Fei Zi榧子
Torreyae Semen · Torreya Seed · Chinese Torreya Nut
Overview
Fei Zi is the ripe seed of Torreya grandis, sweet and neutral, and it is graded toxic here — though as the mildest herb in this chapter it is the one the tradition reached for in children and in the frail. It expels parasites, hookworm above all, while its oily, moistening quality loosens a dry stool and eases a dry cough, so the expulsion happens without a separate purgative. It is recorded here as classical materia medica; the diagnosis and the drug both belong to modern medicine.
Nature & Flavor
Sweet · Neutral · ToxicChannels
Lung · Stomach · Large IntestineTypical Dosage
10–15 g in decoctionActions
4 core actions
- Kills parasites, disperses accumulationRecorded for hookworm above all, and also for roundworm, pinworm and tapeworm, along with the childhood read as parasite accumulation. Its gentleness is the point: it was the choice where a slightly toxic vermifuge was judged too harsh.
- Moistens the Intestine, frees the stoolThe seed is rich in oil, so it moves a dry, hard stool as it works — the classical texts treat that as part of the expulsion rather than a side effect, and no separate purgative is added.
- Moistens the Lung, stops coughA secondary use: dry cough with scanty sputum from Lung dryness. This is why the herb also turns up outside the parasite chapter.
- Roasted and chewedThe conventional preparation for the parasite indication is roasted seed, chewed thoroughly on an empty stomach. Unlike Lei Wan, roasting does not destroy the action here; it makes the seed palatable and slightly less laxative.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Fei Zi
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Hookworm infestation; also roundworm, pinworm and tapeworm
- Childhood with abdominal distension
- Dry constipation, particularly in the elderly or postpartum
- Dry cough with scanty sputum
The parasite indications require laboratory confirmation and prescribed treatment.
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Classed as toxic — the mildest herb in this chapter, but not one to take freely. The pharmacopoeia range is 9–15 g per day and 15 g is the ceiling; the 30–50 g anthelmintic dose found in older sources sits far above it and belongs, if anywhere, under practitioner supervision.
The seed is oily and moves the bowels: not for loose stools or diarrhoea, and expect a laxative effect at the upper end of the range. Classical texts warn against taking it together with mung bean, which is said to blunt its action.
Torreya is a tree nut; anyone with a nut allergy should avoid it. Roast and chew thoroughly on an empty stomach for the parasite use.
Suspected parasitic infection is diagnosed in a laboratory, not from symptoms: a stool ova-and-parasite examination — with serology or imaging where the organism calls for it — identifies what is actually present, and treatment is a modern antiparasitic prescribed by a physician. This entry records the classical materia medica and is not a treatment recommendation.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Avoid the therapeutic dose in pregnancy. Fei Zi is not a classical pregnancy contraindication and small culinary amounts are unremarkable, but a bulk anthelmintic dose that also loosens the bowels is not something to take while pregnant without an obstetrician's involvement.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Ming Yi Bie Lu《名医别录》(classical source, public domain).
2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
3. 《中华人民共和国药典》(2020年版一部).
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.