Excreta refer to the secretion and excreta from th human body, including tears, spittle, snivel, sweating, saliva, urine, stool, menstruation, leukorrhea, sputum and vomitus, etc. Excreta are produced by the functional activities of the viscera. Normally, the excretion of tears, spittle, snivel, sweating, saliva, urine, stool, menstruation, leukorrhea and sputum follow certain rules. However, under morbid conditions, there may be some changes in its color, quality, volume and form. The production of sputum and vomitus is due to the dysfunction of the viscera. So inspection of excreta is helpful for understanding the location and nature of disease as well as the functional states of the viscera.

Inspection of excreta mainly includes examination of its color, quality, volume and form. Generally speaking, whitish or light-colored and thin excreta indicates cold syndrome and asthenia syndrome due to retention of dampness resulting from stagnation of pathogenic cold or insufficiency of yangqi and weakness in transportation and transformation; yellowish or deep-colored and thick excreta indicates heat and sthenia syndrome clue to fumigation by pathogenic heat which condenses body fluid.

Inspection of excreta is rich in content, the following mainly describes the inspection of sputum, snivel, spittle, saliva and vomitus. Sweating, urine, stool, menstruation and leukorrhea will be discussed in the chapter of inquiry.