ON CUCUMIS CITRULLUS. 
91 
brown, or even black. The kernel is white, amylaceous in 
its appearance, oily to the taste, resembling that of the al- 
mond. It is enclosed in a hard ligneous shell, which, when 
dry, is easily removed. They emit, when bruised, a peculiar 
pleasant odor, which is not possessed by any other portion 
of the plant. 
As found in the shops, the seeds are depressed in the mid- 
dle, showing more distinctly the characteristic rim around the 
margin. 
They are variously colored, sometimes singularly mottled 
with white and brown, or black. 
Seeds of several colors frequently occur in the same melon. 
The coloring matter, however, is confined entirely to the outer 
coating. The shell itself, and the nucleus, are always white. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION. 
Although frequently used by our physicians in city, and 
oftener in country practice, this article is not mentioned in any 
of the works on Pharmacy, to which I have had access ; and, 
as far as I have been able to discover, there has never been 
an analysis made. 
With a view to throw some light upon the chemical con- 
stitution of the seeds of the Cucumis citrullus, I have been 
induced to make the following experiments. The seeds used 
were collected when the fruit was fully ripe, and were care- 
fully dried in the shade. 
Experiment 1. — A decoction was made by boiling one 
ounce of the bruised seeds in a pint of water for fifteen mi- 
nutes. This presented a thick milky appearance, similar to 
an emulsion of oil with gum. On cooling, a copious white 
flocculent precipitate was separated, leaving the supernatant 
fluid clear and of a bright yellow color. Tested with tinc- 
ture of iodine, the clear decoction remained unchanged, while 
the precipitate gave indication of the presence of starch in 
large proportion. 
Experiment 2. — To the filtered decoction was added a 
solution of sub-acetate of lead ; this threw down a whitish 
