Tangaek — Decoctions · Vegetables
子 Bajil Ssi (바질 씨)
The seed of basil — nareuk, the plant covered in the preceding entry. The seed's outer coat carries a layer that swells into a clear jelly the moment it touches water; the "basil seeds" added to drinks today are this very seed. The Dongui Bogam records exactly this property, noting that when placed in the eye the seed absorbs moisture and swells. This entry is an example of how the text splits a single plant in two, giving the leaf and the seed each their own entry.
Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 2
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主目瞖及諸物入目不出, 取三五顆置目中, 少頃, 當濕脹, 與物俱出. 《本草》
It governs eye films and any object that has entered the eye and will not come out: take three to five seeds and place them in the eye, and after a short while they swell with moisture and come out together with the object. 《Boncho (本草)》
HomiclubBasil seed carries a water-absorbing layer on its coat, so a seed soaked in water becomes wrapped in a clear jelly like a frog's egg. The seed itself is smaller and darker than a sesame seed.
Vegetables — more entries
This is a cultural and historical record from a classical text, not a claim about any food’s effects. Nothing here is a health supplement or intended to prevent or treat disease. Consult a medical professional about health concerns. · Text: Korean Medicine Classics DB · Reading: Homiclub