The first oral contraception consisted of potions made from plants and bark. One of the oldest known plants used for contraception was silphium, a member of the giant fennel family, described in the 4th century BC. The extract was said to be highly effective, and was so popular that the 3rd or 4th century CE it was already extinct.

Women have used the seeds from Daucus carota commonly known as wild carrot or Queen Anne’s Lace, for centuries as a contraceptive, the earliest written reference dates back to the late 5th or 4th century B.C. appearing in a work written by Hippocrates describing it as an effective oral contraceptive and abortifacient. John Riddle writes in Eve's Herbs, that Queen Anne’s Lace (qal) seeds are one of the more potent antifertility agents available, and a common plant in many regions of the world.

'The seeds, harvested in the fall, are a strong contraceptive if taken orally immediately after coitus.'

Research on small animals has shown that extracts of the seeds disrupt the implantation process, or if a fertilized egg has implanted for only a short period, will cause it to be released. There has been some research done on wild carrot seeds mostly in other countries. For example, the Chinese view QAL as a promising post-coital agent. Women from the Appalachian Mountains to India have used the mature seeds to reduce their fertility. When asked about the contraceptive effects of wild carrot, some herbalists have described it as having the effect of making the uterus "slippery" so the egg is unable to implant.

Queen Anne's Lace is the wild progenitor of our cultivated carrot. Other Names: Queen-Anne's Lace, Bees' Nest, Bird's Nest, Carrot, Carotte, Carrot, Wild Carrot, Yarkuki, Zanahoria Wild Carrot, Birds Nest Weed, Devils Plague, Garden Carrot, Bee's nest plant, Bird's nest root

Properties: Wild Carrot is edible and medicinal, root is edible cooked or raw, flower clusters can be french-fried for a carrot-flavoured, quite attractive dish. The aromatic seed is used as flavouring in stews and soups. Used for centuries as an alternative medicine.

Dr. James A. Duke gives the following of the chemical constituents contained in wild carrot :

'Acetone, acetyl-choline, alpha-linolenic-acid, alpha-pinene, alpha-tocopherol, apigenin, arachidonic-acid, arginine, asarone, ascorbic-acid, bergapten, beta-carotene, beta-sitosterol, caffeic-acid, camphor, chlorogenic-acid, chlorophyll, chrysin, citral, citric-acid, coumarin, elemicin, esculetin, ethanol, eugenol, falcarinol, ferulic-acid, folacin, formic-acid, fructose, gamma-linolenic-acid, geraniol, glutamine, glycine, hcn, histidine, kaempferol, lecithin, limonene, linoleic-acid, lithium, lupeol, lutein, luteolin, lycopene, magnesium, manganese, methionine, mufa, myrcene, myricetin, myristicin, niacin, oleic-acid, pantothenic-acid, pectin, phenylalanine, potassium, psoralen, quercetin, scopoletin, stigmasterol, sucrose, terpinen-4-ol, thiamin, tryptophan, tyrosine, umbelliferone, xanthotoxin, and a slew of other vitamins and minerals.

These constituents are known to have these activities : Analgesic, Anti-arthritic, Antidepressant, Anti-psychotic, Anti-schizophrenic, Antidote, Anti-inflammatory, Antibacterial, Anticonvulsant, Anti-diabetic, Anti-estrogenic, Anti-flu, Antihistaminic, Antioxidant, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Anti-epileptic, Anti-anxiety, Anti-stress, Anti-PMS, Anti-hangover, Antiviral, Cancer-Preventive, Expectorant, Fungistat, Immunostimulant, MAO-Inhibitor, Sedative, Tranquilizer, Aphrodisiac, Sweetener, Pituitary-Stimulant, and more.

Ongoing studies are proving this to be a very valuable plant, useful in many areas of alternative medicine. A few areas are Alzheimer's, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, Infertility, Asthma-preventive, most types of cancer, Diabetes, Leukemia, HIV, Spina-bifida, Migraine headache, obesity, and much more, even the common cold.

Wild carrot has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years as an anthelmintic, carminative, contraceptive, deobstruent, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactogogue, ophthalmic, and stimulant.'

There are several recipes and uses of wild carrot available, but all carry a disclaimer, both in respect of its efficacy and side effects. Here are some of the claims made about Queen Anne’s Lace:
A medicinal infusion is used in the treatment of various complaints including digestive disorders, (soothes the digestive tract), kidney and bladder diseases and in the treatment of dropsy, it supports the liver, stimulates the flow of urine and the removal of waste by the kidneys. A wonderfully cleansing medicinal herb, an infusion of the leaves has been used to counter cystitis and kidney stone formation, and to diminish stones that have already formed. The seeds can be used as a settling carminative agent for the relief of flatulence and colic.
Wild Carrot leaves contain significant amounts of porphyrins, which stimulate the pituitary gland and lead to the release of increased levels of sex hormones, and stimulates the uterus. The plant is also used to encourage delayed menstruation, can induce uterine contractions and so should not be used by pregnant women. The seed is a traditional 'morning after' contraceptive and there is some evidence to uphold this belief. An essential oil obtained from the seed has also been used cosmetically in anti-wrinkle creams. A strong decoction of the seeds and root make a very good insecticide.
Folklore: The name 'Carrot' is Celtic, and means 'red of colour,' and Daucus from the Greek dais to burn, signifying its pungent and stimulating qualities. An Old English superstition is that the small purple flower in the centre of the Wild Carrot was of benefit in curing epilepsy.

References

Riddle, John M., 1997. Eve's Herbs - A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West. Cambridge, Ma., Harvard University Press.
Bennet, Robin Rose. Summer 1994. Wild Carrot Seeds for Herbal Contraception Northeast Herbal Association Newsletter. 6, 32-34p. ( ordering info )
Sharma MM, Lal G, Jacob D. Estrogenic & pregnancy interceptory Effects of Carrot seeds (Daucus carota). Indian J Exp Biol 1976. 14:506-508
Tang W. Chinese Drugs of Plant Origin.

Queen Anne's Lace/Wild Carrot