After much experience you will become expert in questioning patients so as to bring out the truth. You must put yourself on a level with the form of speech your patients use. Be sure you have not put any words into your patient's mouth or biased his expression. You want to know all the particulars but without asking about it directly. If a question brings no answer let it alone, for he does not know or has not noticed.
Questions giving a choice of answers are defective.
Ascertain the precise part of the body the pain was in and the character of the pain, etc. In investigating a case there are many things to learn, the length of the attack, appearance of the discharge if it is a case of vomiting, its character, the time of day, etc., etc. Every student should go over these questions framing collateral questions, and practicing case-taking. Leave the patient in freedom always. Do not put any words into his mouth.