Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Aug.,  1877 
A  Reaction  of  Emetia. 
no  precipitate  with  salicin  or  santonin,  but  produces  a  bright  yellow 
precipitate  with  piperina,  in  presence  of  hydrochloric  acid. 
As  these  experiments  show  that  the  tannic  acid  of  guarana  does  not 
give  reactions  precisely  similar  to  those  produced  by  any  other  of  the 
tannic  acids  treated  with  the  same  reagents,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  con- 
clude that  it  differs  from  them  somewhat  in  chemical  composition,  and 
it  should  on  this  account  have  some  distinguishing  appellation.  It 
might  very  properly  be  termed  paullinitann'ic  acid,  which  would  be  prefer- 
able to  guaranotannic,  as  future  investigations  may  show  the  acid  of 
Paullinia  cupana,  which  is  used  as  a  diet-drink,  and  probably  of  other 
species,  to  be  identical  with  that  of  the  Paullinia  sorbilis. 
NOTE  UPON  A  REACTION  OF  EMETIA. 
By  Fred.  B.  Power. 
Toward  the  many  reagents  commonly  employed  for  the  ready  recog- 
nition of  the  principal  alkaloids,  by  means  of  which  their  presence  and 
identification  may  be  unmistakably  proven,  emetia  seems  to  maintain  a 
neutral  character,  and  independent  of  its  emetic  properties,  and  of  the 
characteristic  sparing  solubility  of  its  nitrate,  no  reaction  has  been 
observed  by  means  of  which  its  presence  could  be  readily  identified  in 
in  the  course  of  forensic  analysis. 
Although  probably  never  having  met  with  an  intentional  criminal 
application,  yet  in  view  of  the  frequent  and  extended  application  of 
ipecac  root,  a  marked  reaction  of  its  active  principle  seems  deserving 
of  notice,  especially  as  reliance  upon  physiological  experiments  might 
possibly  lead  to  its  confusion  with  veratria,  which  possesses  equally 
powerful  emetic  properties. 
Chlorinated  alkalies,  which  were  proposed  some  time  since  as  a  test 
for  morphia,  and  the  behavior  of  a  solution  of  chlorinated  lime  toward 
morphia  and  some  other  alkaloids  and  neutral  principles,  more  recently 
examined  by  Wellcome,1  afford  with  emetia  a  reaction  which  is 
apparently  characteristic  of  this  body.  While  most  of  the  alka- 
loids examined  by  Wellcome  were  found  to  assume  a  reddish 
coloration  with  a  solution  of  chlorinated  lime — and  to  the  number 
of  these,  according  to  DragendorfF,  may  be  added  physostigmia — 
it  was  observed  that  a  solution  of  chlorinated  lime  produces  with  emetia 
1  "American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  vol.  xlvi,  No.  7,  page  305-7. 
