u6  Chemistry  of  Ipecacuanha.  { ^mS'/SSl"* 
The  method  of  analysis  adopted  consists  in  taking  50  grammes 
of  the  root,  mixing  with  one-fifth  of  its  weight  of  lime,  moistening 
with  water  and  then  extracting  with  amylic  alcohol.  The  amylic 
percolate  is  extracted  with  dilute  acid,  and  the  acid  liquid  shaken  out 
with  ether  and  ammonia  to  extract  the  emetine  and  cephaeline,  leav- 
ing psychotrine  to  be  extracted  by  chloroform  from  the  ammoniacal 
liquid.  The  ether  residue,  consisting  of  emetine  and  cephaeline,  is 
then  titrated  with  semi-normal  hydrochloric  acid,  of  which  1  c.c.  == 
0-124  gramme  emetine  and  0-117  gramme  cephaeline.  Emetine  and 
cephaeline  are  then  separated  by  treating  the  hydrochloric  acid  solu- 
tion with  caustic  soda  in  the  presence  of  ether  and  repeatedly  shak- 
ing the  ether  solution  with  soda  until  all  the  cephaeline  has  been 
separated.  The  ether  solution  of  emetine  is  evaporated  and  the 
residue  titrated  with  standard  acid,  the  result  being  expressed  as 
emetine.  The  soda  liquor  is  acidified,  shaken  with  ether  and  am- 
monia, and  the  ether  residue  of  cephaeline  titrated  as  with  emetine. 
The  total  number  of  cubic  centimetres  of  semi-normal  hydrochloric 
acid  used  in  titrating  the  separated  bases,  emetine  and  cephaeline, 
should  equal  the  number  required  before  their  separation.  When 
the  separation  has  been  satisfactorily  made,  the  emetine  hydrochlo- 
ride should  be  readily  obtained  in  a  crystalline  form  on  evaporating 
the  solution,  and  the  solution  of  cephaeline  hydrochloride  should  give 
the  characteristic  crystals  of  cephaeline  when  shaken  with  ether  and 
ammonia. 
The  statements  made  by  some  observers,  that  ipecacuanha  root 
which  has  been  deprived  of  its  alkaloids  has  a  greater  therapeutic 
value  in  the  treatment  of  dysentery,  require  to  be  received  with 
doubt,  inasmuch  as  the  so-called  de-emetinized  ipecacuanha  has  not 
been  found  in  our  experience  to  be  entirely  free  from  alkaloidal  eon- 
tents.  In  fact,  as  much  as  0-5  per  cent,  of  total  alkaloids  is  not  un- 
common. Some  attempt,  however,  was  made  to  isolate  and  study 
another  constituent  of  ipecacuanha  from  the  basic  lead  precipitate 
previously  mentioned  as  obtained  in  our  separation  of  the  basic  con- 
stituents. A  crystalline  constituent  was  obtained  of  the  nature  of  a 
glucoside  somewhat  resembling  saponin.  It  had  no  emetic  action 
in  doses  of  0-25  gramme. 
Laboratory,  13  Fenchurch  Avenue,  London,  E.  C. 
