326 SUBTERRANEAN ORGANS 



Ipecacuanha also contains about 0*4 per cent, of a crystalline glucoside, 

 ipecacuanhin, which is sparingly soluble in cold water, more freely 

 in hot, insoluble in ether ; it is apparently devoid of marked 

 physiological action. 



^ Other constituents are a glucosidal acid, ipecacuanhic acid, allied 

 to quillajic acid, calcium oxalate and an abundance of starch. 



Emetine, C 15 H 22 N02, is a while amorphous alkaloid which darkens on exposure 

 to light, gradually assuming a yellow colour ; it yields crystalline salts and has 

 been shown to be methyl-cephaeline, but is less powerfully emetic and about 

 half as toxic as cephaeline. It constitutes about 72 per cent, of the total alkaloid. 



Cephaeline, C 14 H 20 NO 2 , crystallises in white, silky needles, but yields un- 

 crystallisable salts ; though a more powerful emetic, it is a less efficacious 

 expectorant than emetine. It constitutes about 26 per cent, of the total alkaloid. 



Psychotrine exists in small quantity only (about 2 per cent, of the total alkaloid). 



Varieties. 1. Matto Grosso : this is the variety above described. 



2. Minas : Minas ipecacuanha is the produce of the plant cultivated 

 in the province of Minas Geraes ; it very closely resembles the Matto 

 Grosso variety, but usually bears evidence of careful cleaning. 



3. Indian or East Indian : this variety also closely resembles the 

 Matto Grosso, but is usually distinctly larger and brighter in colour. 

 It contains about the same amount of total alkaloid. 



4. Cartagena Ipecacuanha. This variety is imported from 

 Colombia ; it is distinguished from the Brazilian drug by being 

 usually of larger size and by the annulations which in this case 

 assume the form of narrow, distinct, transverse, raised ridges arranged 

 at a little distance from one another, and the root does not therefore 

 assume the appearance of a number of discs strung together. The 

 starch grains are also rather larger than those of Brazilian ipecacuanha. 

 The drug has been attributed to Psychotria acuminata, Karsten, but 

 definite evidence on this point has not yet been adduced. Cartagena 

 ipecacuanha contains the same alkaloids as Brazilian, and about the 

 same amount. The chief difference in this respect lies in the 

 proportion in which each of the alkaloids emetine and cephaeline is 

 present rather than in the amount of total alkaloid contained in the 

 root. In Cartagena ipecacuanha the emetine amounts to only 40 per 

 cent, of the total alkaloid, whilst the cephaeline reaches as much as 

 57 per cent. ; in other words, it contains twice as much of the latter 

 alkaloid as the Brazilian root, and its physiological action is there- 

 fore much more emetic and less expectorant. For this reason the 

 Cartagena variety has been excluded from the Pharmacopoeia. 



3. Ipecacuanha is largely used as an expectorant and emetic ; 

 it also possesses diaphoretic and cholagogue properties. One of its 

 most important uses is as a remedy for dysentery, for which purpose 

 large doses are given (30 to 90 grains). In such cases a remarkable 



