RUBIACEA, CLXXVI. Crruezuis. 
Poaia do Matto by those of the southern provinces ; and Cipo 
by others, which is the name often given to it by the Portuguese 
settlers. The root is simple, or a little branched, and furnished 
with a few short radicles, irregularly bent, externally brown, 
wrinkled from rings. 
It appears that a native of Brazil, whose name was Mi- 
chael Tristan, was the first who brought ipecacuanha into 
use. He speaks of it as a remedy for dysentery. Piso 
afterwards describes it, and speaks of two sorts (hist. nat. bras. 
p. 101.), the white and brown, which he says were given for 
fluxes, and as vomits. But we are indebted to Helvetius for 
bringing it into general use, under the patronage of Louis XIV., 
from whom he received a thousand pounds, to reveal the secret 
medicine with which he so successfully treated dysentery. Be- 
sides the brown ipecacuanha, there is another sort, brought from 
Brazil, which varies in appearance from the former; and some 
have supposed that these differences are owing to accidental 
circumstances, such as the place of growth, the kind of soil, &c. ; 
but, on the authority of M. Gomez, the common brown ipecacu- 
anha of the shops, is yielded to be Cephe'lis ipecacudnha, while 
the white is the root of Richardsdnia scabra and R. rosea, 
which is exported largely to Portugal. Besides these, the name 
of ipecacuanha, which, in the language of South America, means 
vomiting root, is given to various species of Cyndnchum, Asclè- 
pas, Euphérbia, Dorsténia, and Ruéllia; and with regard to 
their comparative power, De Candolle says that vomiting is 
produced by 22 grains of Cyndnchum; by 24 of Psychétria 
emêlica; by from 60 to 72 of Viola calceolaria; and by from 1 
to 3 drachms of C. ipecacudénha. Linneus, in a paper pub- 
lished in the third volume of “ Amcenitates Academicz,” gave 
1pecacuanha, as a trivial name, to a species of Euphérbia, a na- 
tive of Virginia and Carolina, the root of which is there used as 
an emetic. But this was soon discovered not to be real ipecacu- 
anha, In his second “ Mantissa” he gave the trivial name to a 
Species of Vidla, a native of Brazil, the root of which he sup- 
posed to be the white ipecacuanha of the shops. De Candolle, 
ma paper published in the “ Bulletin des Sciences par la Société 
*hilomatique,” and republished entire in the ‘“ Nouveau Dic- 
ee @ Histoire Naturelle,” says there are three species of 
‘ola which produce the white ipecacuanha ; the V. calceolaria, 
a native of Guiana and the Antilles; the V. ipecacudnha, and 
the y, parviflora, both natives of Brazil. The roots of these, 
and especially the last, are sometimes mingled in common with 
the true, or brown, ipecacuanha; but they are a fraudulent 
adulteration, and do not possess its active properties. They 
may be distinguished by their colour, but most certainly by the 
size of the woody part, which in these is always considerably 
thicker than the bark; whereas in the true ipecacuanha it is 
much less, and, as described by Brotero, is only a fibre. 
The black or striated Ipecacuanha (Psychétria emética) is ex- 
ported from Carthagena to Cadiz, and is also said to be the 
eruvian grey ipecacuanha. The root is black within and 
without, fusiform, articulated, striated, and not annulated. 
he white ipecacuanha is described by Gomez to be the root 
. Richardsdnia scabra; it is of a dirty white, and turns 
age drying; it is simple, or a little branched, often 5 or 6 
c 8 thick, 3 inches long and upwards, variously twisted, and 
Pering at its extremities, with transverse annular rugosities, 
arger than those of the brown ipecacuanha. The common 
“le ipecacuanha is exported from Rio Janeiro to Portugal. 
it = = varies from different degrees of grey and brown; but 
> af aracterized by being contorted, wrinkled, and unequal in 
a i having a thick brittle bark, deeply fissured trans- 
a Y, Covering a central, very small white wood, so as to give 
idea of a number of rings strung upon a thread. 
Qualities and chemical properties.—Powdered ipecacuanha 
607 
has a sickly odour, and a bitterish acid taste; and on those who 
pulverize it, sometimes excites such powerful effects as to pro- 
duce nausea, faintings, and spitting of blood. It has been sub- 
jected to various chemical investigations, and Dr. Irvine ascer- 
tained that it contains a gum resin. MM. Pellitier and Ma- 
gendie, while pursuing their investigation on ipecacuanha, dis- 
covered that the power of the various kinds of ipecacuanha 
depended on a peculiar principle, to which the name emetine has 
been given ; and they think that it might upon all occasions be 
substituted with advantage, being much more active than ipeca- 
cuanha itself, without possessing its disagreeable taste and smell. 
The latter quality resides in a greasy substance, quite distinct 
from its emetine virtue; for M. Caventon swallowed it with 
impunity to the extent of 6 grains.—All vegetable astringents, 
as infusion of galls and vegetable acids, weaken or destroy the 
power of ipecacuanha; and Dr. Irvine found that half a drachm, 
administered in 2 ounces of vinegar, had little effect. 
Medical properties and uses.—The utility of ipecacuanha is 
generally known, and properly appreciated. As an emetic, it 
operates in doses of from 5 to 30 grains, surely and efficiently, 
without depressing the system at large, like many other emetics, 
or injuring the mucous membrane of the stomach; it is there- 
fore to be preferred as a mere evacuant of that organ; and it can 
be given in the fullest doses with perfect safety, and without 
exciting much nausea. Its power as an emetic has been rather 
undervalued in one particular view; for if opium be taken, 
recourse is generally had to violent remedies, which, by simple 
contact with the stomach, when in a torpid condition, cannot fail 
to produce injurious results. Ipecacuanha is sometimes em- 
ployed in a full dose after the accession of a paroxysm of inter- 
mittent fever ; and, by destroying the link which held the chain 
of diseased sympathies together, it has often succeeded in cutting 
short the disease. Paroxysms of spasmodic asthma also often 
yield to the same treatment; and in the more chronic form of 
that disease, small doses advantageously produce both expec- 
toration and perspiration. In chronic dysentery and diarrhoea, 
it is a most useful medicine in small doses. Given in doses of 
half a grain, it promotes secretion in the lining membrane of the 
bowels, whereby a healthy condition is eventually re-established, 
and is, therefore, frequently prescribed in cases of dyspepsia, 
attended by a foul tongue. Small nauseating doses are advan- 
tageously given to subdue uterine and pulmonary hemorrhages ; 
and combined with opium, the effects of both appear to be modi- 
fied; so that under the name of Dover’s powders, doses of from 
5 to 10 grains form one of the most powerful and useful sudo- 
rifics that can be employed for acute or chronic rheumatism, 
and for eruptive diseases that are disposed to recede. Nauseat- 
ing doses of ipecacuanha are also useful for hooping-cough, 
epilepsy and aneurosis. Two kinds of emetine are obtained 
from ipecacuanha—the coloured emetine and pure emetine; the 
latter is white and powdery, not acted on by the air, whereas 
coloured emetine is deliquescent. The cases in which emetine 
may be given, are the same as those in which ipecacuanha is in- 
dicated. Pure emetine is much more powerful than the coloured. 
Two grains are sufficient to kill a large dog. The officinal pre- 
parations are Pulvis ipecacuanhe, Compositu and Vinum ipeca- 
cuanhe. Pectoral lozenges of emetine are useful in chronic 
pulmonary catarrhs, hooping-cough, obstinate diarrheeas, &c. 
Ipecacuanha Cephelis. Pl. 4 to 1 foot. 
31 C. ru'sra (Hoffm. ex Willd. mss. in Roem. et Schultes, 
syst. 5. p. 214.) stem dichotomous, kneed ; leaves ovate, acumi- 
nated, petiolate, glabrous above, and downy beneath ; stipulas 
sheathing, bidentate; heads terminal, on short peduncles, involu- 
crated by 6 unequal bracteas. %. H. S. Native of Brazil. 
Roots creeping. Veins of leaves purple. Stems flexuous, tumid 
at the joints. 
