Samyoyongantang (SMY), a herbal medicine, has been used as cure for gangrene. To evaluate anti-inflammatory effect of samyoyongantang, we treated samyoyongantang extract in animal model system induced contact hypersensitivity. Contact hypersensitivity, a local inflammatory response of the skin, was induced by 1% DNCB on the right ear of BALB/c mouse. Samyoyongantang was prepared as water extract and administrated everyday for 2 weeks per oral. A right ear of mouse was potently swelled by 1% of DNCB treatm ent, but a mouse ear thickness was significantly reduced by samyoyongantang after 2 we eks treatment. Samyoyongantang reduced IgG in serum obtained from blood of 1 % DNCB-treated mouse. IgE in serum was not changed by samyoyongantang treatment. From these results, anti-inflammatory effect of samyoyongantang, especially reduction of ear swell ing, might be partly due to reduction of IgG in serum.