CINCHONA 351 



4. Ipecac is probably the best single remedy for the treatment of 

 amebic dysentery of man. It should be given in the form of powder, 

 bolus, or pill every four hours, combined with opium to prevent nausea 

 or vomiting. More recently emetine hydrochloride is given to man once 

 daily under the skin. (gr. 1^) for 10 day periods as more certain than 

 ipecac. 



SECTION VIII.— ANTIPYRETIC AND ANTISEPTIC 

 ORGANIC AGENTS. 



Class 1 . — Cinchona and Its Alkaloids. 



CiNCHoifA. Cinchona. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — CinchonEe cortex, B. P.; cinchona flava, yellow cinchona bark, cali- 

 saya bark, cortex chinJE calisayae, E. ; quinquina, Fr.; chinarinde, G. 



The dried bark of Cinchona Ledgeriana Moens, Cinchona calisaya Weddell, 

 Cinchona officjalis Linng, and of hybrids of these and of other species of cinchona 

 (Fam. Rubiacese), yielding not less than 5 per cent, of cinchona alkaloids. 



Habitat. — Indigenous in South America on the east slope of the Andes, and 

 northwards into Colombia; southwards to the lower part of Bolivia, at altitudes 

 varying from 5,000 to 10,000 ft. Cultivated in India, East Indies, Jamaica, and 

 to some extent in South America. 



Description. — In quills or curved pieces of variable length, bark from 2 to 4 

 mm. thick, or in small broken fragments or in transversely curved pieces from 8 

 to 7 mm. thick; externally gray, grayish-brovpn or reddish-brown; odor slight, 

 somewhat aromatic; taste very bitter and astringent; powder, light brown. 



Constituents. — (a) Four chief alkaloids and three artificial products. 

 *Isomers 



(1) Quinine (C^oHmNzOj+S H2O). Solutions ^f its salts are 

 fluorescent. Turns plane of polarization to left. Gives green color 

 with ammonia and ' chlorine water. Precipitated from its salts as 

 hydrate. 



(2) Quinidine (C2i,H24N202). Solutions of its salts fluorescent. 

 Differs from quinine in turning plane of polarization to right, and in 

 being insoluble in ammonia except in excess. 



(Qulnicine is an artificial amorphous alkaloid, probably not occurring natural- 

 ly, and obtained from quinine by heat and excess of a mineral acid. Quinoidine 

 is a cheap brown amorphous substance obtained from the mother liquor after 

 quinine sulphate has crystallized out, and contains a mixture of quinidine, cin- 

 chonine and cinchonidine.) 

 *Isomers 



(3) Cinchonine (CioHajN^O). Is not fluorescent. Turns plane of 

 polarization to right. Does not assume a green color with ammonia 

 or chlorine water. 



(4) Cinchonidine (CioH^sNjO) is slightly fluorescent. Turns 

 plane of polarization to left. 



Cinchonicine is an artificial alkaloid obtained from cinchonine by heat and an 

 excess of a mineral acid. 



Some other alkaloids of no particular importance are: 



Quinamina ( CU1H24N2O2) . 



Paricina (dcHigNjO). 



Aricina, etc. 



•Isomers are bodies composed of the same elements, in the same proportions, 

 but possessing different chemical or physical properties. 



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