84 TABIAT^€. 



Europeans, who call the large-leaved variety Ocimum magmm, 

 and the sraall-leaved Ocimum iMrimm. The plant in considered 

 to be hot and dry, deobs tnient, carmirtative/ar»'* sttTTuiTanf. and 



the seeds taken whole are much valued on 



mucilaginous properties : when crushed they are srdd to be 

 astringent, and are prescribed in fluxes h ym the bcwels. The 

 jmce of the plant snuffed up causes sneezing and clears the 



accouu 



O, hasiUcum is probably tte &Kip.ov of Dioscoridos, but 

 perhaps not of Theopbrastus, who describes o^ki^lov as a sbriib. 

 The Ocimum of Pliny is probably a kind of clover wbicb also 



states that it is given to mares and 



bore 



promote 



I>e Gubernatis {Myth, des Plant, ii., 35) 



account of the history of Basil in Europe where it is considered ■ 

 to be erotic anrl fimAVf^nl Tt^ q^„^-t — .^ ^i-.^^„ zt^ :^ ,^^„,. ,*n f>ip 



Southern Italv it is worn in the 



waist or bosom of young girls and in the hair of married women 

 and is called Bacia-nkola ; the youths stick a sprig of it above 

 the ear when they go courting. In Tuscany the BasH is called 

 Arnonno. In Crete it is a sign of mourning, but is universally 

 cultivated in window gardens ; Boccaclo's story of Isabetta of 

 Messina is too well known to require repetition . De Guber- 



natis is of opinion that all the superstitions concerning thi3 



plant current in Southern Europe are of Byzantine origin. 



According to the Ajwinasaris Apotelesmata, to dream of Basil 

 is unlucky. 



In ^ Europe Sweet Basil is used as a potherb for seasoning 

 certain kinds of food, and is considered to have the same 

 general qualities-as thyme, sage, &c. It has long been a popular 

 remedy for mild nervous or hysterical disorders, and in Buenos 

 Ayres its fresh juice is said to be used as an anthelmintic, and 



o ^ 



symptoms. Its essential oil was formerly in vogue as a carmina- 

 tive and nervine. {Med, Record, xvi., 325.) 



Description. — Three forms of this plant are common in 



India : the mint-Hke gaixlen basil, with large flowers and green 



purple stems 



Roxburgh 



