60 CUCURBITACEZE. 
ripens in the cold season. Aitchison observes that it is ve 
common all over the desert country of Beluchistan, where 
called Khar- kushta. The fresh fruit is brought for sale by 
use of the Government Sanitary Establishments. : 
Sanskrit writers-describe the fruit as bitter, acrid, cathart 
and useful in biliousness, constipation, fever and worms. The 
also mention the root as a useful cathartic in jaundice, as 
enlargements of the abdominal viscera, urinary diseases, r 
matism, &. Sarangadhara gives a receipt for a compo 
pill, which contains Mercury 1 part, Colocynth pulp, Sulp 
Cardamoms, Long Pepper, Chebalic myrobalans, and Pelli 
root, of each 4 parts. The Sanskrit names for colocynth 
Indravéruni and Vishalé. In India the fruit or root, wi 
without nux vomica, is rubbed into a paste with water 
applied to boilsand pimples. In rheumatism equal parts 
root and long pepper are given in pills. A paste of the re 
applied to the enlarged abdomen of children. (Qompare 
Serib. Comp. 80, and Pliny 20, 8.) 
Mahometan writers call the colocynth plant Heawg ori 
cuss its properties at great length. They consider it to | 
very drastic purgative, removing phlegm from all parts 
system, and direct the fruit, leaves and root to be used. 
drug is prescribed as with us, when the bowels are obsti 
_ costive from disease or lesion of the nervous centres, als 
dropsy, jaundice, colic, worms, elephantiasis, &c. 
minative aperient. A similar preparation is made wi 
barb root instead of pepper. The same author tells us 
seeds are purgative, and mentions their use for pri 
* Compare Hippocrates de morb. mutiers ii, yi y, 
