EXTRACTUM  COLOCYNTHIDIS  ALCOHOLICUM,  U.  S.  P.  17 
again.  All  my  extract  was  made  by  percolation  alone — no  ex- 
pression used. 
"  There  is  one  other  point  in  regard  to  colocynth  to  which  I 
intended  to  have  directed  your  attention,  but  forgot  it. 
"  The  size  of  the  apples  has  comparatively  little  to  do  with 
either  the  quality  or  quantity  of  extract  yielded  to  the  men- 
struum. And  their  being  whole  or  broken  up  only  affects  the 
proportion  of  extract  from  the  circumstance  that,  in  hauling 
cases  or  casks,  the  heavier  seed  shake  down  to  the  bottom  of 
the  package,  or  that  opposite  to  the  marked  side,  so  that  a 
given  weight  taken  from  the  top  or  marked  side  of  a  package 
will  always  yield  more  extract  than  a  like  weight  taken  from 
the  middle  of  the  same  package,  and  much  more  than  if  taken 
from  the  bottom,  and  beside  this,  as  the  cases  are  usually  made 
of  very  thin  boards,  and  get  split  and  broken  in  hauling,  the 
seeds  shake  out  through  the  crevices,  and  often  make  deficient 
weight  but  yield  more  extract.  The  more  recently-adopted 
plan  of  importing  it  compressed,  in  bales  to  save  freight  and 
packing  cases,  obviates  these  causes  of  variation,  but  the  drug 
then  is  usually  found  damp,  and  will  begin  to  lose  weight  as 
soon  as  exposed  to  the  air.  From  this  cause  alone  bale  or  com- 
pressed colocynth  yields  less  extract,  and  it  is  not  yet  a  popu- 
lar form  of  importing  it  ir  the  market. 
"  But  the  most  important  point  of  all  in  judging  the  quality  of 
colocynth  is  the  indication  given  by  the  seed  of  the  maturity 
or  immaturity  of  the  apples,  the  mature  fruit  of  course  yield- 
ing the  largest  proportion  and  best  quality  of  extract,  even 
though  the  proportion  of  pulp  to  seed  be  greater,  as  is  always 
the  case  in  immature  apples.  The  plump,  full,  heavy  seed,  of 
a  fine  olive  color,  no  matter  whether  small  or  large,  indicate 
mature  fruit ;  and  where  these  are  found  in  greater  proportion 
the  drug  is  always  best,  no  matter  whether  broken  or  whole. 
The  flat,  shrivelled  or  shrunken  light  seed,  of  a  white  or  pale 
yellow  color,  indicate  unhealthy  fruit,  or  fruit  gathered  before 
maturity ;  and  such,  though  succulent  and  mucilaginous,  yield 
a  light  colored  extract  in  small  proportion  to  alcoholic  men- 
strua. 
"  Every  parcel  of  colocynth  contains  not  only  these  two  kinds 
2 
