Die eerste aangetekende voorbeelde van mediese diagnose word gevind in die geskrifte van [[Imhotep]] (2630–2611 v.C) in [[Antieke Egipte]] (die Edwin Smith Papyrus).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179901/Edwin-Smith-papyrus |title=Edwin Smith Papyrus |date= |access-date=28 Februarie 2015 |website= |publisher= |last= |first= |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101084403/http://www.britannica.com:80/EBchecked/topic/179901/Edwin-Smith-papyrus |archive-date=1 November 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> 'n [[Babilonië|Babiloniese]] mediese handboek, die ''Diagnostic Handbook'', geskryf deur Esagil-kin-apli (fl. 1069–1046 vC), het die gebruik van [[empirisme]], [[logika]] en rasionaliteit in die diagnose van 'n [[siekte]] bekendgestel.<ref>H. F. J. Horstmanshoff, Marten Stol, Cornelis Tilburg (2004), ''Magic and Rationality in Ancient Near Eastern and Graeco-Roman Medicine'', pp. 97–98, Brill Publishers, {{ISBN|90-04-13666-5}}.</ref> [[Tradisionele Chinese medisyne]], soos beskryf in die Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon of Huangdi Neijing, het vier diagnostiese metodes gespesifiseer: inspeksie, uitkultuur-olfaksie, ondervraging en palpasie.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Jingfeng | first1 = C. | title = Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures | doi = 10.1007/978-1-4020-4425-0_8500 | pages = 1529–34 | year = 2008 | pmid = | pmc = | chapter = Medicine in China | isbn = 978-1-4020-4559-2 }}</ref> Dit was bekend dat [[Hippokrates]] diagnoses gemaak het deur die urine van sy pasiënte te proe en hul sweet te ruik.<ref>{{Citecite web |url=http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/what-would-hippocrates-do/|title = What Would Hipocrates Do?|date = |accessdate = Februarie 28, 2015|website = |publisher = |last = |first = |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205193452/https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/what-would-hippocrates-do/ |archive-date=5 Desember 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
