a
reference to a method of examination and diagnosis used in certain Chinese medical practices. A pulse is the rhythmic throbbing of the blood vessels that can be felt in various locations in a
body, as on the wrists or neck. Since ancient
times, traditional Chinese medicine has considered the pulse an important part of the
investigation of a
patient's health. The examination involves feeling the pulse in several places of the
body, at
different times, and using
different pressures when
checking. Such an examination can take several hours and is sometimes the only one made. From this, the
doctor can supposedly
determine which organs are diseased and foretell the
time of
death or
recovery.