Shasheng is a common Chinese drug used as antitussive and expectorant. A survey showed that the original plants of Shasheng on the current market consist of more than 30 species. To appraise the qualities of Saasheng scientifically, the antitussive .and expectorant activities of ten species of Shasheng were compared. Rosults showed that the EtOH extracts of the roots of Glehnta littoralis, Adenophora stricta subsp. henanica, A. potaninii and A .liliifolioides are very effective as autitussive,while those of A .liliijoliolioides,A.stricta subsp. sessilifolia and A. potaninii are very effective as expectorant.