This product is the dried sclerotium of the fungus Thunder Ball (Omphalia lapidescens Schroet.) from the Polyporaceae family. It is produced in the northwest, southwest, and southern provinces of mainland China, mainly in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei, and Guangxi. It is harvested in autumn, washed clean, and dried in the sun. It is used in its raw form.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Bitter, cold. slightly toxic. Act on stomach and large intestine meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Killing worms.

bubble_chart Indications

Used for tapeworm disease, hookworm disease, and ascariasis. This product has the effect of killing worms, and is particularly effective in expelling and killing tapeworms. It can be used alone by grinding into powder and swallowing, 20g each time, three times a day, for three consecutive days. In most cases, the worm body is completely or partially expelled on the second to third day. For expelling and killing hookworms and roundworms, it is often combined with Areca Seed, Pharbitis Seed, Sichuan Chinaberry Bark, and other medicinal combinations, such as the Worm-Expelling Pill. For treating enterobiasis, it can be used together with Rhubarb Rhizoma and Pharbitis Seed.

This product can also be used to treat cerebral cysticercosis, often combined with Pineilia and Poria.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Ben Jing: "It primarily kills three types of parasites, expels toxic qi, and alleviates heat in the stomach."
2. Bie Lu: "It expels pathogenic qi, treats aversion to wind and sweating, removes heat and accumulations in the skin, parasitic toxins, and causes white parasites and tapeworms to be expelled continuously."
3. Yao Xing Lun: "It can expel wind... primarily treats epilepsy and manic running, and kills roundworms."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Take 6-15g in powder or pill form, 12-18g for tapeworm expulsion. Take three times daily, mixed with cold boiled water, for three consecutive days.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Not suitable for decoction. As this product contains proteases, they are easily destroyed and rendered ineffective when heated to around 60°C.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains Thunder Ball protease, which is the active ingredient for expelling tapeworms. The anthelmintic effect of Thunder Ball is due to its ability to decompose proteins, leading to the destruction of worm segments. It also has a killing effect on roundworms, hookworms, vaginal trichomonads, and cysticerci.