🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Doctor: Associate Professor Qin Jian, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Interviewer: Reporter Qiu Ruixian. Staff: Chen Qikun
When it comes to seeing a TCM practitioner, everyone knows the importance of "observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation." However, clinical experience tells me that if a patient knows how to cooperate appropriately, it can greatly improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. Don’t underestimate these small techniques—sometimes a layer of lipstick or a few drops of perfume can mislead doctors.
"Observation": Avoid lipstick and scraping the tongue
"Inspection" mainly involves doctors obtaining diagnostic information through visual observation. Concealing one’s natural appearance, consciously or unconsciously, can distort the results of inspection, leading to misdiagnosis. Modern makeup artistry can easily deceive the eye. For example, a sallow complexion normally indicates spleen deficiency, but after makeup, it may appear rosy and healthy, misleading the doctor. Lipstick can make a patient with yang deficiency and pale lips seem like a healthy person. Before visiting a doctor, avoid makeup so the doctor sees your true self, aiding accurate diagnosis.
"Tongue inspection" is a crucial part of TCM observation. Doctors aim to see the patient’s true tongue coating and color. Some patients brush their tongues vigorously in the morning, hoping to show a "beautiful" tongue, but this actually obscures the diagnosis. Different tongue coatings represent different syndromes: yellow coating indicates heat; gray-black and moist indicates cold. If a patient drinks orange juice or strong coffee before visiting, staining the tongue yellow or gray-black, it could lead to misdiagnosis of heat or cold.
Additionally, during tongue inspection, some patients stretch their tongues too far and too pointed, thinking this helps the doctor see better. They don’t realize that regardless of tongue color, stretching too tightly makes it appear red—a sign of heat. When extending the tongue, relax and keep it natural, exposing only about one-third of the tongue.
Auscultation: Avoid chewing gum and suppressing cough
"Auscultation" involves doctors diagnosing based on patient sounds and odors. Perfumes or chewing gum can mask natural odors. Additionally, the strength of a patient’s voice provides useful diagnostic clues. Do not exaggerate or suppress your voice. When coughing, don’t shout to ensure the doctor hears, nor should you hold back tears from coughing.
Patients should note that although doctors have professional ethics to treat all patients equally, unpleasant body odors—such as alcohol, garlic—are universally unwelcome.
Inquiry: Avoid vague terms like "heatiness" or "weakness"
"Inquiry" is the doctor’s method of listening to the patient’s complaints. Focus on specifics—don’t use vague terms like "heatiness," "poor digestion," "general discomfort," or "feeling weak" to answer the doctor’s first question.
When asked where you feel unwell or what help you need, describe your condition accurately using clinical symptoms (like headache, general fatigue) or objective signs (like fever, rashes). When asked how long the condition has lasted, many Guangzhou patients always reply with the same phrase: "Hao nai (very long)," and repeat it even when pressed—refusing to use years, months, or days to specify duration, truly frustrating.
After describing your main complaint, briefly and clearly explain the onset, progression, changes, treatment history, medication use, and outcomes. Avoid excessive embellishment. Share your past medical history, family history, personal peculiarities (like drug allergies, special food preferences), and female patients should additionally mention menstrual and reproductive history.
When asked further questions, respond honestly. Sometimes "yes" or "no" suffices. For elderly patients with poor memory or complex conditions, writing down your symptoms is a good idea.
Palpation: Avoid rushing before visit and wearing dresses
Finally, "palpation" mainly involves pulse-taking and touching the body. Rapid walking affects pulse readings; it’s best to rest outside the clinic room for a few minutes before the visit. During pulse-taking, breathe evenly and relax muscles. Also, some examinations require touching the chest and abdomen. Female patients should avoid wearing dresses to facilitate examination.