145 CEPHAELIS IPECACUANHA 



a see-saw motion into the ground beneath the plants, by which he 

 is able to pull up a lump of earth with the inclosed roots in an 

 almost unbroken state. The earth is then shaken from the roots, 

 which are placed in a bag brought for that purpose, and the 

 same process is repeated with other plants. When the Poayero 

 pulls up the roots, he breaks them at certain points, and from 

 these broken parts of the roots which are left in the soil, young 

 plants are subsequently produced, and thus the total destruc- 

 tion of the plant is prevented. In the evening the Poayero s 

 put their collections together, and the roots are then spread 

 out and dried as rapidly as possible by exposure to sunshine 

 during the day, but they are protected from the heavy dew at 

 night. After being perfectly dried, which process generally takes 

 two or three days, the roots are broken up into pieces a few inches in 

 length these are then shaken in a sieve to separate any remaining 

 adherent earth ; and finally packed in bales for exportation. The 

 annual imports of ipecacuanha into the United Kingdom may be 

 estimated at about 65,000 Ibs., representing a money value of 

 nearly 15,000. It is principally imported into this country from 

 Brazil ; but also to some extent from Carthagena. 



General Characters and Composition. Ipecacuanha or Ipecacuan 

 is in more or less twisted, simple or branched pieces, usually from 

 about two to four inches long, and ordinarily the size of a small 

 writing quill, but smaller pieces may be frequently found. It con- 

 sists of a slender central woody axis or meditullium of a whitish 

 colour ; and a thick investing cortical portion, which has a brownish, 

 reddish-brown, greyish-brown, or grey colour externally and is 

 marked with irregular circular fissures, which sometimes extend to 

 the woody axis, and thus give the roots the appearance of a number 

 of rings strung upon a cord, and hence the name annulated ipeca- 

 cuanha which is applied to this root and by which it is distin- 

 guished from the non- official ipecacuanhas. The cortical portion 

 constitutes from 75 to 80 per cent, of the entire root; it has a 

 resinous or somewhat waxy fracture, and presents a semi-transparent 

 horny appearance. The cortical portion is by far the more active 

 portion of the root ; the woody axis being almost inert. Mixed 



