学生：中医怎样看病？
老师：中医看病，首先是通过四诊了解病情，然后进行分析综合，辨其八纲所属。根据病因、脏腑病位、卫气营血、津液的病理变化，掌握证候属性，拟定治疗原则，施以相应的治法，采用适当的方药。这就是“辨证施治”。也就是中医诊治疾病的基本方法和过程。
学生：什么是四诊？
老师：传统中医诊断方法主要是通过“望，闻，问，切”。简称“四诊”。
学生：什么是望诊？
老师：望诊，是对病人的神、色、形、态、舌象以及分泌物、排泄物色质的异常变化，进行有目的的观察，以测知内脏病变，了解疾病情况的一种诊断方法。
学生：什么是闻诊？
老师：闻诊是医者通过听觉和嗅觉来辨别病人发出的声音及气味的一种诊断方法。间诊主要以声音的高低，气味的酸臭腥腐？
学生：那么问诊呢？
老师：问诊是通过询问患者或陪诊者，以了解其发病时间，原因，经过，自觉症状以及辨证有关的情况，它是搜集辨证资料的主要方法之一。
学生：诊脉就是切脉吗？
老师：切脉包括脉诊和切脉两个部队份。凡切按病人的脉搏，胸，腹，皮肤，手足等，均属于切诊范围。
学生：脉象不是好掌握啊！
老师：切脉是前人在长期实践过程中累积下来的宝贵经验。从脉寸的变好化，可以测知人体的阴阳盛衰，邪正的消长。
Student: How should we give treatment with traditional Chinese medicine?
Teacher: First, we should comprehend the disease through “the four diagnostic methods”, then we can make a comprehensive analysis, which wi1l enable us to differentiate “the eight principal syndromes” in accordance with etiology, location of diseased organ, pathology changes of "Wei, Qi, Ying, Xue" and body fluid, determine the property of syndrome, work out the principle of treatment, perform appropriate therapy and make proper prescription. This is called "type and treatment", which is the basic method and course in the diagnosis and treatment of disease by traditional Chinese medicine.
S: What are the "four diagnostic methods"?
T: The diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine are mainly by means of inspection, listening and sme11ing, inquiring and palpation. They are called the "four diagnostic methods" for short.
S: What is inspection?
T: Inspection is to make an objectives observation of the patient’s mental state, facial expression, complexion, physical condition, picture of the tongue and abnormal changes of excretions and secretions so as to predict the pathological changes of the internal organs and to understand the disease.
S：What is listening and smelling?
T: Listening and smelling is one of the four diagnostic methods by using the doctor's auditory and olfactory functions to differentiate the voice and smell given out by the patient. Listening and smelling is to judge mainly the voice high or low and odor, sour, foul, fishy or rotten to differentiate cold, heat, deficiency and excess.
S：And what about inquiring, then?
T：Inquiring is to ask the patient or his or her companion about the date and cause of onset, course of the disease, symptoms and other conditions necessary for differentiating the disease. This is one of the major methods for collecting materials for differentiation of disease.
S: Is feeling the pulse equal to palpation?
T: Palpation consists of two parts: feeling the pulse and taking the pulse. Taking or feeling patient's pulse, chest, abdomen, skin, hand and foot all pertain to the category of palpation.
S: It is rather difficult to grasp the pulse condition!
T: Palpation is the precious experience which has been accumulated over a long period of time in the practice of the predecessors. From the changes of pulse, we will be able to predict sthenia and asthenia of“ Yin Yang”of the body, growth and decline of body and the pathogenic factor.
