BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 261 
also phytalbumose which is poisonous but re- 
sembling the pepfones. The seeds are poison- 
ous and drastic carthartic, and used for prepar- 
ing the oil, which will be spoken of under the 
head of fixed oils. 
Cucurbita Pepo, Pumpkin.—Natural order 
Cucurbitaceze. All of the gourd families are na- 
tives of the tropical countries of Asia and 
America, and now cultivated in all of the tem- 
perate climates of the world for their fruits, 
The plants bearing the fruits are succalent and 
trailing herbs, throwing out numerous tendrils, 
with deeply cut leaves, pubescent and coarse, 
varying in size and color; flowers united ina 
5-petalled, yellow corolla, with united stamens, 
except at the bottom, the anthers also united; 
fruit large, firm, yellow and fleshy, containing 
many seeds, broadly ovate, flat and about 4 of 
an inch (2 centimeters long. The testa is of a 
creamy white appearance, with a shallow groove 
and flat ridge running in a parallel line along 
the margin of the seed, from the base to the 
hilum at the apex. The seeds are made up of 
two white, flat cotyledons, which are very rich 
in oil. The pumpkin seeds have little ‘or no 
odor, but a bland mucilaginous taste, and con- 
tain starch, sugar, resin-proteids and at least 40 
per cent. of fired oil. The seeds are recom- 
mended as a teeniafuge, and given in doses of an 
ounce or more on an empty stomach, either in 
form of an infusion or an electuary. The bot- 
tle gourd (Lagenaria) heads the list of all the 
melon family. 
Cucumis Melo, Musk Melon or Cantaloupe. 
—Natural order Cucurbitacez. Native of Cen- 
