197 
in the fruit of Cucumis utilissimus , Roxb. 
species of Nepenthes ; by Wurtz 1 and later by Martin 2 in the 
fruit of the Papau ( Carica Papaya ) ; by Wittmack and by 
Hansen in the latex of the Fig. ( Ficus Carica ) 3 ; and by the 
writer in the germinating seeds of the Lupin 4 and the Castor 
Oil plant 5 . To these another Indian plant may now be 
added in Cucumis utilissimus , Roxb., the Kachree gourd. 
During the present autumn I have had, through the 
kindness of the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, the 
opportunity of examining the fruit of this plant, which has in 
India the reputation of possessing the same properties as those 
of the Fig and the Papau. The fruit is in appearance much 
like a small vegetable marrow, about six inches in length. 
It is yellow in colour, and when cut has an aroma similar to 
that of the water-melon. Its pulp is extremely succulent 
and the expressed juice is faintly acid in reaction. 
The first series of experiments made were directed only to 
ascertain whether the juice has, as suggested, any action upon 
a proteid body. It was pressed from the central pulp, and 
filtered till quite clear. Two equal volumes were taken, and 
one of them boiled for a few minutes to destroy any enzyme 
that might be present. The two volumes were then put into 
labelled beakers with a little thymol, and to each a measured 
quantity of egg-albumin was added. The albumin was pre- 
pared by boiling white of egg for about five minutes and then 
forcing it through very small-meshed wire gauze, which re- 
duced it to a fine state of sub-division, so that it could be 
accurately measured. The two beakers with their contents 
were then set in an incubator at a temperature of 34 0 C. 
The action began slowly in the unboiled portion, and pro- 
ceeded continuously and gradually. In two days about half 
the albumin had been dissolved. In the control-beaker, with 
the boiled extract, no change could be observed, either in the 
quantity or the appearance of the albumin. Microscopic 
1 Wurtz : Comptes Rendus, June, 1880. 
3 Martin : Journal of Physiology, vol. v. 1884, p. 213, 
3 Hansen : Arb. d. bot. Inst, in Wurzburg, iii. 1885. 
4 Green : Phil. Trans., vol. 178 b, 1887, p. 39 
5 Green : Proc, Roy. Soc., vol. 48, 1890, p. 370, 
