Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
Nov.,  1885.  ; 
Assay  of  Ipecac. 
531 
Gm.,  making  the  alkali  extract  1'31  Gm.  The  insoluble  residue  con- 
sisted of  crude  fibre  and  ash ;  to  obtain  pure  celkilose  it  was  macerated 
for  24  hours  in  a  solution  of  chlorinated  soda,  washed,  dried,  and  now 
weighed  4*367  Gm.  This  contained  0*355  Gm.  of  ash,  leaving  for 
pure  cellulose  4*012  Gm.,  or  20*06  per  cent. 
Volatile  Principles. — 100  Gm.  of  the  finely  powdered  drug  were 
placed  in  a  retort,  macerated  for  48  hours  with  water  and  distilled; 
the  distillate  was  neutral,  of  a  straw-yellow  color,  and  possessed  a  very 
strong,  disagreeable  odor.  On  the  surface  of  this  distillate  oil  was 
found  weighing  3*25  Gm.,  equivalent  to  3*25  per  cent.  The  distillate 
was  tested  for  alkaloids  by  the  usual  tests  with  negative  results. 
On  summing  up  the  result  of  the  different  operations  the  following 
is  produced : 
Pel'  cent. 
Moisture   15-50 
Ash   5  00 
Benzol  extract  (resin,  fixed  and  volatile  oil,  coloring 
matter)   5  00 
Alcoholic  extract  (tannin,  alkaloid,  resin)   21*98 
Aqueous        "      (gum)   2-75 
Acid              "      (starch)   23-73 
Alkali            "      (coloring  matter)   6*55 
Cellulose   20-06 
Total   100-57 
A  SIMPLE  METHOD  OF  ASSAYING  CRUDE  IPECAC.^ 
By  A.  B.  Lyons,  M.D.,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Complaint  is  frequently  made  of  preparations  of  ipecac  that  they 
are  deficient  in  strength.  It  not  infrequently  happens  that  a  prepara- 
tion of  the  drug  is  employed  under  circumstances  whicli  render  it  a 
matter  of  the  utmost  importance  that  it  shall  produce  i)romptly  its 
peculiar  physiological  effect.  Failure  may  mean  indeed  death  of  the 
patient  to  whom  the  dose  has  been  administered.  It  is  obvious,  there- 
fore, that  a  ready  means  of  ascertaining  the  quality  of  preparations  of 
this  drug  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every  pharmacist,  and  that  it 
should  be  so  simple  that  there  could  be  no  excuse  offered  for  remaining 
in  ignorance  in  regard  to  the  character  of  preparations  to  be  dispensed. 
The  query  I  have  accepted  appears  to  have  been  prompted  by  some 
'  Read  before  the  Michigan  Plwmaceutical  Association. 
