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Juniperus, Shug pa ཤུག་པ

Himalayan Juniper
Shug pa (Tibetan)
Juniperus recurva
Griffith, W., Icones plantarum asiaticarum, 1854

Cupressus torulosa
Dallimore, W., Bruce, A., A handbook of Coniferae, 1923

Botanical name:
Juniperus spp.
A number of species of Juniperus are used in Tibetan Medicine; the main types are:
  1. Shug pa  ཤུག་པ : J. recurva, J. sabina, J. pseudosabina (J. communis is reportedly used by Tibetans in Russia)
  2. Shug pa tsher can: (syn Shug tsher)  ཤུག་པ་ཚེར་ཅན : J. recurva, , J. formosa, J. squamata
  3. Rgya shug  རྒྱ་ཤུག : J. indica (syn. J. walliichiana), J. przewalskii,
  4. Ci bai 刺柏 : J. formosana (used similarly in TCM)
Some species of Sabina and Cupressus are reportedly used including Cupressus tortulosa. Some species of Sabina are synonyms for Juniperus spp. For example, Sabina przewalskii is a synonym for Juniperus przewalskii.

Related medicines:
  1. Shug 'bru is the seed of J. indica (syn. J. walliichiana)
  2. Rgy shug gi'bru: fruits of J. przewalskii,
  3. Shing ma: wood of J. squamata or J. walliichiana

Parts used:
Leaf and fruit; sometimes the seed
In TCM the root, root-bark or leafy branches are used as Ci Bai.

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Bitter

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine:
-Edema with heat symptoms
-Frequent or burning Urine
-sudden swelling
-Damp-Heat painful swelling of the joints; Arthritis
-dries Lymph disorders

2. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-Measles and Spotted Fevers (TCM)
-Fever
-Eczema
-Anthrax

3. Clears Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Cough with Phlegm

4. Dry Damp, Relieve Itch:
-topically for the itch of Eczema and Pruritus (TCM)


SEED:
1. Joint pain
2. Hepatitis, Cholecystitis
3. Frequent Urine


DOSE:

SUBSTITUTE:
1. Juniperus Shug pa is most commonly used in formula for Kidney disorders. Therefore, Juniper berry (J. communis) may be used as a substitute in these cases, and has been used by Tibetans in Russia.
2. Savin leaf (Sabina spp.) may be used in some cases.

Main Combinations:
1. Kidney diseases including Nephritis, Kidney or Back pain, Dysuria, Juniperus Shug pa with Chebula, Safflower, Madder, Shilajit, Lesser Cardamon (as in Chebula 10 of Tibetan Medicine)


Major Formulas:
Chebula 10 (A ru 10) (Tibetan Medicine)
Chebula 18 (A ru 18) (Tibetan Medicine)
Chebula 18 for Urinary Incontinence (Gcin snyi a ru 18) (Tibetan Medicine)

Cautions:
None noted

Main Preparations used: