1. Wind-Heat and Phlegm-Toxin Syndrome
Main Symptoms: It is often seen in the neck carbuncle, manifested by local tumefaction and pain, no change in the skin color at the initial stage, felt burning sensation by touch, and accompanied by aversion to cold, fever, headache, dry mouth, sore throat, thin and whitish or thin and yellowish tongue coating, superficial and rapid pulse.

2. Liver-Stagnation and Phlegm-Fire Syndrome
Main Symptoms: It is often seen in the axillary carbuncle, manifested by sudden local tumefaction, burning pain, and accompanied by fever, headache, bittertaste in the mouth, dry throat, distending pain in the hypochondrium, reddened tongue, yellowish coating, wiry and rapid pulse.

3. Damp-Heat Accumulation Syndrome
Main Symptoms: It is often seen in Weizhong toxin, and hip and abdominal carbuncle, manifested by local tumefaction and pain, thin pus after ulceration, light red color in the wound, and lingering suppurative fluid, and accompanied by fever, aching sensation in the body and limbs, poor appetite loose stool, scanty urine, reddened tongue, yellowish and greasy coating, slippery and rapid pulse.