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In ancient times, without X-rays or CT scans, to "see through" the pathological state within a patient, the "Four Diagnostic Methods" known as "Observation, Listening/Smelling, Inquiry, and Palpation" were the primary means by which ancient physicians gathered information about a patient's condition:

• "Observation": Using the eyes to observe various signs and lesions on the patient's body, including looking at facial color and tongue appearance.
• "Listening/Smelling": Listening to the spontaneous pathological sounds from the patient's body, including the physician actively and appropriately tapping the patient's body to listen to the echoes, and listening to the patient's description of their condition; smelling the patient's odors is also included in "Listening/Smelling."
• "Inquiry": Asking about the patient's illness and medical history.
• "Palpation": Including pulse diagnosis (pulse-taking), is a critical component of examination. The patient's pulse condition can precisely reflect the body's current systemic state, providing vital information that often plays a decisive role in diagnosing disease patterns. Other palpation techniques, such as pressing on the affected area or abdominal percussion, also yield valuable clinical data.

Physicians diagnosing illnesses are quite similar to judges handling cases; the more clues and evidence, the clearer the understanding of the case's ins and outs, so there is no such thing as too much evidence. The examination in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aims to "know the inside from the outside," to see through the internal pathological state of the human body, so there is no such thing as too much evidence. The ancients emphasized the combination of the four diagnostic methods, as relying solely on one of "Observation, Listening/Smelling, Inquiry, and Palpation" can easily lead to misdiagnosis.

Among the four diagnostic methods, pulse diagnosis is particularly important because the pulse can directly reflect:

• the internal zang-fu organs' yin-yang imbalance state;
• whether it has been affected by external environmental factors such as cold, heat, humidity, etc.;
• whether there is an invasion of external "pathogenic qi" such as viruses or bacteria.

Therefore, ancient classics and medical experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of pulse diagnosis.

In addition to the traditional "Observation, Listening/Smelling, Inquiry, and Palpation," modern medicine also offers various imaging and blood tests, providing richer and more detailed information for physicians/doctors of TCM to make more accurate diagnoses, benefiting the public.