Through studying Yellow Emperor’ s Inner Canon and the following literature

this article summarizes the development track of the characteristics and clinical significance of floating pulse and deep pulse

in order to trace back sources and provide the basis for the standardization research and clinical practice guide of pulse manifestation.The results show that the current understanding of floating pulse and deep pulse is not exactly the same as recorded in ancient times

especially compared with the floating pulse and deep pulse recorded in Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon（ 黄帝内经）

Classic on Medical Problems（ 难经）

and Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases（ 伤寒杂病论）

either in the pulse taking method or connotation. Firstly

the ancients thought the floating pulse and deep pulse might be physiological pulse; secondly

the ancients took float and deep to express the dynamic changes of pulse position of superficial or deep in illness state; thirdly

the ancients thought the static floating pulse and the deep pulse could reflect the physiological and pathological characteristics of the human body. Understanding of the characteristics and clinical significance of floating pulse and deep pulse in Chinese Medicine was gradual improved during its development process.