Cucurbita.

The seeds of Cucurbita citrullus, Cucurbita pepo.

Therapeutic Action.—The seeds of both the watermelon and pumpkin are esteemed useful for their diuretic qualities. They are simple, mild and unirritating, and often of great service in cases of strangury, ardor-urinae of gonorrhoea, suppression of urine, and irritated and inflamed states of the urinary organs generally. They may be employed either alone, or combined with other diuretics, as parsley, cleavers, etc.

The pulp of watermelon is refrigerant, diluent, and diuretic, and both admissible and useful, if taken with due restrictions, in febrile and inflammatory disease.

The American Eclectic Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 1898, was written by John M. Scudder, M.D.