CHAPTER 8
INQUIRY
问诊
Upon completion of this chapter, you are required to:
Inquiry is one of the four diagnostic examinations, a way of gaining information for diagnosis by asking patients about general information*, chief complaint*, history of present illness*, past medical history*, social history*, and family history*. In TCM, present symptoms and signs* are extremely important because they determine the syndrome. Asking about present symptoms and signs involves asking if the patient has cold, heat, sweating, and pain, asking the patient if there is any abnormality in sleep, diet intake, taste, urine and urination, stool and defecation, and abnormality of the five sense organs and reproductive system*.
However, in this chapter, we are only going to discuss inquiry about cold and heat, pain, and some other common conditions. For more information, you may check the following websites: