The pulse in her left wrist was thready, and in her right, string-like.
This pulse pattern was not difficult to discern; in fact, it was very clear.
A thready pulse indicates qi deficiency and general weakness. Furthermore, the Binhu Sphygmology states that if it's not dampness invading the waist and kidneys, then it's a loss of essence from excessive sweating.
A string pulse belongs to yin within yang. The mnemonic for it states that a string pulse corresponds to the liver and gallbladder meridians of the East. It is also related to illnesses caused by excessive phlegm, cold, heat, and malaria.
With this pulse pattern combined with the earlier physical signs, it was easy to see that this woman's problem was not just a simple issue of lung qi deficiency.
She suffered from a deficiency of lung and kidney yang!
She had the exact opposite problem of that little girl named Xixi whom he had treated earlier.
