Quisqualis fruit (Shijunzi)
Quisqualis indica L. (Fam. Combretaceae)
Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Quisqualis
Botanical Name: Quisqualis indica L. (Fam. Combretaceae)
Common Name: Quisqualis fruit, Rangoon creeper fruit with seeds.
Source of Earliest Record: Kaibao Bencao.
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The fruit is gathered in September or October when its skin turns purplish. The seeds are collected after the fruit is dried in the sun.
Properties & Taste: Sweet and warm.
Meridians: Spleen and stomach.
Functions: To kill parasites.
Indications & Combinations:
1. Roundworm (ascariasis). Quisqualis fruit (Shijunzi) is used with Chinaberry bark (Kulianpi) and Areca seed (Binglang).
2. For ascariasis and enterobiasis, it is used alone for mild cases or with Cortex Meliae Radicis (Ku Lian Pi) and Semen Arecae (Bing Lang) for more severe cases. It is especially suitable for children because of its sweet taste.
3. For indigestion and malnutrition in children, with emaciation, distended abdomen, and sallow complexion, it is often used with Radix Codonopsis (Dang Shen), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu), Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli (Ji Nei Jin), and Semen Arecae (Bing Lang).
Dosage: 6-10 g, decocted in water for an oral dose. It is also made into pills or powder. For adults, the cooked herb is chewed, with 10–20 pieces taken for one dose. For children, the number of pieces to be taken is 1.5 multiplied by the child’s age, with the total number not to exceed 20 pieces per day.
Cautions & Contraindications: Overdosage of the herb will cause hiccups, dizziness, vertigo and vomiting. Taking this herb with hot tea can also cause hiccups.
