Objective: Adopt the frequency analysis and cluster analysis method to conduct the data mining

in order to explore the multi-dimensional inherent law for syndromes

prescriptions and Chinese herbs in ZHANG Zhongjing's famous prescription Xiaochaihu Tang and its related prescriptions. Method: Xiaochaihu Tang and its related prescriptions were collected from the Volume of Prescriptions of the Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The golden section method was used to make a frequency analysis on high-frequency symptoms

disease names

Chinese herbs

Chinese herbs' efficacy

and cluster analysis on high-frequency Chinese herbs. Result: The 509 prescriptions collected involved 151 symptoms

which appeared for 3 243 times

including 11 high-frequency symptoms

with fever as the dominance. They involved 127 disease names

which appeared for 543 times

including 4 high-frequency disease names

with exogenous febrile disease as the dominance. They involved 178 herbs

which appeared for 4 283 times

including 15 high-frequency herbs

with Bupleuri Radix as the dominance. These prescriptions can be classified into 18 categories according to their efficiency

with those relieving exterior syndromes as the dominance. Two clustering prescriptions were obtained through the cluster analysis on high-frequency herbs. Conclusion: The frequency analysis and the cluster analysis can objectively reflect the compatibility law of prescriptions related to Xiaochaihu Tang.