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BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 235 
been administered in form of an infusion, elec- 
tuary and oil. The oil is officinal, the dose of 
which is 5 to 10 drops in form of an emulsion. 
The name is derived from the Greek chen, a 
goose, and fous or podos, a foot, from the re- 
semblance of the leaf to the foot of the goose. 
_Cocculus Indicus, Fishberries, Anamirata 
Cocculus, and the Menispermum Cocculus of 
Linnaeus.—Natural order Menispermacez. 
This climbing plant is a native of Madras and. 
Ceylon. The stem has a corky bark and is 
adorned with broad, ovate leaves, inclining to 
cordate at the base; flowers dicecious and inflo- 
resce in recemes; no corolla; stamens united in 
a central column; calyx has five sepals; fruit a 
berry, globular in form. In commerce and the 
stores they appear much wrinkled, and of a dark 
brown color and about ¥ of an inch in diame- 
ter; when carefully split open they present the 
outlines of the letter C, or crescent, and are 
partially filled by a seed or kernel. The Coc- 
culus contains fat, gum, resin, pwcrotoxin, coccu- 
lin, or amirtin, etc. Picrotoxin is poisonous 
and occurs in colorless, shining crystals. Coc- 
culus Indicus is a sedative and nervine in its ef- 
fects, but is rarely if ever used internally; used 
externally for killing vermin. For further ac-— 
count see Dispensatory. The fluid extract is 
considered the most convenient form. The 
name is said to be derived from the Italian word 
- coccula,aberry. The fruit has been known for 
_ centuries, and is still used by the natives of India 
to stupefy fishes. 
Colocynthis, Colocynth, Citrullus Colocyn- 
this.—Natural order Cucurbitacee, commonly 
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