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One of the core concepts of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis

The eight principles are a core concept of traditional Chinese medicine based on Confucianism. The identification and differentiation of syndromes according to the eight principles is one of the earliest examples of critical and deductive thinking for diagnosis. The eight principles are:
Exterior and interior (t=裡表)
Cold and hot (t=寒熱)
Empty and full (t=虛實)
Yin and yang (t=陰陽)

Sometimes referred to as external and internal, this differentiation is not made on the basis of etiology (cause) of disease but location. It can also give an indication of the direction the illness is taking, becoming more external or going deeper into the body. Exterior affects the skin, muscles and jingluo (energy meridians). Interior affects the Zang Fu (internal organs) and the bones. The general symptoms for an exterior pattern are fever, aversion to cold, aching body, stiff neck, and a floating rapid pulse. Onset is acute and the correct treatment will elicit a swift response. Exterior patterns usually involve the invasion of an external pathogenic wind as a factor, or if slow in onset can indicate painful obstruction syndrome (bi syndrome) damp or chronicity.

This is indicated by fever, thirst, red face, red eyes, constipation, scanty dark urine, full rapid pulse and a red tongue with yellow coating. It arises when there is an excess of Yang energies in the body. It can be caused by consuming hot energy foods, or long standing emotional problems causing for example liver qi stagnation. It can also be caused by invasion by an external pathogenic factor.

Empty heat is characterised by afternoon fever, dry mouth, dry throat at night, night sweats, a feeling of heat in the chest and in the palms and the soles, dry stools, scanty dark urine and a floating and rapid pulse and a peeled tongue. It is usually accompanied by a feeling of restlessness and vague anxiety. The difference between full heat is that empty heat is cause by a deficiency of Yin rather than an excess of Yang.

Chilliness, cold limbs, no thirst, pale face, abdominal pain., aggravated on pressure, desire to drink warm liquids, loose stools, clear abundant urine, Deep full tight pulse and a pale tongue with thick white coating. Full cold is generated by an excess of Yin.

Chilliness, cold limbs, dull pale face, no thirst, listlessness, sweating, loose stools, clear abundant urine, a deep slow or weak pulse and a pale tongue with a thin white coating. Empty cold arises from a deficiency of Yang.

Yin and yang are also categorised in an eight pattern of, Yin and Yang, Interior, exterior, and deficiency, excess or hot, cold, relating to the I Ching.