256  The  Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha.  {^a'^;^cm' 
L.  altmgia,  Blume,also  yields  the  fragrant  balsam  known  as  liquid 
storax.  It  is  vanilla-scented,  containing  much  styrol  and  styracin, 
and  is  often  used  for  imparting  scent  to  some  sorts  of  tobacco  and 
cigars,  and  also  for  keeping  moths  from  clothing.  Its  use  in  medi- 
cine is  more  limited  than  in  perfumery.  The  solid  exudation  known 
as  storax  is  from  the  stem  of  Sty  rax  officinale. 
Moringa  pterygosperma,  Gaertn.  This  small  tree  yields  a  gum 
which  is  white  as  it  exudes,  but  gradually  turns  to  a  mahogany  or 
claret  color  as  it  dries.  This  is  one  of  the  balsa  Tragacanths  which 
are  used  in  native  medicine. 
Musa  paradisiaca,  Lin.  The  sap  has  medicinal  properties ;  it  is 
used  in  San  Domingo  to  stop  internal  and  external  hemorrhage,  as 
tannin  is  in  other  countries.  At  the  Philippines  it  is  used  to  heal  a 
species  of  venereal  disease,  very  common  in  the  province  of 
Biscayas, 
[To  be  continued. ,] 
THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  IPECACUANHA.1^ 
By  Dr.  B.  H.  Paut,  and  A.  J.  Cowni^ey. 
In  some  papers  published  conjointly  by  us  previously,  in  the 
Pharmaceutical  Journal?  it  has  been  shown  that  the  descriptions 
generally  given  of  the  alkaloid,  to  which  the  medicinal  action  of 
ipecacuanha  is  attributed,  are  for  the  most  part  erroneous.  It  is 
stated  that  this  constituent  of  the  drug,  as  hitherto  obtained,  is 
chemically  an  individual  substance;  but  the  accounts  given  of  its 
physical  characters  are  remarkably  discordant.  We  have,  on  the 
contrary,  shown  that  ipecacuanha  resembles  cinchona  bark — a  pro- 
duct of  the  same  natural  order — in  containing  at  least  two  alkaloids, 
and  probably  other  alkaloids  in  smaller  proportions. 
Of  the  two  alkaloids  which  we  have  isolated  and  examined,  one 
is  uncrystallizable,  but  capable  of  forming  salts  which  are  crystalliz- 
able,  though  for  the  most  part  very  freely  soluble.  This  base  is 
readily  soluble  in  ether,  alcohol  or  chloroform,  very  sparingly  solu- 
ble in  water  or  petroleum  spirit,  and  insoluble  in  solutions  of  caustic 
alkali.    We  have  retained  for  it  the,  name  of  emetine. 
^Phar.  Jour.  Trans.,  February  16,  1895. 
2 liii,  61,  liv,  iii,  373. 
