IPECACUANHA 



329 



(N.O. Vioiacece, Brazil). It is greyish white or yellowish in colour, 

 1-5 to 3 mm. thick, and frequently branches. The section exhibits 

 a large, porous, yellowish wood and narrow, darker bark. 



7. Trinidad Ipecacuanha. Under this name the rhizome and root 

 of AscUpias curassavica, Linne (N.O. Asclepiadece) , have been offered 

 for sale. It is 2 to 4 mm. in diameter, yellowish brown externally 

 and whitish internally ; it bears wiry rootlets and has an unpleasant 

 bitter taste. 



Other roots are occasionally found in the market mixed with or 

 substituted for ipecacuanha ; the enumeration of these would be 

 beyond the scope of the present work. 



FIG. 169. Greater Striated Ipecacuanha (Psychotria emetica). A, root, 

 natural size. B, transverse section, magnified, showing the dense 

 wood. (Planchon and Collin.) 



With the exception of ipecacuanha stem, none of these substitutes, 

 all of which reappear from time to time on the London market, contains 

 any emetine or cephaeline. 



The following test for emetine is useful in distinguishing roots 

 containing that alkaloid from numerous substitutes which do not : 

 0-5 gramme of the finely powdered root is mixed with 20 c.c. of strong 

 hydrochloric acid and 5 c.c. of water ; to 2 c:c. of the filtrate 0-01 

 gramme of potassium chlorate is added ; if emetine is present the 

 liquid assumes a yellow colour, changing in the course of an hour to 

 red. 



VALERIAN RHIZOME 



(Rhizoma Valerianae) 



Source, &C. The common valerian, Valeriana officinalis, Linne 

 (N.O. Valerianece), is an herbaceous plant widely diffused over Europe 



