The method of using acridity to open and bitterness to discharge pertains to the harmonization method and the dispersion method in the eight treatment methods of Chinese medicine.It refers to a treatment principle of Chinese medicine in which acrid herbs and bitter herbs are used in the same prescription to treat diseases based on the theory of spleen and stomach ascending and descending and the theory of medicinal property and taste.Treatment methods of Chinese medicine，basic theories of Chinese medicine and clinical practice are an organic integrity，and the method of using acridity to open and bitterness to discharge，originated from theories of Chinese medicine，should be applied with the consideration of theories，treatment methods， prescriptions and herbs and thus can harmonize the cold and heat， regulate the qi movement and regulate the deficiency and excess.The authors discussed the method of using acridity to open and bitterness to discharge from the perspectives of history， original theories of its establishment， characteristics of medicine combination，clinical practice and modern application，in order to make practitioners further understand and use this method in clinical practice.