Sweet Basil

Basil is commonly used for seasoning foods. When boiled with pine needles, life everlasting, and mullein, it is an effective remedy for colds. It is also used as a remedy for bladder and kidney ailments, to relieve menstrual cramps, and as a remedy for gonorrhea, catarrh, dysentery, and chronic diarrhea. It can be used to wash ulcers. The juice of the leaf or a powder made from the dried plant, can be inhaled to cause sneezing and to clear the nasal passages. The powdered plant, when added to water, can be taken to reduce nervousness and hysteria, and is an aid in treating epilepsy and paralysis.

Basil has proven affective as a stimulant in cases of collapse. It has strong antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. Sweet basil can be applied to insect stings or venomous bites to draw out poison. Basil contains vitamins A, D, B2, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.