deposits a residue which soon crystallises by simple cooling without the necessity of sowing it with a crystal. This residue was therefore almost entirely composed of thymol. After recrystallisation, the crystals had still a slight reddish coloration, but the manner of their preparation, their melting point (49.3°-50.5°C.) and their odour are sufficient for their identification.
We do not think that the essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum L. has previously been studied, but thymol, which, moreover, has hitherto scarcely been observed except in the Labiatae, has nevertheless already been recorded (see E. Gildemeister, Les Huiles essentielles' 2nd French Edition, p. 502) in the essential oil of another Ocimum, O. viride.— (Scien. and Indus. Bull, of Rowre-Bertrand fils of Grasse for Oct. 1913 p. 21.)
971. 0. sanctum, Linn., h.f.b.i., iv. 609 ; Roxb. 463.
Sans.: — Purnsa, ajaka, tulasi, manjarika, Bhârati, bhûlaka, Divyâ, Krishna mûla.
Vern. :— Kála-tulsi, tulsi barandá, varandá (Hind.); Kálatulsi tulshi (Beng.); Bantulsi, tulsi (Pb.) ; Tulasi (Bomb.); Tulasa (Mar.) ; Talasi (Guj.); Tulsi (Dec); Tulasi, alangai, pirundam. (Tam.) ; Tulasi, krushna-tulasi, gaggera-chettu (Tel.) ; Tulashi-gidá (Kan.); Niella tirtua, krishna tulsi, nallu tirtta (Malay,); Lun (Burm.) ; Mudurutulla (Sing.).
Habitat :— Throughout tropical and hotter India.
A strongly-scented, perennial, herbaceons, erect plant, l-2ft. high, softly patently hairy. Stem sometimes woody below. Branches erect, ascending or spreading. Leaves oblong obtuse or acute, l-2½in. long, variable in breadth, base narrowed ; margin entire or subserrate, hairy on both surfaces and minutely dotted, petioles ½-lin. long. Floral leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate. Racemes very slender 6-8in. long ; pedicels slender as long as the Calyx. Calyx short, two lower teeth very long-awned, longer than the broadly oblong upper, lateral broadly ovate, shorter than the lower. Corolla very small, scarcely longer than the Calyx. Filaments exserted, knee villous. Fruiting Calyx 1/6in. long on a slender pedicel, broadly campanulate, membranous. Nutlets subglobose or broadly oblong, slightly compressed, nearly smooth, pale-red, brown.
Uses : — The leaves have expectorant properties, and their juice is used by native physicians in catarrh and bronchitis. This preparation also is applied to the skin in ring-worm and
