A historian friend sent me an email which said cloves-and-lime could be useful to chase mosquitos away. The photo showed cut limes studded with cloves.
When I searched online, this is what I found: "Cloves make a potent mosquito and moth repellent. Oranges studded with cloves were used in the Moluccas as insect repellents." http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/cloves.htm Incidentally, this page talks about a number of medicinal uses for cloves. Where it is believed to have properties as an antiseptic, analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, anesthetic, carminative, in preventing vomiting and as a stimulant. And talking about home-remedies, Jose Lourenco's Amazing Goa set of cards asks: "Which popular plant is used to treat diabetes, diarrhoea, ulcers, tootache and for deworming?" The answer: Perpet fulam / Sadabahar (Periwinkle). Have any scientific studies been conducted on this? If any patents emerge, would the community-based knowledge be acknowledged? FN -- Frederick Noronha :: +91-832-2409490 Writing, editing, alt.publishing, photography, journalism
