Nan Jing Pulse Diagnosis in Chinese & Tibetan Medicine
In Chinese medicine, the pulse is taken on both wrists in three positions. The first position is placed distal to the styloid process, the second position is in line with the styloid process, and the third position is proximal to the styloid process. Each pulse position corresponds to two organs that are in a yin-yang relationship to teach other.
In Tibetan Medicine, the pulse positions and correspondences are nearly identical to the Chinese system, making it difficult to identify which system is the source-tradition. I suspect that Tibetan physicians were aware of the Nan Jing's pulse system and adopted this into their medical tradition (alongside the Ayurvedic pulse system), given that the Nan Jing dates to 200 BCE and the Four Tantras were repeatedly revised into the 17th century. However, despite the similarities, there are key differences in the Tibetan pulse system, and also certain expansions of ideas first presented in the Nan Jing. This fact alone makes the Tibetan medical system as a whole a valuable commentary on neighboring systems, especially Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.