N. 0. CUCURBITACE^. 599 



Habitat — Cultivated throughout India, and also very often 

 apparently wild. 



A scabrid climber. In the fields of Afghanistan, it trails 

 along the ground extensively. Leaves 2|- by scarcely 2in. in 

 the typical wild very scabrous form, larger in cultivated forms 

 approaching C. vulgaris, ovate, middle segment compound 

 pinnatifid. Petiole lin. Petals iin., obovate, light-yellow. 

 Ovary villous. Eruit smooth, variegated, green and white 

 globose, 2J-3in. diam. 



Parts used. — The fruit and root. 



Use. — Sanskrit writers describe the fruit as bitter, acrid, 

 cathartic and useful in biliousness, constipation, fever and 

 worms. They also mention the root as a useful cathartic in 

 jaundice, ascites, enlargement of the abdominal viscera, urinary 

 diseases, rheumatism, etc. 



Mahomedan writers consider it to be a very drastic purga- 

 tive, removing phlegm from all parts of the system, and direct 

 the fruit, leaves and root to be used. The drug is prescribed 

 when the bowels are obstinately costive from disease or lesion 

 of the nervous centres, also in dropsy, jaundice, colic, worms, 

 elephantiasis, &c. Its irritant action upon the uterus is noticed, 

 and fumigation with it is said to be of use for bringing on the 

 menstrual flow. The author of the Makhzan tells us that the 

 seeds are purgative, and mentions their use for preserving the 

 hair from turning grey (Dymock). 



In .the Concan, the fruit and root, with or without nux- 

 vomica, is rubbed into a paste with water and applied to boils 

 and pimples. In rheumatism, equal parts of the root and long 

 pepper are given in pill. A paste of the root is applied to the 

 enlarged abdomen of children (Dymock). 



It is officinal in both Indian and British Pharmacopoeias. 



From experiments with coloeynthin obtained from Citrulhis colocijiilhis, 

 Messrs. Naylor and Chappcl find that this substance is capable of hydrolysis, 

 and that it yields, amongst other products, colocynthein, elaterin, and 

 dextrose. They were also able to obtain coloeynthin in a crystalline form. 



[Pharm. J. 1907 Vol. 79 pp. 117-118.] 



The seeds of the wild colocynth are used for food in Sind and Baluchis- 

 tan : the kernels arc roasted or boiled and eaten with dates. The seeds 



