CO THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



and forked, but ending in a point, without $ Spring, and continue but until the middle 

 a cut on the edge, of a full green colour, ) of Summer, or somewhat later ; their husks 

 each standing upon a thick round stalk, of ? appearing before the fall away, and their 

 a hand-breadth long, ormore, amongwhich, fruit shewing in April, 

 after two or three months that they begin to ) Government and virtues.] It is under the 

 wither, rises up a bare, round, whitish green | dominion of Mars. Tragus reports, that 

 stalk, spotted and streaked with purple, \ a dram weight, or more, if need be, of the 

 somewhat higher than the leaves : At the \ spotted Wake Robin, either fresh and 

 top whereof stands a long hollow husk | green, or dried, having been eaten and taken, 

 close at the bottom, but open from the ; is a present and sure remedy for poison and 

 middle upwards, ending in a point : in the j the plague. The juice of the herb taken to 

 middle whereof stands the small long pestle the quantity of a spoonful has the same 

 or clapper, smaller at the bottom than at \ effect. But if there be a little vinegar 

 the top, of a dark purple colour, as the husk j added thereto, as well as to the root afore- 

 is on the inside, though green without ; j said, it somewhat allays the sharp biting 

 which, after it hath so abided for some time, j taste thereof upon the tongue. The green 

 the husk with the clapper decays, and the \ leaves bruised, and laid upon any boil or 

 foot or bottom thereof grows to be a small ; plague sore, doth wonderfully help to draw 

 long bunch of berries, green at the first, i forth the poison : A dram of the powder of 

 and of a yellowish red colour when they ; the dried root taken with twice so much 

 are ripe, of the bigness of a hazel-nut ker- 1 sugar in the form of a licking electuary, or 

 nel, which abides thereon almost until j the green root, doth wonderfully help those 

 Winter; the root is round, and somewhat 5 that are pursy and short-winded, as also those 

 long, for the most part lying along, the that have a cough ; it breaks, digests, and 

 leaves shooting forth at the largest end, ! rids away phlegm from the stomach, 

 which, when it bears its berries, are some- \ chest, and lungs. The milk wherein the 

 what wrinkled and loose, another growing | root has been boiled is effectual also for the 

 under it, which is solid and firm, with many j same purpose. The said powder taken in 

 small threads hanging thereat. The whole j wine or other drink, or the juice of the 

 plant is of a very sharp biting taste, prick- berries, or the powder of them, or the wine 

 ing the tongue as nettles do the hands, and i wherein they have been boiled, provokes 

 so abides for a great while without altera- i urine, and brings down women's courses 

 tion. The root thereof was anciently used j and purges them effectually after child- 

 instead of starch to starch linen with. \ bearing, to bring away the after-birth. 



There is another sort of Cuckow-point, j Taken with sheep's milk, it heals the inward 

 with less leaves than the former, and some \ ulcers of the bowels. The distilled water 

 times harder, having blackish spots upon I thereof is effectual to all the purposes afore- 

 them, which for the most part abide longer 1 said. A spoonful taken at a time heals 

 green in Summer than the former, and \ the itch ; an ounce or more taken a time 

 both leaves and roots are more sharp and \ for some days together, doth help the rup- 

 fierce than it : In all things else it is like the { ture : The leaves either green or dry, or the 

 former. \ juice of them, doth cleanse all manner of 



Place.~] These two sorts grow frequently j rotten and filthy ulcers, in what part of the 

 almost under every hedge-side in many j body soever ; and heals the stinking sores 

 places of this land., \ in the nose, called Polypus. The water 



Time.'] They shoot forth leaves in the j wherein the root has been boiled, dropped 



