Learning Objectives
- Explain the definition of the Four Diagnostic Methods.
- Understand the four methods that constitute the Four Diagnostic Methods.
Lecture Content
1. What are the Four Diagnostic Methods (四診法)? The term “Sijin-beop (四診法)” literally means “four methods of looking”. It refers to the traditional diagnostic approaches used to examine a patient. This is a crucial diagnostic framework for understanding a patient’s condition, much like modern medicine’s practice of measuring respiration, pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature.
2. The Four Methods: Mang-Mun-Mun-Jeol (望, 聞, 問, 切) The Four Diagnostic Methods consist of four inspection techniques: looking, listening/smelling, asking, and palpating.
- Inspection (望診 – Mang-jin): This method involves diagnosis by visual observation. It includes observing the patient’s complexion, skin luster, mental state, and body shape. The examination of the tongue, known as Tongue Diagnosis (설진 – Seol-jin), is particularly important.
- Auscultation & Olfaction (聞診 – Mun-jin): This method involves diagnosis by listening and smelling. The doctor listens to the patient’s voice, breathing sounds, and coughs, and smells their body odor or secretions to determine the illness.
- Inquiry (問診 – Mun-jin): This method involves diagnosing by asking the patient questions directly. The doctor gathers information about the patient’s medical history, symptoms, general health, and family history. It’s especially important to ask for details about the main symptoms, such as their location, nature, severity, and trigger factors.
- Palpation (切診 – Jeol-jin): This method involves diagnosis by touching or pressing the patient’s body with the hands. It is divided into two techniques: Pulse Diagnosis (맥진 – Maek-jin) and Pressure Palpation (안진 – An-jin).
Chapter 2. Details of the Four Diagnostic Methods
Learning Objectives
- Understand the importance of Tongue Diagnosis within the Inspection method.
- Explain the situations where Inquiry is particularly necessary.
- Describe the two techniques of the Palpation method.
Lecture Content
1. The Importance of Tongue Diagnosis (설진 – Seol-jin) One of the most critical aspects of Inspection is Tongue Diagnosis. The doctor examines the disease by observing the tongue, specifically the tongue body (설질 – Seol-jil) for its color and shape, and the tongue coating (설태 – Seol-tae), which is the thin layer that covers the tongue. The tongue body reflects the state of the internal organs and the body’s Qi and Blood, while the tongue coating helps to understand the condition of the stomach and the cause of the disease.
2. The Usefulness of Inquiry (問診 – Mun-jin) Inquiry, or asking questions directly to the patient, is especially important for diseases where there are subjective symptoms with few objective physical signs or for diseases caused by emotional factors. The patient’s chief complaints can guide the doctor to focus on specific areas for a more thorough examination.
3. The Techniques of Palpation (切診 – Jeol-jin): Pulse and Pressure Palpation is a method where a doctor uses their hands to touch the patient’s body and gather necessary information.
- Pulse Diagnosis (맥진 – Maek-jin): The doctor takes the pulse to assess the flow, speed, and depth of the blood, diagnosing the patient’s overall condition.
- Pressure Palpation (안진 – An-jin): The doctor presses or feels specific parts of the body to check for pain, lumps, or hardness, which helps to identify the location and nature of the pathology.