Am.  Jour.  Pharm,  ) 
April,  1880.  J 
Pure  Emetia, 
207 
petroleum  benzin  (in  which  the  emetia  dissolves)^  shaking  frequently, 
and  continue  to  use  fresh  portions  of  the  menstruum  until  no  more 
emetia  goes  into  solution  ;  the  filtered  benzin  solutions  are  mixed,  and, 
if  concentrated,  the  mixture  is  allowed  to  stand  for  twelve  hours  in  a 
very  cool  place,  when  almost  all  of  the  emetia  will  separate  pure  as  a 
white  precipitate.  If,  however,  the  mixture  is  not  very  concentrated, 
atmospheric  air  is  blown  through  it  for  some  time,  when  pure  emetia 
will  separate  in  white  flakes.  By  concentrating  or  evaporating  the  ben- 
zin solution,  however  slowly,  pure  white  emetia  is  never  obtained. 
The  emetia  should  be  collected  quickly  on  a  filter  and  dried  over  sul- 
phuric acid. 
id  method. — The  first  method  may  be  modified  by  triturating  the 
powdered  ipecac  into  a  thick  paste  with  a  little  hydrochloric  acid,  add- 
ing sufficient  ferric  chloride  and  sodium  carbonate,  allowing  to  stand 
for  some  time,  extracting  successively  with  fresh  portions  of  ether,  and 
shaking  the  mixed  etherial  solutions  with  a  small  quantity  of  water, 
acidulated  with  acetic,  sulphuric  or  hydrochloric  acid,  when  the  emetia 
goes  into  an  acid  solution,  which  after  the  addition  of  soda  in  excess  is 
boiled  successively  with  petroleum  benzin,  etc.,  as  in  the  first  method. 
The  best  kinds  of  ipecacuanha  yield  from  three-quarters  to  one  per 
cent,  of  pure  emetia  ;  inferior  kinds  only  one-quarter  or  one-half  per 
cent. 
II.  Properties. — Pure  emetia,  thus  prepared,  is  readily  soluble  in 
cold  ether,  chloroform,  acetic  ether,  amylic,  methylic  and  ethylic  alco- 
hol, carbon  bisulphide,  in  ordinary  alcohol  of  any  strength,  oil  of  tur- 
pentine, volatile  oils,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  in  olive  oil,  other  fats,  and 
in  oleic  acid  ;  it  is  scarcely  soluble  in  cold,  readily  in  hot  petroleum 
benzin,  and  is  still  less  soluble  in  cold  water,  1,000  parts  of  which  very 
slowly  dissolve  but  i  part  emetia.  From  ether,  petroleum  naphtha, 
fatty  oils  and  from  similar  liquids,  which  are  scarcely  or  not  at  all  solu- 
ble in  water,  it  is  separated  by  acids.  Its  taste  and  that  of  its  com- 
pounds is  very  bitter.  When  exposed  to  light  and  air  it  soon  turns 
yellow,  but  it  remains  white  when  protected  from  the  light.  On  very 
slowly  evaporating  its  solutions  in  ether  or  alcohol,  emetia  is  deposited 
in  thin  agglutinating  scales,  but  if  the  solutions  are  rapidly  evaporated, 
it  is  separated  in  fine  uniform  granules.  It  melts  at  62°  to  65°C.,  has 
a  strong  alkaline  reaction,  and  is  neutralized  by  acids  forming  salts, 
which  on  evaporation  in  vacuo  form  brilliant  colorless  irregular  crystals  ; 
when  evaporated  in  the  air  the  salts  remain  as  a  dry  yellow  resin  like 
