The fresh or rehydrated pulp of the fruit was crushed and then applied in a thin layer to the affected area, covered with a cloth. This external application remains the best documented and least risky route of traditional use. Dosage must be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
The seeds were sometimes cold-infused in a vegetable oil for several weeks, and this filtered oil was then used for local friction massage on joint pain. Professional advice is recommended before any use, even external. Dosage must be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
The dried pulp was reduced to fine powder and used in infinitesimal quantities in old pharmacopoeias, always under the supervision of an experienced practitioner due to its marked toxicity. This internal use must under no circumstances be reproduced without medical supervision. Dosage must be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
Colocynth can be found dried or in powder form in certain specialized herbalist shops and traditional pharmacopoeias, rarely in domestic cultivation due to its toxicity; it grows naturally in desert areas of Western Asia and the Mediterranean basin.