Witnessed by: Western · Unani
Squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), of the Cucurbitaceae family. Rough trailing annual vine without tendrils, bearing small bristly gourds; native range: Mediterranean region and the Near East. Globally recognized as qissa-ul-himar (قثاء الحمار) in Arabic, and wild cucumber, ass's cucumber, elaterium in English. The part used is fruit juice, dried to elaterium. Grey-green hispid fruit, acrid and intensely bitter; the dried sediment a pale bitter powder.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SQUIRTING CUCUMBER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Squirting cucumber
- Scientific name
- Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich.
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
Form
- Part used
- fruit juice, dried to elaterium
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- bitter · acrid
- Unani
- bitter · pungent
Temperature
- Western
- hot
- Unani
- hot & dry (3rd–4th degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- bowels · intestines · kidneys
- Unani
- intestines · stomach · liver
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- drastic hydragogue cathartic, hydragogue diuretic, and emetic in large dose
- Unani
- mus-hil-e-qawi (drastic purgative), muqi (emetic), mudir-e-baul (diuretic), mufatteh-e-sudad (deobstruent)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy, debility, inflammation of the gut, haemorrhoids, and the very young or aged; never in the untrained hand
- Toxicity
- a violent poison in excess — bloody purging, vomiting, cramping, collapse and death; a drastic irritant to skin and mucosa
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