WATER-LILY

                                                                                                              Nymphaea odorata

White Lotus is considered to be an astringent, antiseptic, anesthetic, anaphrodisiac & sedative.
It can be used in treatment of bronchial congestion & it can disperse the stagnated mucus from the chest.
White Lotus flowers are considered to reduce sexual drive & to have a soothing & sedative effect on the nervous system.
They can be used in treatments of insomnia & different sorts of anxieties.
Used for dropsy, kidney troubles, catarrh of the bladder, or irritations of the prostate.
Heals inflamed gums.
As a chest medicine it has been used for asthma & tuberculosis.
A decoction made from the root is beneficial in treatment of diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome & also in treatment of dysentery.
Used as a douche for leukorrhea, treats diarrhea, bowel complaints, scrofula, inflamed tissues in various parts of the body & for bronchial troubles.
Externally, a poultice made for painful swellings, boils, ulcers.

Apply the powdered root, combined with flaxseed, as a poultice.
A tea made from the root makes a good gargle for irritation &/or inflammation in the mouth & throat, also can be used as an eyewash & a vaginal douche.
As a lotion, it helps heal sores, makes skin soft & smooth.
Both root & leaves are made into poultices for wounds, cuts & bruises.
Root tea for coughs, tuberculosis (TB), inflamed glands, mouth sores, to stop bleeding.
The Indians have used this root for generations in all cases of leucorrhea, abrasions of the vagina, inflammation of the womb & ulceration of the womb.
Useful for inflamed breasts.
White pond lily can help to cure uterine cancer by a decoction & a vaginal injection. It should be used as a douche as well as drunk.
It is very effective in dropsy, kidney troubles & catarrh of the bladder.

PRECAUTIONS:

Nymphaea odorata: The flowers open each day & close again each night &are very fragrant.
Large doses may be toxic.
The plant contains toxic alkaloids, substances that affect our nervous system.

Nymphaea tuberosa: Do not mistake the white pond lily (N. odorata) for the tuberous water lily (N. tuberosa), which can cause poisoning.
The poisonous plant can be distinguished by its tuberous rootstock & odorless flowers.

RECIPES:

The young leaves of water lily are said to be good in soups.
The flower buds can be eaten raw or pickled.

The decoction is made by boiling 30 g of root for 20 minutes in 500 ml of water.

Infusion:
Put 5 g of dried flowers into 250 ml of boiling water.
Leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
Strain.
Drink 2-3 cups a day.
To treat excessive sexual arousal or libido. Also for diarrhoea.

BEAUTY:

A mixture of root & lemon juice can be used to remove freckles & pimples.

MAGIC:

In medieval times water lily was used in love potions.The flower had to be picked during the night of a full moon.The people collecting it had to keep their ears plugged to avoid being bewitched by the water nymphs.The flower was then warn as a love amulet.