16S SANSKRIT MATERIA MEDICA. 





NAT ORDER CUCURBITACE^E. 



BENINCASA CERIFERA, Savi. 



Syn. Cucurbit a Pepo, Roxb. 



Sans. ^rerw?, Kushmdnda. Vern. Kumrd, Beng. Prthd, Hind 



The large fruit or gourd of Benincasa cerifera is eaten by the 

 natives in their curries, and is extensively cultivated all over 

 India. It is considered tonic, nutritive and diuretic, and a specific 

 for haemoptysis and other haemorrhages from internal organs. It 

 would appear that the older Sanskrit writers were not acquainted 

 with its peculiar action on the circulatory system by which it 

 rapidly puts a check to haemorrhage from the lungs. The Raja 

 Nirghantu, the oldest work on therapeutics, gives a long account 

 of its virtues, but does not allude to its use in phthisis or 

 hemoptysis. Neither does Susruta mention it in his chapters on 

 the treatment of haemorrhage and phthisis, though the plant is 

 alluded to by him elsewhere. The more recent compilations, such 

 as Chakradatta Sangraha, Sarangadhara etc. give numerous 



uses 



Khanda hushmdndaha} or confection of squash. In preparing 

 thia medicine, old ripe gourds are selected. Those not at least a 

 year old, are not approved. They are longitudinally divided into 

 two halves and the pulp scraped out in thin flakes by an iron comb 

 or scratcher. The watery juioe that oozes out abundantly during 

 this process is preserved, the seeds being rejeoted. The pulp is 



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