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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 9, 1872. 
the sediment are due to the ipecacuanliic or cephaelic 
ncid, which is described by Pelletier* as bitter. 
There can, therefore, be no doubt that ipecacuanha 
wine is an unsatisfactory pharmaceutical prepara¬ 
tion ; and I hold it to be no rejoinder to this state¬ 
ment if either the physician or the pharmacist aver 
that they are perfectly satisfied with it as it is. For 
all practical purposes I believe the vin. ipecac, of 
the shops is quite efficient, but I maintain that 
there is a better preparation, and that on all ac¬ 
counts it will be proper to employ it. I pass on 
next to describe what this is. We have already 
seen that sherry wine is not the best solvent of this 
drug, and that other menstrua succeed perfectly in 
taking up the emetia. In November, 18(50, a paper 
was read before this Society by Mr. George John¬ 
son,! a pharmacist of Birmingham, in which he 
stated that, while seeking some cheap menstruum 
for the drug, he found from Pereira’s work that 
acetic acid was the best solvent for emetia, and he 
proceeded to make an acetic solution according 
to the formula of the London Pharmacopoeia of 
1851, then in use. Two and a half ounces of the 
bruised rhizome were macerated, in five fluid ounces 
of acetic acid. Thirty-five ounces of water were 
then added, and the maceration was continued for 
twenty-four hours longer, with frequent shaking. 
The solution was then filtered and strongly pressed. 
A rich brown solution was the result; and Mr. 
Jolmson believed this to be nearly twice as strong 
as the vkium ipecacuanha, because, on testing with 
tincture of galls, after careful neutralization with 
ammonia, a precipitate of tannate of emetia was 
thrown down in much larger quantity than fell 
from an equal amount of the wine after similar 
treatment. Moreover, fifteen drops of the prepara¬ 
tion sufficed to induce vomiting in young children. 
Mr. Johnson very properly claimed for this ace- 
tum ipecacuanha the merits of pharmaceutic ex¬ 
actness and of cheapness, and he urged that this 
preparation should be introduced into the British 
Pharmacopoeia. His plea for its importance was, 
however, unheeded by the Committee who super¬ 
intended that work. Mr. Johnson has also recom¬ 
mended that a weak alcoholic tincture might be 
■employed, which should contain four grains of tar¬ 
taric acid in the ounce. He proposes that four parts 
of distilled water should be added to one part of 
rectified spirit, and this menstruum, with the tartaric 
acid, he believes, would secure the most stable pre¬ 
paration of ipecacuanha. 
I pass on now to describe the process recommended 
in the United States Pharmacopoeia for making the 
syrup of ipecacuanha. A fluid extract is first pre¬ 
pared by means of acetic acid and alcohol, as 
follows:— 
fluid ounces of water, boil the mixture gently until 
it is reduced to half a pint and the resinous matter 
has separated. Filter the liquid when cold, and add 
sufficient water through the filter to make the filtered 
liquid measure half a pint. Lastly, mix this with 
half a pint of alcohol. 
This process is manifestly a very troublesome and 
expensive one. The result is a beautiful rich brown- 
red preparation and very powerful. Messrs. Dinne- 
ford and Company have supplied me with some which 
they made a year ago, and which appears to retain 
its full activity unimpaired. The syrup is ordered 
to be made as follows :—Two fluid ounces of the 
aceto-alcoholic extract are to be mixed with thirty 
fluid ounces of simple syrup. This preparation, as 
made by Messrs. Dinneford, I have also examined; 
and it appears to be a very efficient one. There can 
be no doubt that, excellent as is the American fluid 
extract, it is too powerful for ordinary employment, 
and such a preparation could never take the place of 
the vinum ipecacuanha?, since it would cease do be 
a household or domestic remedy. 
Not long ago it came to my knowledge that Messrs. 
Ferris and Company, of Bristol, had for some time 
been accustomed to prepare and sell largely an 
acetum ipecacuanha and an oxymel ipecacuanha. 
I communicated with Messrs. Ferris, and they were 
so kind as to send me specimens of their prepara¬ 
tions and their formula? for the manufacture of 
them. They state that they consider the acetum a 
far more stable and reliable preparation than the 
vinum, and they supply many medical practitioners 
with it instead of the latter. It is made by mace¬ 
rating half a pound of the bruised rhizome in a 
gallon of dilute acetic acid for fourteen days. After 
expression and straining, the preparation is ready 
for use. It is a bright yellow solution, and throws 
down no sediment of any kind. . 
Messrs. Ferris’s oxymel is made by mixing one pint 
of the acetum with two pounds of clarified hone}'. 
This must be subsequently evaporated to a proper 
consistence. The acetum is one-tliird stronger than 
the wine; thus twenty minims are equal to half a 
drachm of the latter. I have employed both of these 
preparations, and I find that they are excellent and 
very serviceable. 
I am much indebted to my friend Mr. Carteiglie, 
of Messrs. Dinneford and Company, for the trouble 
he has taken in making several preparations both of 
the acetum and oxymel. He has recommended the 
following methods for making these; and it will be 
seen that they differ somewhat from those employed 
by Messrs. Ferris. The Pliarmacopoeial strength of 
the wine has been maintained both by Messrs. Ferris 
and Mr. Carteiglie, viz. one ounce of the rhizome to 
a pint of the menstruum. 
Take of Ipecacuanha in fine powder . 1G troy oz. 
Acetic Acid.a fluid oz. 
Alcohol. 
Water, each a sufficient quantity. 
Moisten the ipecacuanha with six fluid ounces of 
alcohol, introduce it into a conical percolator, press ; 
it firmly, and pour alcohol upon it until three pints 
of tincture have slowly passed, or until the ipeca¬ 
cuanha is exhausted. Distil off the alcohol from I 
the tincture by means of a water-bath until a syrupy 
liquid is left. Mix this with the acetic acid and ten 
--------- I 
* Pereira, Mat. Med. vol. ii. part ii. p. 1595. 
t Pharmaceutical Journal, 2nd Ser., Yol. II. p. 303. 
Take of Ipecacuanha Boot (bruised) . 1 oz. 
Acetic Acid.1 oz. 
Distilled Water, a sufficiency. 
Macerate the ipecacuanha and acid for twenty-four 
hours ; pack in a percolator, and pour distilled water 
gradually over it until one pint of percolate has been 
obtained. 
A clear bright brown solution is obtained, which 
throws down no sediment. It is darker and stronger 
than Messrs. Ferris’s preparation ; and the value of 
the method consists in the primary action of the 
stronger acetic acid, which more completely ex¬ 
hausts the rhizome. 
