Ten Asking Song

Inquiry

The “Ten Asking Song” was originally written in the Mind dynasty by Zhang Jing-Yue. It provides the practitioner with a template whereby important clinical information can be obtained in a manner that is easily remembered.

While the tune has long been lost to the hit parade of time, the questions remain. Some questions that are asked in modern times that aren’t addressed below include: emotional disturbances, pain, and sleeping.

 

 

TEN ASKING SONG
AREA QUESTIONS REASONS
1) Fever and Chills Existence of chills and fever

Relationship of chills and fever (simultaneous, alternating, etc.)

Severity

Onset and duration

Concomitant symptoms

determines presence or absence of heat and cold, disease etiology, and location
2) Perspiration Existence of sweating

Time of occurrence

Location

Severity

Character of sweat

Concomitant symptoms

signs or symptoms that change after sweating

determines condition of wei qi, body fluids, and heat in the body
3) Head and Body (aches) Head: dizziness and vertigo, tics and tremors, headaches,

Body: pain, numbness, tingling

determines existence of internal wind, or bi syndromes.
4) Stools and Urine Stool: form, color, odor, time and frequency, quantity, sensations, concurrent symptoms

Urine: color, odor, time and frequency, quantity, sensations, concurrent symptoms

determines presence or lack of heat and cold in body
5) Food, Taste, and Appetite Thirst and fluid intake

Appetite, taste sense, unusual tastes in mouth

mostly focuses on the functions of the middle jiao (appetite) and fluid metabolism (thirst).
6) Chest and Abdomen Chest: stifling sensation in chest, palpitations

Abdomen: Bloating

zang fu organs and other reasons, too numerous to list in a little box. :)
7) Ears and Eyes tinnitus and hearing, vision and tears. Mostly the state of the Liver and Kidneys
8) Children’s questions pregnancy, mother’s health, labor, breastfeeding, vaccinations and infectious diseases.
9) Sleep time of day and length of sleep, easily fall asleep or not, concurrent symptoms assesses condition of qi, blood and yin/yang balance, as well as the functions of the Heart and Kidney
10) Women’s Questions period: regularity, quantity of flow, color of flow, consistence of flow, length of flow, concurrent symptoms such as cramps, headache, constipation or diarrhea, insomnia, moodiness, etc. determines the functions of the Blood and the Liver

Last modified: August 15, 2009  Tags: ,  В·  Posted in: Inquiry