-FebWyTiwif1'}  Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha.  61 
color,  according  to  the  degree  of  purity,  almost  inodorous  and  of 
bitter  taste.  It  melted  at  yo°  C.  and  on  exposure  acquired  a  brownish 
color,  but  did  not  deliquesce.  It  was  sparingly  soluble  in  cold 
water — I  :  1,000 — readily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  in  chloroform,  but 
very  slightly  soluble  in  ether,  and  it  was  uncrystallizable.  That 
base  was  readily  dissolved  by  caustic  potash  or  soda  and  the  solu- 
tions rapidly  absorbed  oxygen  from  the  atmosphere.  It  was  less 
freely  soluble  in  ammonia,  and  when  mixed  with  lime  or  magnesia 
it  became  yellow  on  exposure  to  air.  It  was  readily  dissolved  by 
most  acids,  neutralizing  them  and  forming  soluble  uncrystallizable 
salts  ;  with  nitric  acid  it  formed  a  very  slightly  soluble  salt  and  this 
was  considered  to  be  the  most  distinctive  characteristic  of  the  base. 
Potassium  iodide  and  alcoholic  solution  of  iodine  gave  precipitates 
which  were  very  sparingly  soluble  in  water.  Mercuric  chloride  and 
potassium  mercuric  iodide  gave  white  precipitates  insoluble  in  water 
and  soluble  in  alcohol.  The  platinochloride  was  soluble  in  water, 
but  only  sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol,  whilst  ammonium  molybdate 
and  basic  lead  acetate  both  gave  precipitates.  Lefort  did  not  analyze 
the  base  so  obtained ;  but  with  the  aid  of  the  analytical  data 
given  by  Pelletier  and  Dumas  he  endeavored  to  ascertain  its 
molecular  weight  from  the  saturating  capacity  and  the  composition 
of  its  salts  by  determining  the  amounts  of  combined  acids  in  the 
neutral  sulphate  and  hydrochloride.  On  that  basis,  and  assuming 
the  alkaloid  to  be  identical  with  the  substance  analyzed  by  Dumas, 
it  was  inferred  that  its  formula  was  C^H^NX^. 
Calculated.  Found. 
C  64-28  64-57 
H   ■   7-86     •  777 
N  5  '00  4-30 
O   22-85  22-95 
99'99  99"59 
The  subject  was  next  taken  up  by  Glenard,1  who  applied  the 
method  of  treatment  with  lime  and  ether  for  extraction  of  the  alka- 
loid, obtaining  it  colorless  and  in  relatively  large  amount,  a  result 
that  was  not  consistent  with  the  description  of  emetine  then  accep- 
ted. Glenard  obtained  the  alkaloid  by  mixing  a  dry  alcoholic  ex- 
tract of  ipecacuanha  with  an  equal  quantity  ofMvater  and  one  and 
1  "Recherches  sur  l'alcaloide  de  l'ipecacuanha,"  Ann.  de  Chim.  et  de  Phvs., 
5,  VIII,  233 
