THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
MARCH,  igoi. 
i 
i  ^  THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  IPECACUANHA. 
By  Dr.  B.  H.  Paui,  and  A.  J.  Cownxey. 
( Concluded  from  p.  66. ) 
In  our  examination  of  the  alkaloids  of  ipecacuanha  the  Brazilian 
variety  was  employed  in  the  first  instance.  The  extraction  was  car- 
ried out  in  the  following  manner,  mainly  to  avoid  any  possible  dele- 
terious action  on  the  alkaloids :  A  quantity  of  the  drug  was  ex- 
tracted with  cold  alcohol,  the  alcoholic  percolate  mixed  with  basic 
lead  acetate,  filtered,  and  the  excess  of  lead  removed  with  dilute 
sulphuric  acid.  The  filtrate  was  neutralized  and  the  alcohol  dis- 
tilled off.  The  clear  solution  was  then  agitated  with  ether  and 
ammonia.  That  ether  solution  was  next  shaken  out  with  weak 
sulphuric  acid  and  the  acidulated  solution  repeatedly  shaken 
with  caustic  soda,  in  the  presence  of  ether,  until  cephaeline, 
the  base  soluble  in  caustic  alkali,  had  been  completely  separ- 
ated. The  base,  insoluble  in  weak  caustic  alkali,  was  then  con. 
verted  into  hydrochloride  and  the  salt  recrystallized  from  water. 
Finally,  the  base  was  precipitated  by  ammonia.  In  the  examina- 
tion of  New  Granada  ipecacuanha  the  powdered  drug  was  mixed 
with  lime  and  extracted  with  amylic  alcohol  and  the  bases  then  sep- 
arated as  before  described.  In  order  to  obtain  the  crystalline  emetine 
hydrochloride  more  readily,  cephaeline  should  be  completely 
separated  by  treatment  with  caustic  alkali.  Cephaeline  is  obtained 
from  the  caustic  soda  liquor  by  neutralization  with  acid  and  then 
shaking  out  with  ether  and  ammonia. 
The  third  alkaloid,  which  we  have  named  psychotrine,  was  ob- 
tained by  extracting  with  chloroform,  the  ammoniacal  liquid  from 
which  emetine  and  cephaeline  had  been  separated  by  ether. 
(107) 
