COMMON NAME: Sweet basil
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ocimum basilicum
FAMILY: Lamiaceae
PLANT HEIGHT: 30 to 130 cm height
PROPAGATION: It can be propagated from stem cuttings
- Basil has been used as a folk remedy for an enormous number of ailments, including boredom, cancer, convulsion, deafness, diarrhea, epilepsy, gout, hiccup, impotency, insanity, nausea, sore throat, toothaches, and whooping cough.
- For insect bites, basil leaves can be used very effectively. Collect fresh leaves, crush between your hands and apply on the bitten area. This is a very simple first aid for insect bites that is very effective.
- Tiredness is one of the aftereffects of childbirth. Basil leaves handles this also very well. Post delivery drinking one teaspoon of Basil seeds(Sabja) in water reduces the tiredness and soreness of labour.
- The leaf juice is used to treat pain in ear and dullness of hearing. Leaves are ground and squeezed to get the juice.
- Chewing on the fresh basil leaves is a good remedy for mouth ulcers.
- Basil leaves can be used for ear infection. Get the raw juice as mentioned in earlier and apply it in the inside of the ear for ear pain or ear itching.
- The leaves when applied directly on the skin along with turmeric is very good remedy for minor skin infections.