Sentry Page Protection

Juniperus, Shug pa ཤུག་པ

Himalayan Juniper
Shug pa (Tibetan)
Cupressus torulosa
Dallimore, W., Bruce, A., A handbook of Coniferae, 1923

Juniperus recurva
(Photo by MPF) (Wikimedia)
Juniperus formosana
(Photo by Daderot) (Wikimedia)
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)
J. recurva is a primary species, for which there are a number of synonyms including: J. butanensis, J. canescens, J. incurva, J. nepalensis, J. religiosa, J. squamosa, Sabina recurva etc.

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: