Objective To explore the composing principles of oral administration prescriptions treating canities embodied in Formula Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Methods Screened oral administration prescriptions treating canities embodied in Formula Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Extract data and establish database. The software of Chinese medicine inheritance auxiliary system was adopted. Analyze the situation of medication

common drug pairs

core combinations and new formula combinations using methods of frequency statistics

association rules

cluster analysis and complex system entropy clustering respectively. Results Ninety oral administration prescriptions were included

157 herbs applied. Top five frequent herbs were Shengdihuang [Radix Rehmanniae Recens]（ 43）

Shudihuang [Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata ]（ 39）

Heshouwu [Radix Polygoni Multiflori]（ 34）

Niuxi [Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae]（ 33） and Gouqizi [Fructus Lycii]（ 28） successively.The support was 10 and the confidence was 0. 65. There were 52 herbs combination. Top five frequent combinations were Shengdihuang and Gouqizi

Shengdihuang and Shudihuang

Shengdihuang and Heshouwu

Shengdihuang and Niuxi

Heshouwu and Shudihuang successively. Forty-one groups of relevant herbs were got by association rules analysis. Top five groups which got higher confidence were Tusizi [Semen Cuscutae] vs Niuxi; Danggui [Radix Angelicae Sinensis] and Gouqizi vs Shengdihuang; Danggui and Shudihuang vs Shengdihuang; Heshouwu

Gouqizi and Shudihuang vs Shengdihuang; Heshouwu and Gouqizi vs Shengdihuang successively. Twelve core combinations of herbs and six new formula combinations were got based on prescriptions of entropy clustering type. Conclusion Invigorating herbs were commonly applied in Chinese medicine prescriptions to treat canities

mainly nourishing liver

kidney and blood. New formula combinations were mainly invigorating with acrid dispersing herbs based on entropy hierarchical clustering algorithm.