ACETUM  IPECACUANHA. 
139 
arriving  at  the  conclusion  that  the  Barbadoes  was  medicinally 
the  best  kind,  I  began  by  substituting  it  for  Socotrine  in  the 
compound  rhubarb  pill  prepared  for  retail  purposes,  and  since 
that  time  have  so  constantly  heard  that  the  pills  thus  made  are 
preferred  to  others,  that  it  is  impossible  to  resist  the  conviction 
that  there  is  a  very  marked  superiority  in  the  action  of  Barba- 
does as  compared  with  Socotrine  aloes.  More  recently  I  have 
carried  the  substitution  a  step  further,  by  employing  the  aque- 
ous extract  instead  of  the  crude  aloes ;  but,  although  I  am  still 
inclined  to  recommend  this  second  change,  as  rendering  the  im- 
provement more  complete,  I  cannot  say  that  it  has  produced 
equally  marked  results,  and  I  am  only  more  strongly  convinced 
that  the  advantages  which  have  been  stated  are  special  attributes 
of  the  Barbadoes  variety  of  aloes. 
I  will  only  add  to  these  remarks  an  extract  from  Pereira's 
Materia  Medica  bearing  on  the  subject.  Comparing  the  varie- 
ties of  aloes,  he  says,  Socotrine  aloes  has  long  been  regarded 
as  the  best  kind  of  aloes,  though  its  commercial  value  is  now 
below  that  of  Barbadoes.  It  is,  I  suspect,  inferior  in  activity." 
(Per.,  Mat.  Med.,  3rd  edition,  vol.  ii,,  p.  1077.) 
In  his  lectures  Dr.  Pereira  used  to  tell  his  class  that  Russian 
castor,  though  comparatively  worthless,  was  sold  for  <£2  per 
ounce,  while  the  American,  rich  in  resin,  fetched  but  205.  per 
pound.  This  may  teach  us  that  a  traditional  preference  some- 
times attaches  to  an  article  less  abundant  in  the  market,  though 
intrinsically  less  valuable  ;  and  I  have  some  suspicion  that  this 
applies  to  the  varieties  of  aloes. — London  Pharm.  Journ^  Bee, 
1860. 
ACETUM  IPECACUANHA. 
By  Mr.  George  Johnson. 
Some  time  ago  I  was  anxious  to  find  some  cheap  menstruum 
for  the  active  principle  of  ipecacuanha,  i.  e.  emetina  ;  and  on 
reading  the  article  relating  to  that  substance  in  Pereira's 
Materia  Medica,  I  found  that  emetina  is  easily  and  entirely 
soluble  in  acetic  acid. 
I  at  once  thought,  why  here  is  the  very  thing  I  want ;  and 
