COloquintida is a Fruit of the Size of our Rennet Apple, that grows upon a climbing or viny Plant, that has green Leaves, very like those of the Cucumber. The Fruit being upon its Stalk, is of the Colour of the Collebash, and grows plentifully in several Parts of the Levant, from whence they are brought to us, freed from the first Skin, or outward Shell, which is yellow.
Chuse the finest white Coloquintida Apples, that are light, round, and as little soul and broken as may be. Those who have their Coloquintida from Marseilles, or other Parts, order their Correspondents, if they wou'd serve them well, to take care that the Apples be not broken, and the Pepin, or Seed shak'd out; tho' out of an hundred. Weight of Coloquintida, they shall not find forty fit for Use, because of the gross Part, and the Seeds which ought to be thrown away.
Coloquintida is one of the bitterest and most purgative Drugs in Physick; therefore it ought not to be us'd, but with great Precaution, and especially not without throwing away the Seeds. The Confectioners cover these Seeds with Sugar, and sell them to catch or delude Children with, and People of Quality upon extraordinary Occasions; but the Apothecaries keep these by them to powder, and put into their purging Compositions, especially the common Lenitive Electuary; which is a great Abuse, and a very wicked Practice.
Colocynthis, vel Colocynthie fructurotundo minor, vel Cucurbita Sylvestris fructu rotundo minor: The lesser Coloquintida with the round Fruit, or the lesser wild Gourd, with the round Fruit; is an Indian Plant which bears several Stalks that creep upon the Ground, hairy and rough, The Leaves grow singly ty'd to long Stalks, running one stom another, large, indented, hairy, rough and whitish, especially on the Outside, mark'd with several white Spots. The Flowers are of a pale yellow, succeeded by a Fruit about the Size of a moderate Orange, almost round, naturally pretty dry and light, cover'd with a hard Bark, or entire Shell, that is of a yellowish, shining Green. The Indians separate, or pull off this Bark, and having dry'd it within, that is, the Fleshy Part of the Fruit, they bring these Apples of different Sizes, white, spungy, light, and of an intolerable Bitterness, which is what we call Colocynthis Officinarum, or the Coloquintida of the Shops. There are several Cells or Apartments fill'd with large Seeds, like those of Melon, but shorter, more fleshy and a great deal harder, of a yellowish Colour, inclining to white: They cultivate this Plant in several Parts of the Levant.
Chuse such as are fine, large, white Apples, fleshy, well dry'd, light, that will easily break, and are very bitter; they yield a great deal of Oil, together with volatile and essential Salt. The Coloquintida, separated from the Seeds, is call'd Pulp of Coloquintida, and is often us'd in Physick; it purges violently by Stool, is proper to evacuate the serous Humours of the more gross Parts of the Body, and is recommended in the Epilepsy, Apoplexy, Lethargy, Small-Pox, over-flowing of the Gall, Sciatica and Rheumatism; but ought never to be administred alone, but us'd in Compositions, as Pills, Confections, Troches, and the like.