The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of 17 crude drugs used for the relief of arthritic symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine have been investigated by utilizing carrageenan-induced edema in rats and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. In 13 crude drugs anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenan edema was observed with 250 mg/kg i.p. administration and 16 crude drugs (1000 mg/kg s.c.) inhibited the number of writhings induced by acetic acid in mice.