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Photo of Carpesium Fruit

Carpesium Fruit

鹤虱 · Hè Shī

Targets intestinal worms and cramping pain

Properties

NeutralNeutral botanicalBitter, Pungent

Concerns

Digestion

What it does

Common carpesium fruit kills intestinal worms (roundworms, pinworms, tapeworms) and eases the cramping pain of worm infestation. In TCM, it's especially used in children's parasite formulas. Slightly toxic, so it's short-term and low-dose. Modern medicine has mostly replaced it with safer pharmaceutical anti-parasitics, but it still appears in TCM combination formulas.

How to take it

Capsule

Decoct 3–9g of dried carpesium fruit in water for 25 minutes. Take in single dose on empty stomach for parasites, under practitioner direction.

See a TCM practitioner. Conventional anti-parasitics are first-line

Safety

  • Slightly toxic. Stay within practitioner-prescribed doses
  • Modern pharmaceutical anti-parasitics are safer first-line for most cases
  • Skip during pregnancy
  • Stop use if you develop nausea, dizziness, or visual disturbances
  • Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication

Where it comes from

Common carpesium grows across temperate Asia, and its small bitter fruits have been used as a vermifuge for over 1,500 years in TCM. The Chinese name Hè Shī means 'crane louse,' a folk reference to its fruit's resemblance to a tiny louse on a crane's wing. Before pharmaceutical anti-parasitics existed, it was a household remedy for childhood worm infections. Modern TCM keeps it for cases where conventional drugs aren't tolerated or as part of broader formulas.