The principal drugs of principal, adjuvant, auxiliary and conductant compatiblity in prescriptions recorded in the ancient literatures had different meaning and quantities. According to the current literatures, Zhuangzi Xu Wugui took the one can cure diseases as the principal drug; The principal, adjuvant, auxiliary and conductant drugs in Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) can be used to differentiate the good and bad of drugs; Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on medicinal property) of Zheng quan (Tang dynasty) stipulated some drugs as principal drugs; Zazhu Bencao of Jiang Xiaowan (Tang dynasty) took the one can cure yin diseases as the principal drugs; Yixue Qiyuan (the origination of medicine) of Zhang Yuansu (Jin dynasty) took the one of maximum dosage as principal drugs; Piwei Lun (Treatise on Spleen and Stomach) of LI gao (Jin dynasty) took the powerful one as the principal drug; The principal drugs in Yi Lun (medicine treatise) of Wang Kentang (Ming dynasty) changed according to different ages. The quantities of principal drugs can had two and three ingredients even took one prescription as principal drug instead of one ingredient.