274 
American  Colocynth. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1894- 
ditions  they  grow  in  Europe.  These  were  watered  freely,  and  were 
much  larger  than  those  grown  with  ordinary  rainfall.  I  don't  think 
there  can  be  any  contamination,  unless  from  a  melon  patch  a  long 
distance  off,  and  beyond  the  influence  of  our  prevailing  winds,  which 
are  from  the  west." 
Mr.  Allaire  at  a  later  date  sent  an  invoice  of  the  fresh  Colocynth 
apples,  7  in  number.  These,  as  taken  from  the  package,  had  the 
following  circumference  measurements  (the  first  figures  represent- 
ing vertical  and  the  second  horizontal  measurements)  : 
(0  13  x  13^  in.;  (2)  2314  x  24;  (3)  22^  x  22^  ;  (4)  18  x  19; 
(5)  20^  x  20%  ;  (6)  18^  x  18  ;  (7)  21  x  2I#. 
The  exterior  had  a  marbled  green  surface.  The  interior  exhibited  a 
rind  about  y2  inch  thick,  enclosing  a  white  spongy  pulp,  imbedded  in 
which  were  numerous  seeds.  A  section  parallel  to  the  axis  showed 
vertical  rows  of  seeds  upon  fleshy  parietal  placentae,  which,  on 
transverse  section,  were  seen  to  project  to  the  centre  of  the  fruit, 
then  divide  and  turn  back,  making  convoluting  branches  directed 
one  toward  the  other.  This  structure  made  apparent  three  dis- 
tinct wedges,  each  of  which  seemed  to  have  two  divisions  bearing 
the  dark  brown,  almost  black,  seeds.  Here  and  there  were  found 
white,  perhaps  unripe,  seeds.  The  fruit  gave  forth  an  odor  not 
unlike  that  of  cucumber,  also  suggesting  that  of  watermelon. 
The  accompanying  figures  (see  Frontispiece)  show  the  whole 
fruit,  a  tranverse  and  longitudinal  section  of  the  same,  an  enlarged 
section  of  the  rind  and  pulp,  and  the  stem  and  leaves  of  the  plant 
as  they  were  sent  to  me. 
The  principal  differences  between  the  gross  characters  of  this  fruit 
and  the  imported  article  is  that  of  size,  and  a  correspondingly  larger 
number  of  seeds  which  are  larger  in  proportion  and  darker  than 
those  of  the  foreign  grown  colocynth.  In  the  imported  fruit  there 
are  usually  from  200  to  300  seeds,  while  the  average  number  in  the 
American  is  from  500  to  600.  Physiological  experiments  upon  the 
powder  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  American  colocynth  was  only 
about  two-thirds  as  powerful  in  cathartic  action  as  that  of  the 
Trieste  fruit.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  weight,  I  would  here  state 
that  apple  No.  6  weighed  1,101  grams;  the  rind  from  this  693  grams, 
and  the  seeds  13-42  grams.  The  pulp  weighed  394*58  grams,  which 
when  dried  at  a  temperature  not  exceeding  500  C,  to  constant 
weight,  yielded  31-75  grams,  thus  showing  a  loss  of  moisture  of 
