The therapy of resolving phlegm and relaxing bowels now has been a major therapy for treating syndrome of phlegm heat and bowel excess of stroke in the fields of Chinese medicine and integrated Western and Chinese medicine. The authors reviewed the history and origin of the therapy

and introduced the discovery process of the syndrome from the visual angle of spring up. The authors observed bowel qi obstruction at the beginning of stroke

pondered over the simultaneous emergence of bowel qi obstruction and phlegm heat syndrome and relationship between the syndrome and disease severity

and analyzed the occurrence of syndrome of phlegm heat and bowel excess

accumulation of brain collateral damaged by internal toxin

and multiple ways of concurrence of the syndrome. Furthermore

the key points of syndrome differentiation

identification of syndromes

formula design and medication

modification

decocting methods

detailed rules

and application range of formulas according to clinical condition

observation indications

prognosis and contraindications of the syndrome

and clinical application of therapy of resolving phlegm and relaxing bowels were stated systematically in the paper.