Anamnesis, also known as history of past illness, mainly includes the constitution of the patient and previous contraction of diseases.

Inquiry of past physique
The past physique of the patient may be relevant to the present illness. For example, if the physique is usually strong, the disease is often sthenic; if the physique is usually weak, the disease is often asthenic; if yin is often in asthenia, the disease is usually of heat syndrome due to the susceptibility to the invasion of pathogenic febrile and dry factors; if yang is often in asthenia, the disease is usually of cold syndrome due to susceptibility to the invasion of cold and dampness.

Previous illness
Inquiry of previous illness includes the category, relapse, present treatment, present manifestations and relation with the present illness. Besides, inquiry of previous illness should also include contraction of dysentery, malaria, diphtheria and measles, inoculation, allergy and operation.