Pastinacae, Garden Parsnips

Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

Herbarium Blackwellianum, 1757

Uses:

1. Strengthens the Spleen, Benefits Qi:

-‘they nourish above all roots, being of thick and good juice’
-strengthens the Stomach, Lungs, Kidneys and Bladder
-Their Essence or Extract cures Consumption and Wasting diseases
-“they create or give an appetite”. (Caesalpinus)
-“The Roots … are sweet, aromatical and very agreeable to the taste: They nourish much, make the Body fat”. (Tournefort, 1730)

2. Warms and Strengthens the Kidneys:

-Warm and strengthen the Kidneys: promotes Venery [Lust].
-Promotes Urine when obstructed by cold; Edema
-cold pain of the lower back
-The seed has a “wonderful virtue of breaking the Stone”. (Tournefort, 1730)
-promotes Menstruation when obstructed by Cold (Seed)

3. Resists Poison:

-venomous Bites including Snake bites (Seed)

4. Promotes Milk:

-promotes and enriches Breast Milk

Main Combinations:

1. TImpotence, Frigidity, Parsnip seed, Cinnamon, Mace, Clove, Long Pepper, Rocket seed, Bull Pizzle (as in Powder to Stimulate Venery)
2. Infertility, Parsnip seed with Turnip seed, Red Behen, White Behen, Ash tree key, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Marjoram, Pennyroyal, Balm (as in Confection for Impregnation)
3. Coldness of the Kidneys and lower Back, Parsnip seed with Walnut, Pistachio, Sesame, Orchis, Ginger, Sea Holly root, Asparagus root,  Rocket seed, Nutmeg (as in Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen)
4. Weakness: “Caesalpinus informs us, that an Electuary is made of these Roots with Sugar, for recruiting Strength to such as have been wasted with Sickness, and particularly for child-bearing Women, after they begin to recover”. (Tournefort, 1730)
4. Hysteria, PMS, Parsnip seed with Chaste tree, Rue, Peony ,Aniseed, Cinnamon, Calamus, Rosmeary (as in Powder for Hysteria with Agnus Castus)
5. To increase Milk supply, Parsnip seed, Turnip seed, Radish seed, Aniseed, Fennel seed Celery, Chickpea (as in Powder to Increase Milk Supply)

Major Formulas:

Powder to Stimulate Venery (Wecker)
Powder for Hysteria with Agnus Castus
Powder to Increase Milk Supply
Troches of Aloeswood (Trochisci Aquilaria) (Mesue)
Electuary of Orchid (Diasatyrion) (Nicholas)
Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen (Nicholas)
Confection for Impregnation (Renodeus)

A preparation as an Aphrodisiac, to strengthen the Back and Kidneys:
  Take good size Parnsip roots, tops removed, and a double quantity of sugar. Boil together with a slow fire until the roots begin to be tender, then lay them out to cool. Cut them, remove their pith and put them into an earthen pot, then cover with clarified Honey. Boil gently until the Honey penetrates them, remove from the heat, adding powders of Cloves, 2 parts, Cinnamon and Ginger 1 part each. Taken in doses of 1 ounce daily, you will see ‘marvellous effects’. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)