214 FLORA HOM(COPATHICA. 
PuystotocicaL Errects.—On Animals. Colocynth acts on 
animals, as on man, as a violent drastic and poison. Orfila 
(Tox. Gén., 8rd edit., p. 691) made five experiments on dogs: 
he found that three drachms introduced into the stomach were 
sufficient to cause death. On examination after death, the 
mucous membrane of the stomach was found inflamed through 
its whole extent. The duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, the 
cecum, and first portion of the colon were found of a very 
red colour. According to Viborg (Pharm. Vet., 274), the 
operation of Colocynth on horses is comparatively slight. 
Moiroud (éd., 1. c.) gave four drachms to a small horse, with- 
out producing any particular symptoms. He mentions also 
another curious circumstance, viz., that he found that bryonia 
(one of the Cucurbitacee) had but little, if any, effect on the 
horse. 
On Man.—Colocynth in moderate doses acts as a purge. In 
full doses, as a violent drastic cathartic and hydragogue. In 
excessive doses, it has often proved a fatal poison, producing 
violent vomiting and purging, and other symptoms of gastric 
intestinal inflammation. 
Fordyce (Fragm. of Surg.and Med., p. 66) mentions the case 
of a woman who was a prey to colic for thirty years, from 
having taken an infusion of the pulp of Colocynth mixed with 
some beer. 
Tulpius (Observ. Médicinales, iv. c. 27, p. 2181) notices the 
case of a man who was nearly carried off by profuse bloody 
diarrhea, in consequence of taking a decoction of three Colo- 
cynth apples. 
In 1823, a coroner’s inquest was held, in London, on the 
body of a woman who died in twenty-four hours, with incessant 
vomiting and purging, in consequence of having swallowed by 
mistake a teaspoonful and a half of Colocynth powder. 
Dioscorides (lib. iv. c. 178) had observed that Colocynth 
introduced into the rectum produced a discharge of blood 
(dysentery). 
