One of the largest families of local anesthetics came from the discovery of eugenol in many herbs and spices, including cloves and basil. I imagine a forest of basil, under which this saint rests, catching drops of Holy Eugenol, somewhere in medieval Persia, which may be where the most popular strain of basil originated. I studied orthodox saints and I’ve noticed that none of them lie down, unless they are dead. I guess it’s not polite for them to relax in front of their god. This is unnecessarily strict, and dated. In Eugene, I met Naeemeh. She is from Iran, and she pointed out an old story of a Persian king who saved a large snake. The snake was so grateful, it spit up seeds of the royal basil plant, as a gift.
