Rosemary

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, as well as being widely used in cooking, is an ingredient of many magic recipes.

It is considered the plant of youth, being a stimulant of the nervous system.

It also acts on the cardiocirculatory and adrenocortical systems, and is particularly indicated

for reinvigorating sexual energy. Before resorting to any form of phytotherapy, one's state of health should be checked;

rosemary, for example, causes hypersensitivity and is not indicated in the presence of arterial hypertension.

Those who suffer from low blood pressure, debility and tiredness can benefit from it. For an aphrodisiac:

steep a handful of rosemary leaves in a litre of wine for 48 hours if red, for 24 if white.

Filter and drink after meals. It is an excellent digestive. Rosemary was probably one of the ingredients

of the famous "elixir of youth" known as "Queen of Hungary Water", which in 1370 transformed

an eighty-year-old princess, paralysed and suffering from gout, into a seductive young woman whose hand was sought

in marriage by the King of Poland. The secret formula consisted of a distillate of lime, rosemary and turpentine,

but the exact dosage and preparation are unknown.