260  The  Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha.  {Am^y%TTm' 
cephaeline  and  their  salts,  and  announce  that  they  are  prepared  to 
supply  these  substances  for  medicinal  use.  We  understand  that 
they  are  already  receiving  orders  from  England. 
The  reputed  value  of  ipecacuanha  in  the  treatment  of  acute  dys- 
entery gives  a  great  importance  to  this  drug,  but  its  emetic  action 
has  been  found  an  inconvenient  objection.  Acting  upon  the  assump- 
tion that  the  emetic  action  is  due  to  the  alkaloid,  it  has  been  pro- 
posed to  make  use  of  the  drug  from  which  that  constituent  has  been 
removed.  The  successful  results  obtained  by  some  medical  men  in 
India  with  de-emetinized  ipecacuanha  suggest  the  possibility  that 
the  value  of  the  drug  as  a  remedy  for  dysentery  may  be  due  to  some 
other  treatment  than  the  alkaloid. 
Some  attempt  was  therefore  made  to  isolate  and  study  another 
constituent  of  ipecacuanha  which  has  been  described  by  Willigk, 
under  the  name  of  ipecacuanhic  acid,  as  analogous  to  tannic  acid 
and  having  a  composition  represented  by  the  formula  C14Hli07. 
Following  on  the  lines  of  Willigk's  process,  an  alcoholic  extract  of 
ipecacuanha  was  mixed  with  basic  lead  acetate  until  no  further  pre- 
cipitate was  formed.  The  lead  precipitate,  collected  and  thoroughly 
washed  with  strong  alcohol,  was  treated  with  weak  sulphuric  acid 
not  quite  sufficient  to  convert  the  whole  of  the  lead  into  sulphate, 
and  the  clear  alcoholic  liquid  was  evaporated  to  dryness.  In  that 
way  a  reddish-brown  amorphous  material  was  obtained,  amounting 
to  about  2-25  per  cent,  of  the  drug,  and  corresponding  to  Willigk's 
description — very  soluble  in  water,  or  alcohol,  of  bitter  taste,  and 
giving  a  green  coloration  with  ferric  salts,  but  not  precipitated  by 
gelatin.  It  was  found  to  have  no  emetic  action  in  doses  of  4  or  5 
grains.  After  boiling  with  acid  it  reduces  Fehling's  solution.  The 
product  so  obtained  was,  however,  a  crude  material,  and  probably 
of  a  mixed  character.  By  treatment  with  absolute  alcohol  it  was 
almost  entirely  dissolved,  leaving  about  5  per  cent,  of  residue.  The 
solution,  mixed  with  dry  ether,  gave  a  white  precipitate  amounting 
approximately  to  20  per  cent.,  which  darkened  on  exposure,  and 
presented  some  resemblance  to  saponin,  and,  after  boiling  with  acid, 
it  reduced  Fehling's  solution.  On  evaporating  the  ether  alcohol 
solution  a  residue  was  obtained  amounting  to  about  60  per  cent., 
which  was  soluble  in  water,  and  gave  a  dark  green  color  with  ferric 
chloride.  The  water  solution  did  not  froth  on  shaking,  but  after 
boiling  with  acid  it  reduced  Fehling's  solution. 
