The Ancient Art of Feeling the Pulse

Discourse on pulse in medieval Persia—the Hidayat of Al-Akhawayni (?–983AD)

“…However, the so-called triple classification of pulse by Akhawayni, i.e. two extremes and a medium condition, was earlier used by Galen [19]. A similar pulse classification has been used in later years by Avicenna [21,28].…”

“…A pulse that is not compatible with those pulses mentioned earlier; the child's, the young adult's, the middle-aged or elderly person's pulse, is named an Inconsistent-with-Meter Pulse (Arrhythmic Pulse)… …and the tenth character [of the pulse] is a person who examines a patient's artery recognizes the serious diseases… when the artery under the [examiner's] hand is warmer than other parts [of the body], it means that the disease is serious… It was known to the medieval physicians that pulse cycles were reflections of cardiac cycles [15]. This relationship has been probably adopted from the ancient Egyptian medicine [16][17][18], as later Herophilus (335-280 BC), Rufus of Ephesus (1st-2nd century AD) and Galen (129-200 AD) noted that the heart was the cause of arterial pulse [19]. On the other hand, Akhawayni's belief that arteries are filled with blood and pneuma (air) is a Galenic concept thought to have originated from the ancient Egyptian physicians [16,20].…”

D. Evan Bedford: Master cardiologist and bibliophile

“…12 Beginning in 1926 as a registrar (resident), he would search bookshops for classic papers and books on heart disease and other subjects. His bibliophilic desires ultimately resulted in the acquisition of 1,112 items.…”

Claudius Galen of Pergamum: Authority of Medieval Medicine

“…Galen's descriptions of various pulses included pulsus tardus, celer, myurus, caprisans, mollis, durus, rarus, and the formicant and vermicular pulse. 9,10 One of his more famous observations was that a woman's pulse sped up when she heard the name of her lover. 9,10 As late as the sixteenth century, a challenge to Galen's teachings could result in a fine from the Royal College of Physicians.…”

“…9,10 One of his more famous observations was that a woman's pulse sped up when she heard the name of her lover. 9,10 As late as the sixteenth century, a challenge to Galen's teachings could result in a fine from the Royal College of Physicians. 10 Individuals made public apologies to avoid criticism for their failures to obtain Galenic texts for updated and improved translations.…”