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Common Parsley

Description. The roots of parsley are long, thick, and white, having a somewhat wrinkled bark; from which spring many shining, green, winged leaves, growing on long footstalks; which are divided into three sections, and each of those subdivided into three more, which are triangular, and cut in at the ends. The stalks grow to be about two feet high, much branched and divided; they are smooth and striated, and beset with smaller and finer leaves, and have on their tops small umbels of little, five-leaved, white flowers, which are succeeded by small, round, striated, brown seed. Place. Parsley is sown in gardens.

Time. It flowers in summer. The roots, leaves and seeds are used. Government and virtues. It is under the dominion of Mercury; is very comfortable to the stomach; helps to provoke urine and women's courses, to break wind both in the stomach and bowels, and does a little open the body; but the root much more. It opens obstructions both of liver and spleen, and is therefore accounted one of the five opening roots. Galen commended it against the falling sickness, and to provoke urine mightily, especially if the roots be boiled, and eaten like parsnips. The seed is effectual to provoke urine and women's courses, to expel wind, to break the stone, and ease the pains and torments thereof; it is also effectual against the venom of any poisonous creature, and the danger that comes to them that have the lethargy, and is as good against the cough. The distilled water of parsley is a familiar medicine with nurses to give their children when they are troubled with wind in the stomach or belly, which they call the frets; and is also much available to them that are of great years. The leaves of parsley laid to the eyes that are inflamed with heat, or swollen, does much help them, if it be used with bread or meal: and being fried with butter, and applied to women's breasts that are hard through the curdling of their milk, it abates the hardness quickly, and also it takes away black or blue marks coming of bruises or falls. The juice thereof dropped into the ears with a little wine, eases the pains. Tragus sets down an excellent medicine to help the jaundice and falling sickness, the dropsy, and stone in the kidnies, in this manner: Take of the seed of parsley, fennel, annise, and carraways, of each an ounce, of the roots of parsley, burnet saxifrage, and carraways, of each an ounce and an half; let the seeds be bruised, and the roots washed and cut small; let them lie all night and steep in a bottle of white wine, and in the morning be boiled in a close earthen vessel until a third part or more be wasted; which being strained and cleared, take four ounces thereof morning and evening, first and last, abstaining from drink after it for three hours. This opens obstructions of the liver and spleen, and expels the dropsy and jaundice by urine.