Description: Parsley is a biennial or perennial herb which is found in cultivation everywhere. A thin, white, spindle-shaped root produces the erect, grooved, glabrous, angular stem. The lower leaves are bi- or tri-ternately divided or incised, the upper three-cleft to entire. All are shiny and dark green. The white or greenish- yellow flowers appear in compound umbels from June to August. The seeds are ovate and grayish brown.
Properties and Uses: Antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, expec- torant. Parsley tea, particularly that made from the seeds and the leaves, and also the fresh juice are used for dropsy, jaundice, asthma, coughs and suppressed or difficult menstruation. The juice has also been used successfully to treat conjunc- tivitis and inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis). It is important to take the prop- er dosage, and parsley is not to be used at all if kidney inflammation exists. Weak or sensitive persons can be helped by cooking a few slices of parsley root in their soup. An infusion of the herb is said to be effective against gallstones. The bruised leaves have been recommended for external application to contusions. A tea made from crushed seeds kills scalp vermin.
