• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.59-81
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• 2017

Objectives : This paper studies the pulse diagnosis as found in Youksimanpil, which is a series of medical charts containing 150 diagnosis records of Yi Suki, a doctor who was active in Joseon during the 17-18th centuries. Through this effort, the paper aims to shed light on how pulse was utilized in the Korean medicine, and in process tries to reveal the essence of Korean medicine's treatment method. Methods : 60 charts where pulse method was used are selected in Youksimanpil and a table is created with them. Figures are drawn to explain four steps of pulse-sensing from the simple method to highly advanced method. Charts are presented with the corresponding original texts and their translations. With these efforts, the paper attempts to reveal the broad understanding of the doctor of Joseon period who consistently kept to the most basic principle of pulse diagnosis. Results : The efficiency of pulse diagnosis depends on the unity and simplicity in diagnosis and prescription. There were continued efforts between the doctors in Joseon to collect and compare the experiences they gained from clinical practices in order to organize their findings and form a system. These are: (1) individual pulse, (2) patternized pulse, (3) balance between left and right pulses, (4) balance between pulse and body, and (5) the doctor's extemporaneous diagnosis. In that efforts, they protect the principle of holistic diagnosis, which is one of Korean medicine's core principles. Conclusions : Thanks to the existence of medical charts that presents in detail how the texts of Donguibogam were applied in real clinical practices, today we can see Korean medicine's highly advanced synergy between textual knowledge and clinical experiences as recorded in the form of charts.