1st finger close to the wrist on the thumb side 2nd finger close to and above the 1st finger 3rd finger close to and above the 2nd finger but the pressure, light, medium, firm, as directed above, must be exercised by only one finger at a time, starting with the first.

Some Chinese doctors and others, in their selection of the points to be treated do not primarily choose those that are painful on digital pressure, but rather do they first ascertain the energy-rhythm of the organism by the special method of observing the pulse as described above. These doctors believe that diagnosis can be made from the different pulse strengths making it possible to recognize changes in the respective organ or organs. They are then placed in the position either to cure or prevent disease, or at least to effect an improvement by acupuncture, using either the stimu­lating gold needle or the sedative silver or steel needle.

According to Dr. Stiefvater, physicians in Europe started, in the eighteenth century, to reintroduce in no uncertain manner, the observation of the changes in the pulse beats, other than their frequencies, whilst Dr. Johannes Floyer drew the first comparison between the European and Chinese teaching of the pulse. His observations referred to the pulse rate and pulse differences accord­ing to age, sex, way of life and time of day.

The pulse doctrine took a new turn when the Spanish doctor Solano de Luque had made new observations in regard to certain modifications of the pulse. Solano noted the double beating (dicro-tous) pulse several times before the onset of nose bleeding. These observations led him to investigate the prediction of other bodily discharges, by means of the pulse. If the pulse is soft it indicates the occurence of strong urination; if it be hard then vomiting is about to take place. The longer the intermission of the pulse beats, all the greater is the "emptying" or discharge that follows.

Again according to Dr. Bordeu each disease of an organ alters the pulse beat in a specific way. One can readily see from this how closely his idea is related to the Chinese teaching of the significance of the pulse, and however fantastic this Chinese teaching and practice may appear, they cannot be brushed aside.

THE CHINESE CLOCK

Now, we come to a very helpful device, namely the Chinese Clock, for according to the hour that symptoms of a disease mani­fest themselves in diverse ways, the organ affected can be ascer­tained and the appropriate homeopathic remedies prescribed.

Let us go around this clock and pause every two hours to see what organ is involvedl.

Greenwich Time

From 1 to 3                  Gallbladder

From 3 to 5                  Liver

From 5 to 7 ... ... ... ...         Lungs

From 7 to 9                  Large Intestine

From 9 to 11                Stomach

From 11 to 13              Spleen-Pancreas

From 13 to 15              Heart

From 15 to 17              Small Intestine

From 17 to 19              Bladder

From 19 to 21              Kidneys

From 21 to 23              Circulation

From 23 to 1                Three Heaters

(Respiration, Digestion, Sexual sphere)

The above times are those of over-activity. Those below are times of under-activity.

From 1 to 3                  Liver

From 3 to 5                  Lungs

From 5 to 7                  Large intestine

From 7 to 9                  Stomach

From 9 to 11                Spleen-Pancreas

From 11 to 13              Heart

From 13 to 15               Small Intestine

From 15 to 17               Bladder

From 17 to 19               Kidneys

From 19 to 21               Circulation

From 21 to 23               Three Heaters

From 23 to 1                 Gall Bladder

The attached diagrams show all the above at a glance, as well as the appropriate homoeopathic remedies, times of their admini­stration and the organ for which they are indicated.

The organs of the human body are, according to the teachings of the Chinese, especially sensitive or receptive to various influ­ences at certain hours of the day and night.

Should a disease condition evidence a worsening at any given hour, it can be concluded that that organ as shown on the clock diagram at that hour is affected even when no other diagnostic signs are present over and above those symptoms first complained of by the patient.

This hour of worsening is, at the same time, the hour in which the prescribed homoeopathic remedies will have the greatest effect, and these remedies need not be restricted to those stated on the clock diagram.

CHINESE MERIDIAN

There are twelve bilateral organ-meridians and two special ones, which traverse the surface of the body. In them flows the "stream of Life Force." By far the most of the Chinese treatment points lie on these meridians, and by treating these points the Chinese influence the flow of energy and thus centripetally influ­ence the organs that are related to the meridians. These are:

1. Heart meridian                           7          Gall bladder meridian
2. Small intestine meridian              8          Liver meridian
3. Bladder meridian                       9          Lungs meridian
4. Kidney meridian                        10        Large intestine meridian
5. Circulation and sexual sphere     11        Stomach meridian
6. Three Heaters meridian             12        Spleen-pancreas meridian

The two special meridians are:

1. The back meridian, which extends up the spine from the coccyx over the centre of the scalp, down the centre of the forehead to the bottom of the upper lip.
2. The front meridian, which extends downwards from the
   chin through the centre of the front part of the body to the centre of the pubic bone.

These latter two are not related to any organ. They represent a special closed circuit of the circulation of the Life Force, but are related to the other meridians.

It is interesting to note that Dr. William Fitzgerald at the time he founded ZONE THERAPY did not appear to have had any practical or even theoretical knowledge of the Chinese Acu­puncture, yet there is a very vague similarity of his lines of force to the meridian paths discovered by the Chinese. Dr. Fitzgerald's Zone Therapy seems to embrace the same principles, so far as conduction of the Life Energy is concerned, as are embodied in the meridians of the Chinese. His pressure points, however, bear no relation to the painful spots on the body tissues or indeed to the meridians themselves.

Instead of gold and silver needles used to elicit reflexes the doctor employed digital pressure mostly on the toes or fingers. Small tightly fitting rubber rings are also used to exert the required pressure.

He divided the body into ten zones, each zone extending up the body, back and front, from each toe. Zone one extends up the front of the centre of the body through the right half of the nose and over the scalp. Zone two extends up from the second toe; zone three from the third toe and so on up to the fifth or little toe. The same applies to the five toes on the left half of the body, so that the ten zones' lines cover the whole of it both back and front. Similar lines are drawn from the fingers of each hand which join, at the shoulders and neck, those coming from the toes of each foot. The pressure is applied to the toe (or finger) of the zone to be treated, and this latter is determined by the nature of the complaint.

There are other points of pressure. For example to alleviate a stubborn cough the forefinger is to be pressed down quite hard in the hollow just below "Adam's apple." To relieve one from nervous strain the hands are to be folded as in prayer and the inter­locking fingers squeezed as hard as possible for a few minutes at a time. This helps anyone in an awkward or unpleasant situation not requiring the use of the hand. I understand, as a matter of fact, that the Chinese were the first to use this method.

The attention of the medical world was drawn to Dr. Fitz­gerald's discovery of Zone Therapy. It was pointed out that com­pression massage and pressures on certain zones did restore physio­logical functioning in those regions of the body that are affected, irrespective of their remoteness from the part being actually treated.

This zone therapy cannot be dismissed with a scornful shrug of the shoulders as humbug, much less so the acupunture of the Chinese, for Dr. Fitzgerald is a professional man of no mean repute. He was a member of the staff in the Central London Nose and Throat Hospital. He was, too, assistant to Professor Politzer and to Professor Otto Chiari, whose medical text books are so well known in the world's medical circles.

What this Life Force actually is we just do not know, but it has been very clearly demonstrated by the experiments of Baron von Reichenbach and by others active in this fascinating field of research. Reichenbach gave the name of "ODIC FORCE" to the LIFE ENERGY, but the name is of no consequence. What does matter though is to KNOW that such a power exists, and that it can be used for the great benefit of the health of mankind.

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