CINCHONACEiE. 



359 



Fig. 171. 



ticed by Piso. A description was published of it by the younger Linnseus in 

 the Supplement to the Species Plantarum under the name of Psychotria 

 emetica. This was considered satisfactory until the beginning of the present 

 century, when Brbtero pointed out the real origin of this useful root, and 

 described and figured the plant in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of 

 London, vol. vi., under the name Callicocca ipecacuanha ; at a more recent 

 period, Richard, [Bull. Med. Par.iv. 92,) finding that it did not agree in cha- 

 racter with that genus, removed it to that of Cephaelis of Swartz, and this 

 change has been recognised by most succeeding botanists. 



Notwithstanding this, much uncertainty still existed as regarded other roots, 

 also derived from Brazil, and bearing the same name. In 1802, De Candolle 

 published a memoir in which he proved that the Ipecacuanhas of commerce 

 were not only derived from the plants described by Mutis and Brotero, but 

 also from others of different and widely-separated genera. This has since 

 been fully corroborated by A. St. Hilaire, in his work on the plants of Brazil, 

 by Richard, and in a still more ample manner by Dr. Martius, in his Speci- 

 men. Mat. Med. Brazil. The Ipecacuanhas may be divided into two classes, 

 the aymulated or true, and the striated or false. The latter of these will be 

 found noticed under lonidium, Psychotria, Bichardsonia, &c. The true, as 

 imported into this country, where, it may be mentioned, very little of the false is 

 sent, is in pieces about the size of a quill, of an irregular, twisted, and con- 

 torted shape, and apparently formed of small, un- 

 equal annular rugse or rings, of about a line in 

 height, separated by narrow interstices. When 

 broken, they present two distinct parts, a thin lig- 

 neous axis or centre, and a thick cortical layer of a 

 brownish colour, and resinous fracture, having an 

 herbaceous, acrid, and somewhat bitter taste, with 

 a slightly nauseous odour. The epidermis presents 

 several varieties of colour, to which some importance 

 has been attached by pharmacologists, but these 

 differences do not appear to extend to the qualities 

 of the roots, and according to Martius arise from 

 the respective ages of the roots and the mode of 

 drying. The principal of these varieties are the 

 Brown, the Gray, and the Bed, of which the first 

 is the most common and the most esteemed; the 

 gray is very rare, and the red is far from common, 

 at least in this country, though specimens can al- 

 ways be found among the bales of the brown. The 

 variety noticed by Dr. Pereira (fig. b), which is not 

 annulated, but slightly warty, is to be found in all 

 the parcels of roots that come to this market. Ac- 

 cording to the analysis of Pelletier, the cortical 

 portion contains 16 per cent, of a peculiar principle, 

 which is the active ingredient, and called Emetin, 

 with a large proportion of starch, gum, &c. ; a more 

 recent analysis, by Bucholz, of the whole root, only 

 afforded him little more than four per cent, of Eme- 

 tin ; this can only be accounted for by the latter 

 operating on roots that had become deteriorated. 

 Pure emetin will cause vomiting in doses of one-sixteenth of a grain. 



Medical Properties.— The medical effects of Ipecacuanha differ according 

 to the mode of administration. When given in small and repeated doses, it 



Roots of C. ipecacuanha. 



a Ringed portion, b Portion 



without rings. 



