CUCURBITACE. 69 
would appear that the old Sanskrit writers were not acquainted 
vith its peculiar action on the circulatory system by which it 
pidly puts a check to hemorrhage from thelungs. The Raja 
lirghantu, the oldest work on therapentics, gives a long 
count of its virtues, but does not allude to its use in phthisis 
or hemoptysis. Neither does Susruta mention it in his chap- 
_ ters on the treatment of hemorrhage and phthisis, though the 
plant is alluded to by him elsewhere. The more recent compila- 
_ tions, such as Chakradatta Sangraha, Sarangadhara, &e., give 
_ numerous preparations of the article; of these Khanda Kush- 
_ mandaka or the confection may be taken as an example. In pre- 
_ paring this medicine, old ripe gourds are selected. Those not 
_ at least a year old are not approved. ‘They are longitudinally 
_ divided into two halves, and the pulp seraped ont in thin flakes 
_by an iron comb or scraper. The watery juice that oozes 
ied up tightly in a cloth, and the fluid portion allowed to drain 
ay. The softened and drained pulp is dried in the sun, and 
e watery portion preserved for future use. Fifty tolés of the 
prepared pulp are fried in sixteen tol4s of clarified butter, and 
again boiled in the juice of the fruit, till reduced to the con- 
sistence ofhoney. To this are added fifty tolis of refined sugar, 
and the whole is heated over a gentle fire till the mass assumos 
q such a consistence as to adhere to the ladle. The pot is now 
q removed from the fire, and the following substances, namely, 
_long pepper and ginger, each two tolés, cumin seeds, carda- 
_ moms, cinnamon, folia malabathri, black pepper and coriander, 
ch half a tol4 in fine powder, are added to the syrup and 
of honey are now added to the confection, which is preserved 
rred briskly with a ladle, till the mass is cool. Hight tolas — : 
