74 The Philippine Journal of Science 1915 
has been reported: namely, emetine; cephaéline; psychotrine; 
ipecamine, isomeric with psychotrine; and hydroipecamine, is- 
omeric with caphaéline.* The pharmacology of emetine and cep- 
haéline was worked out by Wild,’ who showed that the latter 
was the more energetic in its action as an emetic. All of the 
above work, with the exception of the isolation of the two is- 
omeric bases, was published prior to 1896, by which time the 
ipecac treatment had become generally recognized. It appears, 
however, that no attempt was made to use the pure alkaloidal 
constituents of the drug in the treatment of dysentery until 1912, 
when Rogers ® reported the results obtained in 25 cases of enta- 
meebiasis treated with emetine hydrochloride given subcuta- 
neously. Although the results obtained by Rogers were the first 
direct clinical evidence of the value of emetine as a remedial 
agent in the treatment of entameebiasis, we are indebted to 
Vedder for pointing out its probable use in this connection. 
In 1911 Vedder ® published an article on the effect of ipecac, 
deémetinized ipecac, and emetine on the entamcebe in vitro in 
which he pointed out the toxic action of emetine with respect to 
this organism. Rogers then took up the work and tested the 
effects of emetine on the entamcebz found in dysenteric stools. 
He noted that entamcebee in them were killed by a dilution of 1 to 
10,000 of emetine hydrochloride and rendered inactive even by 
so high a dilution as 1 to 100,000. A microscopic examination 
of the dysenteric ulcers of an advanced case which ended fatally 
failed to reveal a single living amoeba after a dosage of 0.22 
gram of emetine hydrochloride in two and a half days. He was 
so impressed with these results that he began the administration 
of emetine hydrochloride in a number of cases of entamebiasis. 
At first Rogers tried the administration of emetine hydro- 
chloride in the form of a salol-coated pill, but obtained compar- 
atively poor results owing, undoubtedly, to its rapid elimination. 
*Emetine was obtained by Pelletier and Magendie in 1817. Ann. Chim. 
et Phys. (1817), 4, 172-185. Cephaéline and psychotrine were isolated 
by Paul and Cownley, the former in 1895, the latter a few years later. 
Pharm. Journ. (1895), 25, 111, and Am. Journ. Pharm. (1901), 73, 87. 
Just recently Hesser has reported the presence of ipecamine and hydroi- 
pecamine. Drug. Circ. (Oct., 1914), 613. 
"Lancet (1895), 2, 1274. 
*Therap. Gaz. (1912), 36, 8387-842. 
*Vedder showed that deémetinized ipecac was without harmful effect 
upon the entamoebe, but that the destructive properties of ipecaec were 
greater than its emetine content would indicate. From which we may 
infer that cephaéline is also toxic to the entamebe. Bull. Manila Med. 
Soc. (1911), 3, 48. 
