In this study, we selected 80% ethanol extract from 23 Chinese herbal medicine extracts to resist the activity of four common pathogens in vitro. The diameter of the zone of inhibition was determined by agar diffusion method, and the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)and the minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration(MBC/MFC)were determined by micro-broth culture. The results were as follows: MIC/MBC values of 16 kinds of extracts Gentiana rigescens, Hypericum patulum and Rabdosia serra were 0.19 to 3.12 mg·mL-1, which had very strong antibacterial activities to Staphylococcus accreus. The MIC/MBC values of 14 kinds of extracts Polygonum capitatum, Lophatherum gracile and Scutellaria barbata were 1.56 to 6.25 mg·mL-1, which had good antibacterial activities to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition to the Sophora japonica extract, the MIC/MBC values of other extracts were 3.12 to 12.5 mg·mL-1, which had good antibacterial activities to Escherichia coli. The MIC/MFC values of Agastache rugosa and Daemonorops margaritae extracts were 0.78 to 6.25 mg·mL-1, which had strong antibacterial activities to Candida albicans; The MIC/MFC value of Gentiana rigescens, Hypericum patulum, Geumja ponicum, Sophora flavescens, Piper nigrum, Penthorum chinense, Piper longum and Lophatherum gracile extracts were 6.25 to 12.5 mg·mL-1, which also had certain antibacterial activities to Candida albicans. Therefore, these selected Chinese herbal medicines had good antibacterial effects, and most of them had broad-spectrum antibacterial activities, but Agastache rugosa and Daemonorops margaritae, which had strong antibacterial activity for Candida albicans, and other Chinese herbal medicines had strong antibacterial activity for Staphylococcus aureus, such as Hypericum patulum, Geumja ponicum, Agrimonia pilosa, Sophora flavescens, Penthorum chinense, Rabdosia serra. Above several kinds of Chinese herbal medicines can provide some reference for further reachering of its active monomer compounds and mechanism of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]