Abstract: A coating base for solid enteric pharmaceutical preparations having a dissolution pH ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 essentially consisting of hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose trimellitate obtained by substituting water-soluble hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose having 1.1 to 1.6 methoxy group per glucose ring thereof with 0.2 to 1.0 trimellitate group per glucose ring, or obtained by substituting water-soluble hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose having 1.7 to 2.1 methoxy groups per glucose ring thereof with 0.2 to 0.5 trimellitate group per glucose ring. The coating base can be dissolved at the upper portion of the small intestine without delay and a solid enteric pharmaceutical preparation provided with a coating film of the base can completely release the drug included therein before the preparation passes through the small intestine. Therefore, the base can ensure a high pharmacological action of the drug.