王叔和脉经。有浮、芤、洪、涓、数、促、弦、紧、沉、伏、革、实、微、涩、细、 、弱、虚、散、缓、迟、结、
代、动二十 四名。叔和以后诸家。又增长短、牢、疾、大、小共三十名。按察病以脉。必辨之精确。而后见之明。不至
游疑而无主。据经之论脉。不止三十名。如鼓、搏、喘、横之类。今亦未窥其奥。不敢采入。即三十名。尚有可测者。
如脉经。谓浮细为 。沉细为弱。是 以浮细辨。弱以沉细辨也。然经曰。长夏胃微 弱曰平。使 弱皆细脉。细则气
少。经何以谓为长夏之平脉乎。又曰。 弱有石曰冬病。石沉脉也。 弱而沉。是水之侮土也。使 脉果以浮细辨。经
何谓以沉言乎。由是观之。凡脉柔而无力者。概谓之 弱。非浮细沉细之谓。今以 弱附于细。以存其旧也。仲景曰。
弦则为寒。芤则为虚。虚寒相搏。此名曰革。男子亡血失精。女子半产漏下。据此则革脉。即芤之兼弦者。芤主阴虚病。
革亦主阴虚病。今以革附于芤也。沉伏实大。千金翼谓之牢。主寒主痛。是即沉脉而有力者。今附于沉。经一脉有数名
者。如秋脉谓之毛。又谓之浮。非二脉也。是疾脉即数。大即洪。小即细也。今删 弱革牢疾大小七名。定为二十三脉。
盖脉以候病。其可去辄者。不加详辨。则名目愈多。脉理愈晦。故不敢避僭妄之讥也。
王叔和的《脉经》中，记载了浮、芤（中空如葱管）、洪（大而有力，来盛去衰）、涓（细软而急，即“濡”脉的古称或异写，此处依原文保留字形但需结合语境理解，通常指软脉，但在后世整理中常归为濡或细类，此处按原文列出）、数（快）、促（数而时止）、弦（端直以长，如按琴弦）、紧（绷急弹指）、沉（重按始得）、伏（重按推筋着骨始得）、革（浮而搏指，中空外坚）、实（充实有力）、微（极细极软，似有似无）、涩（往来艰涩）、细（脉细如线）、[缺字，据上下文及后世版本多为“濡”或“软”，原文此处可能有脱漏或特殊写法，暂译为“某脉”]、弱（极软而沉细）、虚（无力而空）、散（涣散不收）、缓（一息四至，从容和缓）、迟（慢）、结（缓而时止）、代（动而中止，不能自还）这二十四个脉象。王叔和之后的各家医家，又增加了长、短、牢、疾、小五种脉象，共计三十种脉名。
在通过脉象诊察疾病时，必须对脉象进行精确辨别，这样才能看得明白，不至于犹豫不决而没有主见。依据经典论述脉象，并不止于三十种。例如鼓、搏、喘、横等脉象，如今我也未能窥探其奥妙，不敢收录进来。即使是这三十种脉象，其中还有可以推测辨析的地方。比如《脉经》中说，浮而细的脉称为“某脉”（原文缺字，据理应为“濡”或类似描述），沉而细的脉称为“弱”。这是用浮细来辨别前者，用沉细来辨别后者。然而经典又说：“长夏季节胃气微弱的‘某脉’与‘弱’脉出现，属于平脉（正常脉象）。”如果这两种脉都仅仅是细脉，那么细脉代表气少，经典怎么会说它们是长夏季节的平脉呢？经典又说：“‘某脉’与‘弱’脉呈现石脉（沉脉）的特征，表示冬季会有疾病。”石脉就是沉脉。“某脉”与“弱”脉兼见沉象，是水气侮土的表现。如果前一种脉果真是以浮细来辨别的，经典怎么会用沉象来描述它呢？由此看来，凡是柔和而无力的脉象，一概称为“某脉”与“弱”，并不是单纯指浮细或沉细。现在将“某脉”与“弱”附在“细”脉之后，是为了保存旧有的分类。
张仲景说：“弦脉则主寒证，芤脉则主虚证。虚与寒相互搏结，这种脉象叫做革脉。男子出现失血或遗精，女子出现半产或小产后的淋漓出血。”根据这些论述，革脉就是芤脉兼见弦象。芤脉主要主阴虚病，革脉也主要主阴虚病。现在将革脉附在芤脉之后。沉、伏、实、大四种脉象，《千金翼方》称之为牢脉，主寒证、主痛证，这就是沉脉中有力的表现。现在将其附在沉脉之后。经典中一脉有多个名称的情况，如秋季的脉象称为毛脉，又称为浮脉，这并不是两种不同的脉象。疾脉就是数脉，大脉就是洪脉，小脉就是细脉。现在删去“某脉”、“弱”、“革”、“牢”、“疾”、“大”、“小”这七个脉名，定为二十三脉。因为脉象是用来候察疾病的，那些可以去掉的脉名，如果不加以详细辨别，就会使脉的名目越来越多，脉理越来越晦涩难懂。所以我不敢避免僭越狂妄的非议。
Wang Shuhe's *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic) records twenty-four pulse types: Fu (Floating), Kou (Hollow), Hong (Surging), [Missing Character, likely Ru/Soft], Shu (Rapid), Cu (Interrupted), Xian (Wiry), Jin (Tight), Chen (Deep), Fu (Profound), Ge (Leather), Shi (Full), Wei (Fine/Faint), Se (Choppy), Xi (Thready), [Missing Character], Ruo (Weak), Xu (Deficient), San (Scattered), Huan (Slow/Lax), Chi (Delayed), Jie (Knotted), and Dai (Intermittent). Scholars after Wang Shuhe added Chang (Long), Duan (Short), Lao (Firm), Ji (Very Rapid), and Xiao (Small), bringing the total to thirty pulse names.
When diagnosing diseases by pulses, one must distinguish them precisely to see clearly, avoiding hesitation and lack of direction. According to classical discussions on pulses, there are more than thirty types. For example, pulses such as Gu (Drum-like), Bo (Beating), Chuan (Panting), and Heng (Horizontal) exist. However, I have not yet penetrated their mysteries and dare not include them. Even among these thirty types, some can be inferred and analyzed. For instance, the *Mai Jing* states that a pulse that is Fu (Floating) and Xi (Thready) is called [Missing Character], while a pulse that is Chen (Deep) and Xi (Thready) is called Ruo (Weak). This distinguishes the former by Fu-Xi and the latter by Chen-Xi. Yet, the classics state: "In late summer, if the Stomach Qi presents with a slight [Missing Character] or Ruo pulse, it is considered a Ping (Normal) pulse." If both [Missing Character] and Ruo were merely Xi (Thready) pulses, which indicate a deficiency of Qi, how could the classics consider them normal pulses for late summer? Furthermore, it states: "[Missing Character] and Ruo pulses presenting with Shi (Stone/Sinking) characteristics indicate winter disease." The Shi pulse is the Chen (Deep) pulse. If [Missing Character] and Ruo present with sinking, it indicates Water insulting Earth. If the [Missing Character] pulse were indeed distinguished by Fu (Floating) and Xi (Thready), why would the classics describe it using Chen (Deep) characteristics? From this, we can see that any pulse that is Rou (Soft) and Wu Li (Forceless) is generally referred to as [Missing Character] and Ruo, not specifically as Fu-Xi or Chen-Xi. Now, I attach [Missing Character] and Ruo to Xi (Thready) to preserve the old classification.
Zhang Zhongjing said: "Xian (Wiry) indicates Cold; Kou (Hollow) indicates Deficiency. When Deficiency and Cold combine, this is named Ge (Leather) pulse. In men, it signifies loss of blood or essence; in women, spontaneous abortion or persistent bleeding." Based on this, the Ge (Leather) pulse is essentially a Kou (Hollow) pulse combined with Xian (Wiry) characteristics. Kou (Hollow) mainly indicates Yin Deficiency disease, and Ge (Leather) also mainly indicates Yin Deficiency disease. Therefore, I now attach Ge (Leather) to Kou (Hollow). The Chen (Deep), Fu (Profound), Shi (Full), and Da (Large) pulses are called Lao (Firm) in the *Qianjin Yi Fang*, indicating Cold and Pain. These are simply Chen (Deep) pulses that are forceful. Thus, I attach them to Chen (Deep). In the classics, one pulse may have multiple names. For example, the Autumn pulse is called Mao (Feather) and also Fu (Floating); these are not two different pulses. Ji (Very Rapid) is Shu (Rapid); Da (Large) is Hong (Surging); Xiao (Small) is Xi (Thready). I have now deleted seven pulse names: [Missing Character], Ruo, Ge, Lao, Ji, Da, and Xiao, establishing twenty-three pulse types. Since pulses are used to detect diseases, if removable pulse names are not carefully distinguished, the number of names will increase, and the principles of pulses will become obscure. Therefore, I do not fear criticism of being presumptuous.