Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a complementary and alternative medicine that has attracted significant attention both domestically and internationally.

It offers a distinct approach to patient diagnosis and treatment compared to Western medicine, using four main diagnostic methods to detect ailments: Observation (inspection), Auscultation and Olfaction (listening and smelling), Inquiry (interrogation) and Palpation (feeling, including pulse-taking).

These methods reflect the pathological and physiological changes that occur during the development of a disease.

Observation means examining the patient's complexion and tongue; auscultation and olfaction involve listening to the patient cough and inhale and exhale and smelling their breath and body odor; inquiry entails looking at the patient's medical history and asking about the cause of the illness, body temperature, sweating, bowel and bladder functions, dietary preferences and fatigue; palpation concludes the process by taking the patient's pulse and conducting a physical examination.

The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic), an ancient medical text compiled during the Western Han Dynasty, first systematically expounded the principles and applications of the four diagnostic methods, clarifying the core principle of "integrated diagnosis" and laying its theoretical foundation.

The following are specific examples of the modern clinical application of the four diagnostic methods to diagnose and treat conditions such as the common cold, commonly classified as wind-cold or wind-heat cold.

Observation: In wind-cold, patients have a thin white coating on their tongue, a pale complexion, clear nasal discharge, and thin, clear sputum without obvious redness or swelling of the throat. In wind-heat cold, the coating is yellow, the complexion slightly red, and the nasal discharge and sputum are thick, accompanied by congestion and swelling of the throat.

Auscultation: Patients with wind-cold usually have a light cough and little sputum with no odor. The voice is not affected and there is no bad breath. Wind-heat colds may be accompanied by a dry mouth, heavy breathing, and cough. Some patients may produce sputum that is sticky or has a fishy smell.

Inquiry: For wind-cold, the conditions are mainly significant chills and mild fever, with no sweating, headaches and body aches, and no thirst or preference for hot drinks. The core diagnostic criteria for wind-heat cold are "high fever and mild chills," accompanied by sweating, a sore throat and often a dry mouth and a desire to drink liquids.

Palpation: In patients with wind-cold, the pulse is often "floating and tight" (easily felt with light pressure) and the forehead and extremities tend to be cold. In the case of wind-heat cold, the pulse is often rapid and floating and the forehead and armpits often feel hot.

Today, a combination of "traditional experience + modern technology" has been achieved by integrating modern technologies, such as tongue and pulse diagnostic instruments, with TCM's holistic diagnostic thinking.