426 M. Vogel on Bitter Almonds. [June, 



The following is given as the analysis of the viola emetica ; 



Emetine 5 



Gum 35 



Vegeto-animal matter 1 



Woody matter 57 



Loss 2 



Too 



In the second part of the paper, the authors give an account of 

 a number of experiments which were performed, first on brutes, 

 and afterwards on the human subject, in order to ascertain the 

 physiological and medical properties of the fatty matter and the 

 emetine, the only constituents which appeared likely, from their 

 sensible properties, to possess any active virtues. It did not 

 appear that the fatty matter had any particular operation upon 

 the stomach, whereas the emetine was found to act very power- 

 fully. We shall omit the detail of these experiments, and shall 

 conclude this abstract by quoting the three general propositions 

 which the authors lay down as the result of their observations. 



1. There exists in the three species of ipecacuanha which are 

 the most used, a peculiar substance which we have called 

 emetine, and to which these roots owe their medical properties. 



2. This substance is emetic and purgative, and it has a special 

 action upon the lungs and upon the mucous membrane of the 

 intestinal canal ; it has besides a well-marked narcotic quality. 



3. Emetine may be substituted for ipecacuanha in all cases 

 where we employ this medicine, and with the more advantage 

 as this substance in a determined dose has always constant 

 properties, which is not the case with the different species of 

 ipecacuanha that are met with in commerce, and it has also the 

 further advantage of having very little taste, and scarcely any 

 odour. 



Article V. 



Analytical Researches on Bitter Almonds. By M. Vogel.* 



The almonds were immersed in hot water for a very short 

 time, in order to remove the brown powder and the cuticle with 

 which they are covered. These parts were found to consist of a 

 membranous tissue, containing a portion of tan and fat oil. The 

 almonds were then subjected to strong pressure, so as to extract 



» M. Vogel's paper was read to the Munich Academy in July, 1814 : an ex- 

 tract from it was printed in the Journ. Pharm. for Aug. 1817, of which the above 

 is an abridgment. 



