WAKROBIN, or CUCKOW-PINT: A genus of the polyandria order, belonging to the gynandra clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 2d order, Piperae. The spathe is monophyllous, and cowl-shaped; the spadix is naked above, female below, and stamen'd in the middle.—The Species are 22; of which the most remarkable are the following. 1. The maculatum, or common wake-robin, grows naturally in woods and on shady banks in most parts of Britain. The leaves are halberd-shaped, very entire, and spotted; the berries numerous, growing in a naked cluster. The flowers appear in April; and their wonderful structure hath given rise to many disputes among the botanists. The receptacle is long, in the shape of a club, with the seed-buds surrounding its base. The clivies are fixed to the receptacle amongst the seed-buds, so that there is no occasion for the tips to be supported upon threads, and therefore they have none; but they are fixed to the fruit-stalk, and placed between two rows of tendrils: the point in dispute is, what is the use of those tendrils? 2. The proboscidium. 3. The arifarium. 4. The tenuifolium. These three species have usually been separated from this genus, and distinguished by the general name of arifarium or friar's cow, on account of the resemblance of their flowers to the shape of the cowls worn by friars. The flowers appear in April. 5. The italicum, is a native of Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The leaves rise a foot and an half high, terminating in a point; they are very large, and finely veined with white, interspersed with black spots, which, together with the fine shining green, make a pretty variety. The flowers grow near a foot high; and have very long upright spathas, which are of a pale green. They appear in the end of April, or beginning of May. 6. The dracunculus, or common dragons, grows naturally in most of the southern parts of Europe. It hath a straight stalk three or four feet high, which is spotted like the belly of a snake; at the top it is spread out into leaves, which are cut into several narrow segments almost to the bottom, and are spread open like a hand; at the top of the stalk the flower is produced, which is in shape like the common arum, having a long spathe of a dark purple colour, standing erect, with a large pistil of the same colour, so that when it is in flower it makes no unpleasing appearance; but the flower hath so strong a scent of carrion, that few people can endure it, for which reason it hath been banished most gardens. 7. The trilobatum, or arum of Ceylon, is a native of that island and some other parts of India; so is very impatient of cold. It is a low plant; the flower rises immediately from the root, standing on a very short footstalk; the spathe is long, erect, and of a fine scarlet colour, as is also the pistil. 8. The colocasia. 9. The divaricatum, with spear shaped leaves. 10. The peregrinum, or elder. 11. The efculentum, or eatable arum. 12. The sagittifolium, or greatest Egyptian arum. All these species have mild roots, which are eaten by the inhabitants of the hot countries, where they grow naturally; and some of them are cultivated by the inhabitants of the sugar colonies, where their roots are constantly eaten, as also the leaves of some of them, particularly those of the efculentum, which they call Indian kale; and which, in those countries where many of the efculent vegetables of England are with difficulty produced, proves a good succedaneum. 13. The arborefens, or dumb cane, is a native of the sugar islands and warm parts of America, where it grows chiefly on low grounds. All the parts of it abound with an acid juice; so that if a leaf or part of the stalk is broken and applied to the tip of the tongue, it occasions a very painful sensation and a great defluxion of saliva. The stalks of this plant are sometimes applied to the mouths of the negroes by way of punishment.

Culture. All the species of this plant are hardy, except the trilobatum and the arborefens. The former must be kept constantly in a stove, and the last in a moderate hot-bed. The arborefens is propagated by cutting off the stalks into lengths of three or four joints, which must be left to dry six weeks or two months; for if the wounded part is not perfectly healed over before the cuttings are planted, they will rot and decay. They are then to be planted in small pots filled with light sandy earth, and plunged in a moderate hot bed of tan, observing to let them have little water till they have taken good root.

Medicinal Uses. The roots of the maculatum and dracunculus are used in medicine, and differ in nothing but that the latter is somewhat stronger than the former. All the parts of the arum, particularly the root, have an extremely pungent, acrimonious taste; if the root be but lightly chewed, it continues to burn and irritate the tongue for some hours, occasioning at the same time a considerable thirst; these symptoms are alleviated by butter, milk, or oily liquors. Dried and kept for some time, it loses much of its acrimony, and becomes at length an almost insipid farinaceous substance.

This root is a powerful stimulant and attenuant. It is reckoned a medicine of great efficacy in some cachectic and chlorotic cases, in weakness of the stomach occasioned by a load of viscid phlegm. Great benefit has been obtained from it in rheumatic pains, particularly those of the fixed kind, and which were seated deep. In these cases it may be given from 10 grains to a scruple of the fresh root twice or thrice a day, made into a bolus or emulsion with unctuous and mucilaginous substances, which cover its pungency, and prevent its making any painful impression on the tongue. It generally excites a slight tingling sensation through the whole habit, and, when the patient is kept warm in bed, produces a copious sweat.

The arum was formerly an ingredient in an official preparation, the compound powder; but in that form its virtues are very precarious. Some recommended a tincture of it drawn with wine; but neither wine, water, nor spirits, extract its virtues.