代脈 Dai Mai Intermittent

17) Regularly intermittent pulse (dai mai) A regularly intermittent pulse is slow and weak with missed
beats at regular intervals.

“Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion Reivised Edition” – Cheng

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REGULARLY INTERMITTENT PULSE

A regularly intermittent pulse should feel moderate and weak under the fingers. There are stops in the
pulse beat, the length of the stops is relatively long, and the stops have a definite rule. For example, the
pulse may beat three times and then stop once, and after this it is continually three beats and one stop,
extremely regular. Li Zhong Zi said: '[A] regularly intermittent [pulse] is constant and regularly'
intermittent, the stops are normal and frequent, they cannot be self-controlled, there are long stops and
then a recovery of movement.' He also said: 'The meaning of constant and regularly intermittent is that,
within the regularity of four beats, there is no transgression of timing.' This explains that a regularly
intermittent pulse stops at definite times, the stops are relatively long and that the pulse arrives with
little force, moderate and weak.

“Practical Diagnosis of Traditional Chinese Medicine” – Deng

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Intermittent

The Intermittent pulse stops at regular intervals: it may be slow. rapid or of normal rate. After stopping. It
gives the impression of taking a long time to start again. In order to establish whether or not a pulse is
Intermittent. it is important to count the beats for a long time because it may stop only once in every 50
beats.

“Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine” – Maciocia

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The intermittent pulse is leisurely, but pauses at regular intervals for a little longer than one beat.

“Pulse Diagnosis by Li Shi Zhen” – Huynh

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A pulse interspersed with more relatively regular pauses is called a regularly interrupted pulse.

“Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine” – Ellis & Wiseman

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Intermittent Pulse (Yin)

Arrives interrupted, regularly intermittent; the pulse arrives after a long time.

“Li Shi Zhen’s Pulse Studies, An Illustrated Guide” – Li & Morris

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An intermittent pulse (dai mai) usually skips more beats than the previous two pulses (knotted jie mai,
hurried cu mai), but does so in a regular pattern.

“The Web has no Weaver, Understanding Chinese Medicine” – Kaptchuk

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Regularly-intermittent Pulses (Dai Mai)

They are characterized by slow and weak beats with regular and long intervals.

“Fundamentals of Acupuncture & Moxibustion” – Liu

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The intermittent pulse, or a regularly interrupted pulse 代脈 (dai mai), is a pulse interspersed with
more relatively regular pauses.

“Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine” – Wiseman

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XVI. CONSISTENTLY IRREGULAR PULSE (Dai Mai)

DESCRIPTION: The pulse pauses at regular intervals. After the pause, the pulse will then resume.

KEY POINTS: regularly missed beat, long pauses

OTHER TRANSLATIONS: intermittent, regularly intermittent

“Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diagnosis Study Guide” – Yi & Stone

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A pulse pausing at regular intervals is called 代脈 [dai mai]. "Intermittent pulse" is generally accepted as
its equivalent. Some authors render it as "regularly intermittent pulse" or "regularly interrupted pulse".
The modifications are explanatory, and are not adopted in the proposed standard.

“On the Standard of Nomenclature of Traditional Chinese Medicine” – Xie

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The interrupted pulse is a pulse with regular interruption and inability to recover itself, resuming to beat
(only after a long pause). The bound pulse is prognosticative of survival but the interrupted one of death.

“The Pulse Classic” – Wang

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The Intermittent Pulse (pulsus intermittens, dai mo)

Iconography

A pulse stopping at regular yet strikingly long intervals

“Chinese Medical Diagnostics, Comprehensive Textbook” – Porkert

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28. Dai mai (代脈) regularly intermittent pulse:

Comparatively relaxed and weak; stops at regular intermittent intervals.

These intervals may be strikingly long. Like the bound pulse, the regularly interrupted pulse is relaxed or
slow in rate. However, whereas the bound pulse skips beats at irregular intervals, the regularly
interrupted pulse skips beats at regular intervals. This means that if one counts the beats, the pause
comes after every so many beats; for instance, 1 , 2, 3 , 4, pause, 1 , 2, 3 , 4, pause, 1 , 2, 3, 4, pause, etc.
In addition, these pauses can be surprisingly and even frighteningly long.

Definition to memorize:

1. Slow

2. Skips beats at regular intervals

3. The pause in beat may be long

“The Secret of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis” – Flaws

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Intermittent: Loss of beat and pausing a little longer at a regular intervals.

“Chinese Medicine Study Guide” – Chen

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Intermittent pulse 代脈 a moderate weak pulse, pausing at regular intervals.

“WHO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD TERMINOLOGIES ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN THE WESTERN

PACIFIC REGION”