Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
May,  1919.  J 
Emetine  Hydrochloride. 
275 
yellow  on  adding  KOH  solution.    The  salt  becomes  dark  green 
when  mixed  with  picric  acid  and  treated  with  sulphuric  acid.  Its 
plain  solutions  are  yellow.    For  properties  see  under  Berberine. 
Laboratories  of 
Allaire,  Woodward  &  Co., 
Peoria,  III. 
NOTES  ON  EMETINE  HYDROCHLORIDE. 
By  George  E.  Ewe. 
The  Proportion  of  Ceph^line  in  the  Emetine 
Hydrochloride  on  the  Market. 
The  manufacture  of  emetine  hydrochloride  from  ipecac  pre- 
sents the  problem  of  separating  emetine  alkaloid  from  the  drug, 
in  a  condition  of  comparative  freedom  from  cephseline  alkaloid, 
which  also  occurs  naturally  in  the  drug.  Recognizing  this  problem, 
the  U.  S.  P.  requires  the  following  test  to  be  applied  to  emetine 
hydrochloride  in  order  to  insure  the  absence  of  any  considerable 
proportions  of  cephseline : 
"Dissolve  0.1  Gm.  of  emetine  hydrochloride  in  5  mils  of  distilled 
water  in  a  separatory  funnel,  add  to  the  solution  3  mils  of  sodium 
hydroxide  T.  S.  and  shake  it  out  with  10  mil  portions  of  ether  until 
the  residue  obtained  by  evaporating  1  mil  of  the  ethereal  liquid 
when  dissolved  in  1  drop  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  and  1  mil  of 
distilled  water,  no  longer  yields  a  turbidity  with  iodine  T.  S.  Now 
acidulate  the  aqueous  liquid  with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  then  add 
ammonia  water  until  alkaline  and  shake  it  with  10  mils  of  ether. 
Evaporate  this  ethereal  liquid  and  add  to  the  residue  1  mil  of  sul- 
phuric acid  containing  about  0.005  Gm.  molybdic  acid ;  no  purple 
color  is  produced.  (Cephseline.)" 
When  applied  to  samples  of  emetine  hydrochloride  representing 
the  products  of  five  American  manufacturers,  a  pale  reddish-purple 
color,  followed  rapidly  by  a  brown,  and  finally  a  light  green  was  ob- 
tained in  each  case. 
The  U.  S.  P.  states  that  "  no  purple  color  is  produced  "  and  since 
all  of  the  samples  examined  gave  purple  colors,  more  or  less  modified 
and  of  decided  intensity,  the  amount  of  cephaeline  in  the  samples  was 
