Listening and smelling wén zhěn · 闻诊

The second of the four examinations covers what a practitioner hears and smells: the strength and tone of the voice, whether speech is low or forceful, breathing, coughing, sighing, and unusual odours of the body or breath.

The vocabulary is qualitative rather than measured: a low, weak voice is read as deficiency and a loud, coarse voice as excess. Modern readers should note that some findings in this category, notably an unusual breath odour, are also clinical signs that warrant proper medical assessment.