Am'jlnuri884arm'}  Luffa  Aegyptiaca.  7 
cold  water;  they  absorb  the  latter  with  the  same  facility  as  the  ordi- 
nary sponge,  and  have  the  advantage  over  the  sponge  not  to  wear  out 
by  ordinary  use  for  a  number  of  years ;  hence,  the  name  of  "  Vege- 
table Sponge/'  or  "  Wash  Rag/'  and  its  use  as  a  flesh  glove.  The  seeds 
are  numerous,  and  are  almost  flat,  broadly  ovate,  three- eighths  of  an 
inch  long.  The  testa  is  of  a  blackish  brown  color  and  rough,  coty- 
ledons almost  flat,  of  a  yellowish  brown  color  and  oily. 
Analysis. — An  infusion  of  the  epidermis  of  the  fruit  (1  to  10)  was  made 
and  tested  for  tannin,  with  tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  with  sulphate 
of  iron,  and  Russian  isinglass,  whereby  a  trace  of  tannin  was  shown, 
100  grains  of  the  epidermis  thoroughly  dried,  yielded  fifty-four  per 
cent,  of  residue ;  on  being  incinerated  at  a  low  heat,  the  epidermis 
(dry  ?)  yielded  twelve  per  cent,  of  a  dark  gray  ash,  one  half  of  which 
was  soluble  in  water ;  the  ash  consisted  of  silica,  carbonates  and  sul- 
phates of  potassium  and  calcium.  The  fibrous  portion,  after  being 
incinerated,  yielded  sixteen  per  cent,  of  ash,  partly  soluble  in  water. 
The  fruit  contains  a  large  amount  of  mucilaginous  substance,  which 
yields  a  white  precipitate  with  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead. 
An  infusion  of  the  fibrous  portion,  when  evaporated  to  a  syrupy 
consistence,  became  gelatinous  on  cooling.  The  gelatinous  mass  had 
all  the  properties  of  bassorin,  and  was  free  from  starch.  One  troy 
ounce  of  the  epidermis  was  powdered,  and  successively  exhausted  with 
benzin,  alcohol  and  water.  The  benzin  solution  yielded  a  small  quan- 
tity of  yellow  coloring  matter ;  the  alcoholic  tincture  left  chlorophyll 
and  a  little  extractive,  and  the  infusion  gave  twenty  per  cent,  of 
slightly  bitter  extract. 
One  troy  ounce  of  the  powdered  seeds  was  treated  with  boiling 
benzol ;  the  green  solution,  on  being  evaporated,  yielded  two  and  a 
half  per  cent,  of  a  brown,  fatty  oil,  and  twelve  per  cent,  of  a  green 
mass.  The  latter,  on  being  treated  with  very  dilute  hydrochloric  acid, 
and  evaporating  the  liquid,  yielded  a  minute  amount  of  crystals. 
Similar  crystals  were  also  obtained  from  the  green  alcoholic  extract  of 
the  seeds  previously  exhausted  with  benzol.  Water  afterwards  took 
up  nothing  of  note. 
Mode  of  preparing  the  fibrous  portion. — The  fruit  is  cut  longitudi- 
nally on  one  side,  stripped  of  the  epidermis,  the  seeds  are  then 
removed,  and  the  net  work  of  fibres  is  washed  thoroughly  to  get  rid 
of  the  mucilaginous  substance  and  dried.  It  is  then  ready  for  use. 
This  fibrous  portion  is  the  only  part  of  the  plant,  as  far  as  I  know, 
that  has  ever  been  in  use. 
