_ bitter, and its alcoholic solution had a marked acid reaction. It 
62 CUCURBITACEZ. 
was decomposed by oxide of lead, and, finally, the colocynthin 
was dissolved out by ether. 
Walz thus obtained about per cent. ofa yellowish mass or 
tufts, which he considered as possessing crystalline structure, 4 
and to which he gave the name colocynthin. He assigns toit 
the formula 05° H®* 025, Colocynthin is a violent purgative. 
Colocynthin is decomposed, according to Walz, by boiling 
dilate hydrochloric acid, and then yields colocynthein, C** H% 
O'5, and grape sugar. 
The same chemist termed colocynthitin that part of the alco- 
holic extract of colocynth, which is soluble in ether, but not in’ 
water. Purified with boiling alcohol, colocynthitin forms 4 
tasteless crystalline powder. 
The pulp perfectly freed from seeds and dried at 100°C., 
affords 11 per cent. of ash; the seeds alone yield only 2°7 per 
cent, (Pharmacographia.) The seeds contain after decortica- 
tion about 48 per cent. of fatty oil and 18 per cent albumi- 
nous substances besides a small quantity of sugar. (Fliickiger.) 
We have examined the roots dried at 50° C., and reduced 
to powder ; the powder contained a large amount of starch — 
and woody fibre; for the chemical examination, no separation 
of fragments of woody fibre by asieve was attempted, the pow. 
dered roots being used as a whole. 
Dry ether was digested with a known weight of the powder 
for some days, and was found to extract ‘14 percent. only. The 
extractive was of a yellow colour, bitter, and consisted chiefly 
of oily matter. Water digested with this extract acquired a 
very bitter taste. Another portion of the powder was exhausted © 
with 84 per cent. alcohol, by which treatment 12°62 per cent. 
of a soft yellow non-crystalline extract was obtained dried at 
100° C, 
By the action of cold water on the extract, *88 per cent. of 
insoluble, soft yellow residue was left; this residue was not 
| had the properties of a fat acid. The aqueous extractive was — 
_ somewhat milky; repeated filtration failed to make it bright: it 
