OCIMUM SANCTUM; O. Hirsutam; O. Tomentosum; O. Viride. N. O.----

Sunday, 02 July 2006

Quick remedy for Bronchitis & croup Sans.----Vishnu-priya; Tulasi; Divya; Bharati; Krishna-mul. Eng.----Holy Basil; Mosquito plant of South Africa. Fr.----Basilic Saint. Hind.----Kala-tulasi-Ben.----Krishna-tulasi, Bom. Tel. Tarn. Kon, & Mah----Tulasi. Can----Kari-tulasi. Mal,----Shiva-tulasi. Cing.----Maduru-talla. Habitat----This small herb is found throughout India and cultivated near Hindu houses for ceremonial purposes. Parts Used----Leaves and seeds. Constituents----The active principle has nob yet been isolated. For the rest see O. Basilicum. Action----Demulcent, expectorant and antiperidic. The root is febrifuge; the seeds are mucilaginous and demulcent. The dried plant is stomachic and expectorant. Leaves are anti-catarrhal and expectorant. Uses----The holy basil is the most sacred plant of the Hindus, being dedicated to Vishnu. It drives away mosquitoes. Medicinally the plant is useful in a variety of diseases. An infusion of the leaves is given in malaria and as a stomachic in gastric diseases of children and in hepatic affections. The leaf-juice is often used as an adjunct to metallic preparations which are rubbed with it into a thin paste and then licked up. Mixed with lime-juice the leaves are used in ringworm as a paste. The dried plant in decoction (1 in 10) is a domestic remedy for croup, catarrh, and bronchitis, and also diarrhea. A compound decoction of the leaves of O. Sanctum, roots of Solanum jacquinii and of Clerodendron siphonanthus, gulancha and ginger in equal parts and in all two tolas is recommended by Chakradatta in cough and affections of the chest. A decoction of the leaves with the addition of a little cardamon powder and about a tola of salep powder, makes a nourishing and aphrodisiac drink. The dried leaves are used as snuff in myiosis and ozaena. The leaf-juice poured into the ear is said to be a first-rate remedy for earache. One tola of expressed leaf-juice taken every morning is said to cure chronic fever, haemorrhage, dysentery and dyspepsia. Mixed with a little ginger, leaf-juice is given for colic in children, and one tola of it mixed with quarter tola of black pepper is given in catarrhal fever and in the cold stages of intermittent fever. Fresh juice is said to check vomiting and destroy intestinal worms. With honey, ginger and onion juice it forms a good expectorant remedy, useful in cough and bronchitis. The following pill is recommended in vomiting:----Take of leaves of Ocimum Sanctum, seeds of Zizyphus jnjuba, and sugar-candy, each 3 mashas, and Black pepper 1 masha and pure water sufficient quantity; and make pills of this about the size of wild plains. Holy basil is said to be useful in anohylostoma as it contains thymol and the juice of the fresh leaves and the flower tops and the slender roots are used as an antidote in snake-poisoning. For ozaena an oil prepared with a paste of the leaves of O. Sanctum, roots of Solanum jac-quinii, Baliospermum montanum, Acorus calamus, Moringa pterygosperma, long pepper, black pepper and ginger is recommended for application by Chakradatta. The root in decoction is used in febrile affections. In the Concan a decoction of the leaves with the flowers of Careya arborea and black pepper is given in remittent fever----(Dymook). The following two powders are popular home remedies;----(1) Take of the seeds of Ocimum sanctum, Cocculus cordifolius, dry ginger, root of Solanum jacquini, all equal parts. Mix and make a powder. Dose is « drachm. Used in cough and other affections of the chest. (2) Take of the seeds of O. sancturn 5, Poppy cap-sules 4, Tribulus terrestris 5, Cowhage seeds 3, and Curculigo orchioides 4 and sugar 6 parts. Mix and make a powder; dose is 20 grains; used in seminal debility. The seeds rubbed with cows milk are given for vomiting and diarrhea, especially among children; for an infant of one year, 2-3 grains of the seed is the dose, given 3 to 4 times a day. This plant belongs to the "Surasadi group of drugs most of which are well known vermifuges, e, g.:----O. Nigrum, O. Album, O. Gratissimum, Ori-ganum Marjorana, Artemesia Indica, Embelia ribes etc.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 July 2006 )

 

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