N. O. LABIATVK 
1015 
other cutaneous diseases. An infusion of the leaves is used as 
a stomachic in the gastric disorders of children, and in hepatic 
affections. The dried leaves are powdered and employed as 
a snuff in ozeena. They are also an effectual means of dislodg- 
ing maggots. The root is given in decoction as a diaphoretic 
in malarial fevers. The seeds are mucilaginous and demulcent, 
and are given in disorders of the genito-urinary system. The 
juice of the leaves dropped into the ear, is said to be a good 
remedy for ear-ache. 
The Mosquito plant— Ocimurn viride. 
Sir George Birdwood writes to the “Times " under date April 29th 1904 : — 
“ When the Victoria Gardens and Albert Museum were established in Bombay, 
the men employed on these works were at first so pestered by mosquitos and 
suffered so much from malarial fever, that on the recommendation of the Hindu 
karbari (“ manager "), the whole boundary of the gardens was planted with 
holy basil and any other basil at hand, on which the plague of mosquitos was 
at once abated, and fever altogether disappeared from among the resident 
gardeners and temporarily resident masons. The site of the gardens had ever 
before been one of the worst malarial-stricken spots on the island of Bombay. 
No one in those days knew anything of the “ mosquito-malaria theory " of 
to-day. I myself used myrrh as a protection against mosquitos. They never 
came near any bed in which a little myrrh was burnt or a little tincture of 
myrrh sprinkled when retiring for the night. T never knew natives who used 
much cinnamon or cloves, etc., in their daily diet ever take malarial fever or 
die of cholera.” 
K. It- Kir til- ar's note on Sir George Birdwood 's remarks : — 
Sir George speaks of the Holy basil. It is the Tulsi plant— the Ocimurn 
sanctum, Linn. Among the “otln r basils,” ho speaks of is our Sabja plant, 
Ocimurn basilicum, Linn. I think, it therefore, to include Sir George's remarks 
under either O. sanctum or O. basilicum. 
OciMUM viridi; Willd., tSnutn Fort. Berol 629— is from Tropical Africa. 
See p. 326 Fasc. III. Hooker's Kew Index, 1894. 
(1) OciMUM KEBIUFUGUM Lin dl. in Bot. Register Tab 763 is given as a 
synonym by Hooker in the same Index Kewenses at p. 325 of Ocimurn viride. 
(2) OCIMUM MOl'TODON, Beaum. FI. Owar 11. 09 to 94 is also a synonym, 
given by Hooker at the, same page. 
972 . Geniosporum prostratum, Benth., h.f.b.i., 
iv. 610 . 
Vern : — Nazel-nagai (Tam.) 
Habitat : — Deccan Peninsula, from the Concan southwards. 
