scourge vs wormwood

scourge

noun
  • A means to inflict such pain or destruction. 

  • A source of persistent trouble such as pestilence that causes pain and suffering or widespread destruction. 

  • A whip, often of leather and often multi-tailed. 

verb
  • To strike with a scourge; to flog. 

wormwood

noun
  • Something that causes bitterness or affliction; a cause of mortification or vexation. 

  • An intensely bitter herb (Artemisia absinthium and similar plants in genus Artemisia) used in medicine, in the production of absinthe and vermouth, and as a tonic. 

How often have the words scourge and wormwood occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )