“~. 
PERIPETALEX, 355 
-perties are highly developed, and it affords some of our most 
valuable purgatives. The pulp of Coloquintida or Bitter 
Apple (Cucumis Colocynthis) is a drastic purgative, and 
much employed in medicine: its bitterness, according to M. 
Vauquelin, resides in a resinous principle, which he has 
called Colocynthine. The juice which surrounds the seeds 
ofthe Wild Cucumber (Momordica Elaterium) affords Ela- 
terium, one of the most violent purgatives which we possess. 
The roots of this plant and of Red-berried Bryony (Bryonia 
alba or B. dioica) are also purgative, and the latter is rube- 
-facient when applied to the skin. 
_ The active purgative principle, so abundant in the pulpy 
“matter of the fruits in this family, is not found in the seeds. 
They are sweetish and mucilaginous, and contain a consi- 
derable quantity of a mild fixed oil; they are sometimes 
‘used for emulsions. Jolliffia africana affords a great quan-_ 
’ m4 of expressed oil, said to be of as good a quality as Olive- 
Offcinal Plants. 
Cucumis Colocynthis. 
Momordica Elaterium. 
Porsonovs Prorsrttes.—In large doses, Cucumis Colo- 
cynthis and Momordica Elaterium are poisonous. The 
latter contains elatine, which is an extremely active poison< 
ORDER CIV. 
MYRTACEZ. 
Myrti, Juss.—Myrtinee, De Cand. 
_ Cuaractens.—Trees or shrubs, with generally opposite 
and a vein parallel to the margin, generally persistent ; caly= 
