On the Pulse Diagnosis via a Thread, Namely "Xuanxizhenmai"

Objectives Although the faith that pulse diagnosis via a thread, namely "Xuanxizhenmai", had been applied to some women in royal families, is widely spread in East Asian countries, but it is still controversial that whether this faith is based on historical facts or just originated from some folk tales. So we provided some reasonable clues to interpret that faith. Methods The digitalized Annals of Joseon Dynasty and Twenty Five Books of Chinese History were used for historical example search. Conventional internet search engines are widely used for investigation of other examples and related interpretations. Additionally, a pilot observation with nylon threads and optical vibration detection devices was performed to confirm it's feasibility. Results Although there are a few evidences supporting Xuanxizhenmai's existence in Qing dynasty, no evidence was found to show it's existence in authoritative annals of Korea and China. The pilot observation showed that in optimal environment, some intense arterial pulse could be propagated dozens of centimeter, but it was not applicable to clinical needs. Conclusions Pulse propagation via a thread was proved to be reproducible within limited extents, but pulse diagnosis via a thread, namely Xuanxizhenmai, seem to have never been used for proper clinical purpose.

실을 통한 맥진, 소위 현사진맥(懸絲診脈)에 관하여