204 MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



key, but it is yet unkuown here of what place this plant is a native. 

 It seems to have been cultivated in Britain in the time of Turner, 

 and the figure given in Woodville was drawn from a specimen of 

 the plant produced by sowing the seed in a hot bed. Though the 

 plants thus raised put forth flowers readily, they are very rarely 

 known to bear fruit. The spongy membranous medullary part of 

 the fruit is directed for medicinal use : this, * c which to the taste is 

 nauseous, acrid, and intensely bitter, on being boiled in water, ren- 

 ders a large quantity of the liquor ropy and slimy ; even a tincture 

 of it made in proof spirit is so glutinous as not to pass through a 

 filter, and not easily through a common strainer. The watery de- 

 coctions inspissated, yield a large proportion, half of the weight of 

 the colocynth, or more, of a mucilaginous extract ; which purges 

 strongly, but with much less irritation, and greater safety, than the 

 colocynth itself, and appears to be the best preparation obtainable 

 from this drastic drug." 



This very powerful and irritating cathartic is the KoXoxvv$ri$ of 

 the ancient Greeks, and the Alhandal of the Arabians. It was fre- 

 quently employed by both in different diseases, though not without 

 an apprehension of danger, from the violence of its effects, of which 

 various instances are related. In doses of ten or twelve grains this 

 substance purges with great vehemence, frequently producing violent 

 gripes, bloody discharges, and even disordering the whole system. 

 Many attempts, therefore, have been made to correct its virulence, 

 by the addition of acids, astringents, and the like ; but these seem 

 to answer no other purpose than what might be equally effected by a 

 reduction of the dose. ** The best method of abating its virulence, 

 without diminishing its purgative virtue, seems to be by triturating 

 it with gummy farinaceous substances, or the oily seeds, which, 

 without making any alteration in the colocynth itself, prevents its 

 resinous particles from cohering, and sticking upon the membranes 

 of the intestines, so as to irritate, inflame, or corrode them. 



This drastic purgative has been recommended in various chronic 

 complaints ; but as several other cathartics have all the advantages 

 of coloquintida, and may be used with more safety, its use is now 

 seldom resorted to, especially alone. 



[Lewis. Woodville, Schulz. 



