374 - UUBIACE^. 



Ipecacuanha, and differing from the Brazilian drug chiefly in being of 

 larger size. Thus, while the maximum diameter of the annulatcd roots 

 of Brazilian ipecacuanha is about yV of an inch, corresponding roots of 

 the New Granada variety attain nearly -f\. The latter, moreover, has 

 a distinct radiate arrangement of the wood, due to a greater develope- 

 ment of the medullary rays, and is rather less conspicuously annulated. 

 Lefort (1869) has shown that the New Granada drug is a Httle less rich 

 in emetine than the ipecacuanha of Brazil. 



Mr. R. B. White, of Medellin in the valley of the Cauca, Aew 

 Granada, near which place the drug has been collected, has been good 

 enough to send us. herbarium specimens of the plant with roots at- 

 tached ; they agree entirely with Ceijhaelis Ipecacuanha. 



Microscopic Structure— The root is coated with a thin layer of 

 brown cork cells ; the interior cortical tissue is made up of a uniform 

 parenchyme, in which medullary rays cannot be distinguished. In the 

 woody column they are obvious ; the prevailing tissue consists of short 

 pitted vessels. The cortical parenchyme and the medullary rays are 



Ir. V 7^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ granules. Some cells of the interior part of 

 the bark contain however only bundles of acicular crystals of oxalate 

 ol calcium. "^ 



Chemical Composition— The peculiar principles of ipecacuanha 

 are l.meh7ie and Ipecacuanhic Acid, together with a minute propor- 

 tion ot a fcKtid volatile oil. The activity of the drug appears io he due 

 solely to the alkaloid, which taken internally is a potent emetic. 



il-metine, discovered in 1817 by Pelletier and Magendie, is a bitter 

 substance with distinct alkaline reaction, amorphous in the free state 

 as well as m most of its salts ; we have succeeded in preparing a 

 crysialhzed hydrochlorate. 



The root yields of the alkaloid less than 1 per cent.; the numerous 

 mgticr estimates that have been given relate to impure emetine, or 

 have been arrived at by some defective methods of analysis.^ 



thnf i-^ T^^h .^''^Sncd to emetine by Reich (1803) was C=^H=^«^ 0^ 

 that given by Gle'nard (18751 C}'¥{^moi «r,.l ^..i^^ f4t found in !«/' 



by Lefort and F. Wurtz, (J^W^WQ^ 



roorwIfK 1 !I? "^^ ^' obtained by drying the powdered bark of the 

 luJJ^ ^ '^f T^^ ^^ ^""*^^ ^^^ exhaustfng the mixture with boilmg 

 chloiotorm, petroleum-benzin or ether. It is a white powder turning 

 anTnl "^Po.s^^re to light and softening at 70° 0. Emetine assume^ 

 lLl!:lT r .";? permanent yeUow colour with solution of chlorinated 



contZf. i'^?' ^"'^'' ^^i^^' ^« «^«^vn by Power (1877). A solution 

 conta inipg bnt ^^ of emetine still rlf.^lL. ih.i. Lm^L We fouad 



containing bnt ^^ 

 tlie alkaloid to 

 solution. 



pouSmnl reactions may be easily shown thus :-Take 10 grams o 

 K drifnf''"f '^^^' 1;^^ "^^^ t^'^^^ ^ith 3 grains of quick-lime and 

 it to a vTa] onf i'"^'*''- Ji'^' ^^'^ "^^^^^''^ i^ the\vater bath and transfer 

 then filler j'^f '^^"^"^ ^ fluid drachms of chloroform : agitate frequently 

 ^ iiitei into a capsule containing a minute quantity of acetic acul 



BaxSd! b^S^l^^^^^^^ Richard and chcrmst in Proceedings of the BritishPhar- 



Attfield, as recorded by the laslna ^^ ^naccutkal Confermdiox 1869. 37-39. 



