Chinese Herbal Medicine

The Four Diagnostic Methods Explained

Inspection (Visual Observation)

The practitioner assesses the patient's complexion, demeanor, body shape, tongue, face, skin, and secretions. Tongue diagnosis is central — examining the body of the tongue (color, shape) and the coating (color, thickness) to read the body's internal state.

Auscultation & Olfaction (Listening and Smelling)

• Listening — to coughs, breathing, and speech, to gauge the strength of lung qi.
• Smelling — bodily odors such as breath, sweat, and secretions, to identify the nature of the illness.

For example, bad breath may indicate excess stomach heat or a digestive issue.

Inquiry (Patient History)

The practitioner asks about the chief complaint, medical history, diet, sleep, emotions, bowel and urinary habits, and (for women) menstrual cycle. The goal is to uncover internal causes that aren't externally visible.

For example, night sweats may signal a yin deficiency.

Palpation (Pulse and Touch)

The practitioner uses gentle pressure to detect physical changes — most importantly through pulse diagnosis. Three fingers placed at the wrist's *cun-kou* position read the pulse for qualities such as floating, sinking, slow, or rapid — which together speak to qi, blood, organ function, and disease progression. The practitioner may also press specific acupoints or the abdomen to localize the issue.

Holistic Reading

The Four Methods are practiced together, never in isolation — each serves as a check and a complement to the others, producing a far more accurate diagnosis than any single technique could.