Objective To investigate medicinal properties and efficacy of antiviral herbs and the relationship between the medicinal properties and efficacy. Methods Chinese herbal medicines with pharmacological effects of antiviral in Chinese Materia Medica were screened. At the same time

"Chinese medicine"and"antiviral"were used as subject headings to search antiviral Chinese medicine related research literatures in CNKI（ China National Knowledge Internet） from January 1

1999 to December 31

2017. After standardizing the drug properties and efficacy of selected drugs

frequency statistics and association rules（ Apriori algorithm） were used to analyze the drug combinations（ property

flavor

channel attribution） and efficacy rules of antiviral Chinese medicines

and the association rules between drug combinations and efficacy were explored. Results A total of 201 Chinese herbs were screened out. A total of 177 types of combinations of antiviral medicinal properties were used. The total frequency was 803 times. The property combination with frequency larger than 15 times were as follows

i. e. cold-bitter-liver with 38 times

cold-bitter-lung with 28 times

cold bitter stomach with 25 times

warm-pungent-liver with 20 times

coldbitter-heart with 19 times

cold-bitter-large intestine with 18 times

warm-pungent-spleen with 18 times

warmpungent-lung with 17 times

warm-pungent-stomach with 17 times

cold-sweet-lung with 15 times

cold-pungent-liver with 15 times

calm-bitter-liver with 15 times

warm-bitter-liver with 15 times. A total of 36 kinds of efficacy were involved

with a total frequency of 545

of which the top 10 in terms of frequency were relieving heat with 77 times

promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis with 42 times

dissipating phlegm and relieving cough and asthma with 38 times

eliminating dampness and diuresis with 38 times

tonifying deficiency with 37 times

arresting bleeding with 30 times

removing toxicity with 28 times

arresting pain with 27 times

relieving dampness with 24 times

and expelling intestinal parasites with 21 times. The strong association rules for the medicinal properties and efficacy of antiviral Chinese herbs were 13 articles

including cold-bitter-liver and relieving heat

calm-bitter-liver and relieving heat

and warm-pungent-lung and relieving superficies. Conclusion The drug combination of antiviral herbs is simultaneous use of coldness with warmth

and pungency with bitterness. The law of efficacy category is multi-method

and it is not limited to clearing method. The law of drug efficacy association is that of medicinal property with the efficacy.