Shi Jun Zi使君子
Quisqualis Fructus · Rangoon Creeper Fruit · Quisqualis Fruit
Overview
The classic paediatric worm remedy: sweet, warm and pleasant enough that children take it without a fight, which is much of why it displaced harsher anthelmintics. It expels roundworm and pinworm and, in the same breath, settles the childhood malnutrition pattern that a long worm burden leaves behind — a distended abdomen, a sallow face, poor appetite and irritability. Modern practice treats confirmed parasitic infection with conventional medication first; Shi Jun Zi is used within a practitioner-directed plan, not as a self-prescribed deworming.
Nature & Flavor
Sweet · WarmChannels
Spleen · StomachTypical Dosage
9–12 g in decoctionActions
2 core actions
- Expels parasites, reduces accumulationRoundworm and pinworm with abdominal pain around the navel, an itchy anus at night and irregular appetite.
- Resolves childhood nutritional impairmentThe picture after a long worm burden: distended abdomen with thin limbs, sallow complexion, poor appetite, irritability and disturbed sleep.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Shi Jun Zi
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Roundworm and pinworm infestation, particularly in children
- Periumbilical abdominal pain with erratic appetite
- Childhood nutritional impairment: distended abdomen, sallow face, thin limbs
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Well documented for adverse reactions when the dose is exceeded or when it is taken with hot tea: hiccup, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Never exceed the prescribed amount, do not drink hot tea while taking it, and do not repeat courses without review. Doses for children must be set by a practitioner according to age and weight. Suspected parasitic infection should be confirmed and treated medically rather than managed at home.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Not a classical pregnancy prohibition, but anthelmintic treatment is not undertaken during pregnancy without a practitioner's direction — avoid self-prescribing.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Kai Bao Ben Cao《开宝本草》(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》.
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.