Affection by exopathogenic wind -heat or epidemic febrile diseases at the early stage, manifested as fever and slight aversion to wind and cold. It is often used with forsythia fruit and peppermint, as in Powder of Lonicera and Forsythia (Yin Qiao San).
Invasion of the qi system by pathogenic heat marked by high fever, dire thirst and full pulse. It is often used with gypsum and anemarrhena rhizome.
Sores, car- buncles, furuncles and swelling. It is a very important herb for external diseases, usually used in combination with dandelion ,  viola herb, as in Antiphlogistic Decoc- tion of Five Herbs. (Wuwei Xiaodu Yin).