☯ TCM Properties
Kills Parasites; Topically for tinea infections
Traditional Chinese Uses
Lei Wan is the dried sclerotium of the fungus Omphalia lapidescens, one of the most reliable parasite-expelling agents in the Chinese materia medica. Bitter and cold (and considered slightly toxic), it enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels and is used chiefly to kill intestinal worms, being especially valued for tapeworm, as well as hookworm and roundworm. Externally it is applied for tinea (ringworm) infections.
Critically, Lei Wan's anthelmintic action depends on a heat-labile protease that is destroyed by cooking, so it must NOT be decocted. It is taken as a raw powder (commonly around 5–9 g, or per source higher single doses for taeniasis), swallowed with cool or warm water, usually after meals. Because it is cold and mildly toxic, it is used short-term and cautiously in those with Spleen-Stomach deficiency.
Botanical Description
Lei Wan (雷丸) is the dried sclerotium of Omphalia lapidescens Schroeter (synonym Polyporus mylittae), a parasitic basidiomycete fungus in the Polyporaceae that develops on the roots of bamboo and certain broadleaf trees in southern China. The medicinal substance is the underground sclerotium — an irregular, rounded to ovoid mass 1–3 cm across, with a wrinkled, dark brown to blackish outer skin and a dense, firm, white to pale yellow interior with a granular, somewhat starchy texture. Sclerotia are excavated from the soil during summer and autumn, washed free of debris, and sun-dried. The substance is a fungus, not a higher plant, and has been used since antiquity for parasitic infestations; the active component is a heat-labile protease, so it is administered as a powder rather than in decoction.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| poultice | As needed | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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