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Heracleum candicans, Spru dkar སྤྲུ་དཀར་

Spru dkar (Tibet)
Ruan Mao Du Huo (H. lanatum, TCM)
Heracleum lanatum
Illustrated Flors of the US, Canada, and the British Possessions, Britton & Brown, 1913

Botanical name:
Heracleum candicans, H. nepalense, H. lanatum (Masterwort)
Some sources such as Indian Medicinal Plants, Khare, have equated the latter 2 species as synonyms of H. candicans.
H. lanatum and H. hemsleyanum are used as alternate sources of Angelica Du Huo.
In Tibet, there are 3 types of Spru:
  1. Spru dkar: Heracleum candicans
  2. Spru nag: Angelica paeoniifolia
  3. Spru ser: Notopterygium spp.

Parts used:
Root, Seed

Temperature & Taste:
Neutral. Bitter. Slightly toxic.

Classification:

Constituents:
Rich in furocoumarins

Uses:
1. Clears Wind-Phlegm,
-Wind-Damp joint Pain
-Leucoderma, Leprosy
-Tumors, Cancer

2. Settles Wind, Stops Spasm::
-Wind and Nervous diseases
-Hypertension

3. Clears Heat, Resists Poison::
-Fever, Cough and Cold; especially effective for Epidemic diseases
-Pain associated with Fever
-Diphtheria
-Earache, Acute Infection
-Stomachache, Diarrhea, Dysentery
-also Bleeding associated with Heat

4. Kills Worms:
-Seed is used for Worms
-abdominal pain from Worms

5. Externally:
-Boils, Abscesses, Skin diseases (paste)
-Blisters
-applied to Joint pain (root paste)


DOSE:
Powder: 1–3 grams

COMMENT:
Some Tibetan sources state that the root will clear Heat in adults but not in the old, young or weak.

SUBSTITUTE:
1. The European Cow Parsnip (H. sphondylium) is probably a suitable substitute.
2. Heracleum lanatum is an alternate source of Angelica Du Huo in TCM. Therefore, the latter is an accepted substitute.

Main Combinations:
1. Leukorrhea, Vaginal itching, Heracleum candicans, Sophora Ku Shen, Phellodendron Huang Bai (15 grams each), Cnidium She Chuang Zi (60 grams), burnt Alum (6 grams, added to the strained decoction). Use as a topical wash twice daily. (Barefoot Doctors Manual)

Major Formulas:


Cautions:
None noted

Main Preparations used: