488  Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha.  { A™-^\m&Tm' 
from  a  plant  different  from  that  which  yields  Brazilian  ipecacuanha. 
This  Carthagena  root  is  stated  to  be  equal  to,  if  not  better  than,  the 
Brazilian  at  the  present  time.1  That  opinion  is  based  upon  the 
amount  of  alkaloid  that  has  been  obtained  from  the  Carthagena 
ipecacuanha,  and  in  regard  to  that  point  we  have  found  that  there  is 
little  or  no  difference  between  the  two  kinds.  It  has  been  assumed 
that  the  alkaloid  present  in  this  root  is  the  same  as  that  contained 
in  Brazilian  ipecacuanha.  There  is  no  distinct  chemical  evidence 
that  such  is  the  case ;  but  in  the  course  of  our  experiments  relating 
to  this  subject  we  have  at  least  obtained  evidence  that  Carthagena 
ipecacuanha  contains,  in  addition  to  a  considerable  amount  of 
amorphous  alkaloid,  some  proportion  of  another  crystallizable  alka- 
loid, which  presents  marked  differences  from  the  crystalline  alkaloid 
of  Brazilian  ipecacuanha.  Until  the  investigation  of  this  material, 
in  regard  to  the  chemistry  of  its  constituents  and  the  therapeutic 
effects  they  produce,  has  been  thoroughly  carried  out,  and  it  shall 
have  been  shown  that  they  are  identical  with  those  of  the  Brazilian 
drug,  it  would,  however,  be  unjustifiable  to  advocate  the  substitution 
of  the  one  for  the  other  upon  the  ground  of  possible  similarity  of 
origin  or  of  apparently  analogous  medicinal  characters. 
Before  concluding  it  may  be  useful  to  refer  to  some  of  the  opin- 
ions which  have  been  expressed  in  regard  to  the  striking  absence 
of  agreement  between  the  data  obtained  in  determinations  of  the 
alkaloid  in  ipecacuanha.  Upon  the  basis  of  those  data  very  dis- 
similar opinions  have  been  expressed  as  to  the  amount  of  emetine 
in  the  drug.  While  some  have  taken  one  per  cent,  as  the  maxi- 
mum others  have  taken  1-6  as  the  minimum  for  a  sample  of  good 
quality,  and  others  again  have  insisted  that  nothing  should  be 
recognized  as  good  which  does  not  contain  at  least  2-5  per  cent. 
Placing  side  by  side  with  these  differences  the  different  experi- 
mental data  obtained  by  various  operators,  which  run  through  all 
possible  gradations  between  one  and  upwards  of  three  per  cent.,  it 
is  evident  either  that  ipecacuanha  root  is  a  very  variable  drug,  or 
that  the  experimental  results  must  have  been  largely  influenced 
by  accidental  circumstances.  The  methods  adopted  by  different 
operators  are  generally  supposed  to  be  chiefly  accountable  for  the 
differences  in  the  results  obtained,  and  the  facts  we  have  already 
1  Ph.  J.  [3],  xxiii,  267,  and  Keller,  Ph.  J.  [3],  xxiii,  592. 
