Am.  Jour.  Phama. 
Oct.,  1893. 
Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha. 
489 
established  as  to  the  existence  of  distinct  alkaloids,  in  regard  to  which 
some  solvents  exercise  a  differentiating  action,  will  perhaps  help  to 
account  for  some  of  the  differences  between  experimental  results 
previously  obtained. 
There  are,  however,  other  conditions  the  probable  influence  of 
which  upon  the  analytical  results  may  be  traced.  It  has  been 
assumed  that  emetine  is  destroyed  by  the  action  of  heat,  and  hence 
the  recommendation  of  the  cold  extraction  and  evaporation  at  low 
temperatures.  We  have  not  found  either  of  these  precautions  to  be 
essential  or  of  importance.  The  solvents  used  for  extraction  or  to 
be  evaporated  in  concentrating  solutions,  generally  resemble  ether  in 
being  of  such  a  nature  that  no  excessive  heating  need  be  feared  in 
either  of  those  operations.  It  is  rather  in  the  operation  of  "  shak- 
ing out "  that  loss  of  alkaloid  is  likely  to  be  caused,  not  by  its 
destruction,  but  as  a  consequence  of  particles  of  the  precipitated 
alkaloid  being  melted  and  thus  rendered  practically  insoluble.  The 
fact  that  the  alkaloid  becomes  almost  insoluble  after  being  melted  has 
been  pointed  out  by  Kunz,  and  as  its  melting  point  is  so  low  there  is 
great  risk  of  loss  in  this  way  if  the  precipitation  is  too  rapidly  carried 
out.  The  assumed  decomposing  action  of  alkalies  has  been  spoken 
of  as  causing  low  results;  but  that  explanation  is  inconsistent  with 
the  fact,  mentioned  by  Kunz,  that  emetine  offers  remarkable  resist- 
ance to  the  action  of  alkalies.  Altogether  we  are  disposed  to  think 
that  in  the  determination  of  alkaloid  in  ipecacuanha  differences  in 
experimental  results  are  not  due  to  the  nature  of  the  solvent 
employed  for  extraction  or  to  the  method  of  operating.  It  seems 
much  more  probable  that  such  differences  arise  from  the  want  of 
preserving,  throughout  the  entire  treatment,  conditions  which  are 
suited  to  the  characters  of  the  material  operated  upon  and  of  the 
substance  to  be  obtained  from  it.  This  appears  to  be  of  much 
greater  importance  than  strict  adherence  to  a  mere  rule  of  thumb 
procedure. 
Total  Mixed  Alkaloids. 
Root. 
2'02 
I '95 
2*14 
Stem. 
4,  picked, 
5,  " 
0-97 
