Inventions of diagnostic methods by Xin'an famous doctors

Xin'an famous doctors were proficient in observing complexion and feeling pulse.YE Tian-shi of Ming dynasty initiated febrile disease syndrome differentiation based on tongue observation,and invented a new diagnostic method:observing dryness and dampness of the tongue,which had been applied to distinguishing the seriousness of pathogenic factors,location of diseases,characteristic of symptoms and prognosis of diseases to determine the treatment method and prescription.Moreover,he supplemented some diagnostic methods such as inspecting teeth,macula,papule,and milliaria alba, which were of unique ingenuity and developed the true function of tongue observation,and had been therefore regarded as criteria in later ages.WANG Hong compiled the book Doctrine of Observation,in which he systematically summarized the contents of observation,and invented ten methods of observing qi,which together with indication of disease by five colors,had become the main content of modern textbook,Traditional Chinese Diagnostics.Xin'an famous doctors put special emphasis on pulse feeling, and regarded it as key of medical science.In diagnostic inspection,they considered pulse as the basis of analyzing pathogenesis, judging syndrome,determining treatment,and prescribing medicine.Therefore,the unique academic experience of warming and reinforcing according to pulse,differentiating syndrome and seriousness based on pulse,respecting ZHANG Zhong-jing's theory of syndrome differentiation according to symptom and pulse,pulse as crucial inspection,no loss of the ancient law had come into being.The series inventions of observation and pulse feeling by Xin'an famous doctors have injected springhead and new vitality into traditional Chinese diagnostics.