Am>  octu'isP93 arm- }  Chemistry  o f  Ipecacuanha.  48  7 
not  until  separation  has  been  carried  to  some  considerable  extent 
that  this  difference  becomes  apparent.  The  quantity  of  material 
disposed  of  in  the  operations  of  fractional  crystallization  or  precipita- 
tion, requisite  for  separating  the  alkaloids,  is  so  great  that  very 
little  remains  for  further  examination  unless  larger  quantities  are 
operated  with  than  we  have  yet  had  at  our  disposal. 
The  stem  of  Brazilian  ipecacuanha  appears  to  contain  a  small 
amount  of  the  same  amorphous  alkaloid  that  is  present  in  the  root ; 
but  it  is  accompanied  by  a  distinctly  crystalline  alkaloid.  It  is  very 
sparingly  soluble  in  ether,  but  separates  from  the  solution  on  slow 
evaporation  in  lemon-yellow  transparent  crystals  melting  above  100° 
C.  When  precipitated  from  the  solution  of  a  salt  by  ammonia,  it 
rapidly  assumes  a  crystalline  form,  and  on  addition  of  caustic  soda  it 
is  dissolved  in  the  manner  stated  by  Lefort  (see  supra).  It  forms  a 
neutral  hydrochloride  which  is  amorphous,  and  the  platinum  salt 
appears  to  be  readily  decomposed. 
This  alkaloid  is  present  in  very  much  larger  proportion,  rela- 
tively to  the  amorphous  alkaloid,  than  it  is  in  the  root.  Conse- 
quently it  follows  that  determinations  of  the  amount  of  alkaloid,  as 
a  whole,  in  the  stem  will  not  correctly  express  the  relations  of 
stem  and  root  in  regard  to  the  amount  of  emetine.  Evidently  no 
inference  can  be  drawn  from  such  determinations  as  to  the  relative 
values  of  those  portions  of  the  plant  as  medicinal  agents.  Before 
that  can  be  done  with  any  degree  of  certainty  it  will  be  necessary 
to  find  means  of  separating  the  alkaloids  so  that  their  several 
amounts  may  be  ascertained,  and  to  do  that  a  knowledge  of  their 
characters  must  be  obtained.  With  that  object  in  view  we  are  now 
engaged  in  preparing  such  quantities  of  the  several  alkaloids  of 
ipecacuanha  as  will  admit  of  their  chemical  characters  being  studied, 
so  as  to  furnish  data  for  their  separation  and  identification,  besides 
furnishing  material  for  ascertaining  their  repective  therapeutic 
effects.  Meanwhile,  however,  it  must  be  pointed  out  that,  apart 
from  the  absence  of  official  recognition,  there  is  no  ground  what- 
ever for  the  assumption  that  ipecacuanha  stems  possess  properties 
which  justify  the  admixture  with  the  roots.  So  far  as  anything  is 
known  it  points  in  the  opposite  direction. 
Another  point  to  which  attention  is  being  directed  is  the  question 
as  to  the  relative  value  of  other  kinds  of  ipecacuanha,  such  as,  for 
instance,  that  of  New  Granada,  which  is  said  to  be  probably  derived 
