Sìzhěn hécān shì zhōngyī zhěnduàn de jīběn yuánzé.
Combining all four diagnostic methods is a fundamental principle of TCM.
Tips
culture
The four are 望 (looking - at face, tongue, posture), 闻 (listening to voice/breath, smelling), 问 (asking about symptoms), and 切 (feeling the pulse). The ideal is 四诊合参 - combining all four; relying on just one is considered shallow practice.
history
Codified in 《难经》 (~Han dynasty): 望而知之谓之神，闻而知之谓之圣，问而知之谓之工，切脉而知之谓之巧 - 'to know by looking is divine; by listening, sage-like; by asking, skilled; by pulse, clever.'
