Juniperus, Shug pa ཤུག་པ

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

Picture Juniperus recurva
(Photo by MPF) (Wikimedia)

 Picture 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:


Fruit; leaf; 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:


Powder: 500mg–2 grams

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 is used as a substitute in Buryat.
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:


Antelope Horn 14 (Rgya ru bcu bzhi) (Tibetan) 
Auscpicious Conqueror (Bkra shis rnam rgyal) (Tibetan)
Chebula 10 (A ru 10) (Tibetan)
Chebula 18 (A ru 18) (Tibetan)
Chebula 18 for Urinary Incontinence (Gcin snyi a ru 18) (Tibetan)
Essence Pills (Bcud len ril bu) (Tibetan)
Thlaspi 13 (Bre ga bcu gsum) (Tibetan)
Universal Conquering Vajra (Tibetan)

Cautions:


None noted

Main Preparations used: