《后汉书》郭玉脉法校文

Emendation of Guoyu's Pulse-taking Method in Houhanshu 后汉书

《后汉书》载郭玉论脉,有"左阳右阴"一语,或本作"左阴右阳",自北宋即已乱,学者无解。其行文正误涉及对《后汉书》的校正以及对医学史的阐述。根据《素问》、《难经》、《脉经》等文献,诊脉有各种不同取候方法。古以为脉有男女之别,男子左脉大于右脉,女子右脉大于左脉;以气口诊法言之,男子寸大于尺,女子尺大于寸。郭玉诊一"女子"两手气口之脉,据脉法而得左阳右阴之象,疑所诊其两手实一为男子之手一为女子之手。《后汉书》文当作"左阳右阴",作"左阴右阳"者系不审古脉法而误改。

Guoyu＇ s treatise on pulse-taking was recorded in Houhanshu 后汉书. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, there were different versions in which a term was documented as either ＂pulse of left hand is Yang and right is Yin＂ or ＂pulse of left hand is Yin and right is Yang＇. Scholars offered no definite explanations. This term relates to the emendation of Houhanshu and the exposition about the history of medicine. According to the literature as Suwen 素问, Nanjing 难经, Maijing 脉经 and so on, there are different methods on pulse-taking. The ancients thought that men＇s and women＇s pulse was different, as men＇ s pulse in left hand is larger than the right while the women＇ s is opposite. According to the Cunkou diagnostic methods, men＇s ＂Cun pulse＂ is lager than ＂Chi pluse＂ as women＇s is opposite. Guoyu diagnosed the woman＇ s Cunkou pulse of both hands, and got the result as the ＂pulse of left hand is Yang and right is Yin＂ according to the pulse-taking methods. This article suspects that two hands diagnosed were respectively from a man and a woman. The right term documented in Houhanshu should be ＂pulse of left hand is Yang and right is Yin＂, the other version was an inaccurate alteration because of unfamiliarity with ancient pule-taking method.