60 



THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



and forked, but ending in a point, without 

 a cut on the edge, of a full green colour, 

 each standing upon a thick round stalk, of a 

 hand-breadth long, or more, among which, 

 after two or three months that they begin to 

 wither, rises up a-bare, round; wliitish green 

 stalk, spotted and streaked with purple, 

 somewhat higher than the leaves : At the 

 top whereof stands a long hollow husk 

 close at the bottom, but open from the 

 middle upwards, ending in a point : in the 

 middle whereof stands the small long pestle 

 or clapper, smaller at the bottom than at 

 the top, of a dark purple colour, as the husk 

 is on the inside, though green without ; 

 which, after it hath so abided for some time, 

 the husk with the clapper decays, and the 

 foot or bottom thereof grows to be a small 

 long bunch of berries, green at the first, 

 and of a yellowish red colour when they 

 are ripe, of the bigness of a hazel-nut ker- 

 nel, which abides thereon almost until 

 Winter ; the root is round, and somewhat 

 long, for the most part lying along, the 

 leaves shooting forth at the largest end, 

 which, when it bears its berries, are some- 

 what wrinkled and loose, another growing 

 under it, which is solid and firm, with many 

 small threads hanging thereat. The whole 

 plant is of a very sharp biting taste, prick- 

 ing the tongue as nettles do the hands, and 

 so abides for a great while without altera- 

 tion. The root thereof was anciently used 

 instead of starch to starch linen with. 



There is another sort of Cuckow-point, 

 with less leaves than the former, and some 

 times harder, having blackish spots upon 

 them, which for the most part abide longer 

 green in Summer than the former, and 

 both leaves and roots are more sharp and 

 fierce than it : In all things else it is like the 

 former. 



P/ace.] These two sorts grow frequently 

 almost under every hedge-side in many 

 places of this land. 



Time.'] They shoot forth leaves in the 



Spring, and continue but until the middle 

 of Summer, or somewhat later ; their husks 

 appearing before the fall away, and their 

 fruit shewing in April. 



Government and virtues.^ It is under the 

 dominion of Mars. Tragus reports, that 

 a dram weight, or more, if need be, of the 

 spotted Wake Robin, either fresh and 

 green, or dried, having been eaten and taken, 

 is a present and sure remedy for poison and 

 the plague. The juice of the herb taken to 

 the quantity of a spoonful has the same 

 effect. But if there be a little vinegar 

 added thereto, as well as to the root afore- 

 said, it somewhat allays the sharp biting 

 taste thereof upon the tongue. The green 

 leaves bruised, and laid upon any boil or 

 plague sore, doth wonderfully help to draw 

 forth the poison : A dram of the powder of 

 the dried root taken with twice so much 

 sugar in the form of a licking electuary, or 

 the green root, doth wonderfully help those 

 that are pursy and short-winded, as also 

 those that have a cough ; it breaks, digests, 

 and rids away phlegm from the stomach, 

 chest, and lungs. The milk wherein the 

 root as been boiled is effectual also for the 

 same purpose. The said powder taken in 

 wine or other drink, or the juice of the 

 berries, or the powder of them, or the wine 

 wherein they have been boiled, provokes 

 urine, and brings down women's courses 

 and purges them effectually after child- 

 bearing, to bring away the after-birth. 

 Taken with sheep's milk, it heals the inward 

 ulcers of the bowels. The distilled water 

 thereof is effectual to allthe purposes afore- 

 said. A spoonful taken at a time heals 

 the itch ; an ounce or more taken a time 

 for some days together, doth help the rup- 

 ture : The leaves either green or dry, or the 

 juice of them, doth cleanse all manner of 

 rotten and filthy ulcers, in what part of the 

 body soever ; and heals the stinking sores 

 in the nose, called Polypus. The water 

 wherein the root has been boiled, dropped 



