(The alcoholic tincture of the root of the Cephaelis Ipecacuanha Willd. of Brazils.) The following list of symptoms, which is by no means complete, shows that this powerful drug has not been created merely for the purpose of bringing about a violent evacuation of the stomach, (a proceeding which is, in most cases, an unnecessary cruelty,) but for more noble and important ends. It has been originally introduced in Europe as a remedy against the fall dysentery, and has therefore been called dysen- tery root. It is now one hundred and twenty years since it has been thus abused upon the recommendation of Leibnitz. It was falsely supposed that because Ipecac, cures some kinds of diarrhoea, it must likewise cure dysentery, which is, however, the very contrary of diarrhcea, that is, of too frequent and thin evacuations. It has lately been abandoned as a remedy against dysentery, after an experience of many years had shown that it was ineffectual. These numberless failures might have been avoided if the genuine properties of the drug had first been as- certained by proving it upon healthy persons. It would then have been seen that Ipecac, is simply capable of diminishing the quantity of blood, and some kinds of colicky pains in dys- entery, but that it is incapable of curing the more characteristic symptoms of dysentery, inasmuch as it is incapable of producing similar ones in healthy persons. On the contrary, the following list of symptoms shows that Ipecac, is capable of curing certain forms of inclination to vomit, certain kinds of paroxysms of spasmodic asthma and suffoca- tive spasms, and some kinds of tetanus, provided the other symptoms correspond. VOL. III. 2 2 IPECACUANHA. Certain kinds of intermittent fever are likewise cured by- Ipecac. If the drug should not have been entirely homoeopa- thic, it generally changes the character of the fever in such a manner as will make it correspond to Arnica, and in some cases to Cinchona, Ignatia or Cocculus. Ipecac, removes certain prejudicial effects of Arsenic and Cinchona. Small doses of Ipecac, are sufficient in all these cases. I have likewise given the millionth part of a grain of Ipecacuan- ha at a dose ; but in many cases the dose ought to be much smaller. In a case of violent poisoning by opium, 30, 40, 60 drops of the strong tincture of Ipecac, are required to counteract the poison ; unless coffee or camphor should answer better. Ipecac, has a very short duration ; large doses act a couple of days ; small doses a few hours. FROM NOACK AND TRINKS. Ipecacuanha acts specifically upon the abdominal nerves and especially the solar plexus ; it is suitable to individuals predis- posed to spasms, nausea, vomiting, irritation of the stomach, to pregnant women, children, and hysteric and hypochondriac per- sons. Hysteric spasms, when the trunk is bent backward, with distorted muscles of the face and moaning breathing. — Chronic spasms of children, especially when accompanied with inclina- tion to vomit. — Convulsions in anasarca consequent upon pur- pura miliaria. — Nervous and serous apoplexy. — Internal hae- morrhage (haemoptoe, hsematemesis, metrorrhagia). — Cincho- na-cachenia — bruised feeling of the limbs, disagreeable creeping in all the joints, weariness, stiffness of the lower limbs, dispo- sition to become angry at every little noise, impatience, dispo- sition to scorn every thing, starting, anxious moaning. — Scar- latina miliaris. — Variola, when there is a considerable irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, with vomiting, (also Ars.) Ipec. is useful in fevers, characterized by sighing breath- ing, which almost always indicates the approach of a rash eruption. — Synochus, Ipecac, being related to Synochus as Aconite to Synocha. — Intermittent fever, (see Boenninghau- sen's essay on the treatment of intermittent fever, translated by Dr. Hempel.) — Relapse of intermittent fever after suppressing it by Quinine. — Rheumatic-gastric fever after a cold, delirium, painful stiffness of all the limbs, fixed pain in the abdomen burning abdomen, full pulse, palpitation of the heart, and constant desire to vomit. — Mucoso-gastric fevers. — Nervous IPECACUANHA. 3 fevers, when the nerves of the stomach are affected. — Hectic fever, typical, exacerbating every other night, restlessness, burning palms of the hands, emaciation, loss of appetite, short and hurried breathing, short and dry cough when lying on the right side, loss of breath during the slightest motion. Febris lenta, when every little motion produces exhaustion, want of breath, palpitation of the heart, with ill humor. — Asiatic cholera in the precursory stage and for the after symptoms. — Cholerine. — Cholera infantum, (afterwards Veratvum.) — Hae- morrhage from the nose. — Gastric derangement. — Conse- quences of excesses in eating and drinking. — Nausea and retching of hysteric females. — Chronic disposition to vomit, without any actual vomiting. — Indication to vomit remaining after nervous fevers, and after an indigestion. — Morning-vomit- ing of persons affected with water-brash ; when it comes from the abuse of spirituous drinks, Nux. vom. or Acid, phosp. are better suited. — Vomiting of pregnant females. — Idiopathic vomiting. — Haematemesis with pressure on the chest, vomiting of mucus and food, bitter taste, eructations, hard, burnt stool, colic ; haematemesis after a cold or chagrin, with violent op- pression in the pit of the stomach and great weakness. — Black diarrhoea, frequently accompanied with black vomit, pain and distention in the region of the stomach, scanty urine, paleness, anxiety. — Spasmodic miserere. — Cardialgia. — Bilious colic. — Habitual nightly diarrhoea; watery diarrhoea of children, accompanied with vomiting of white, green mucus, and tearing colic. — Diarrhoea in the period of dentition. — White dysentery. — Dysentery with gastric symptoms, pain in the pit of the stom- ach, mucous diarrhoea. — Incarcerated hernia with distention of the abdomen, and spasmodic vomiting. — Spasmodic dysuria accompanied with hypochondriac and haemorrhoidal symp- toms. — Spasmodic symptoms in the urinary organs of hypo- chondriac persons. — Nightly incontinence of urine. — Haema- turia with violent pain in the umbilical region, vertigo, weak- ness, burning urine, pressure in the pit of the stomach, constant desire — Spasmodic pains. — Haemorrhage from the uterus. — Haemorrhage of a pregnant female. — Cough with vomiting of mucus. — Chronic coryza with constant obstruction of the nose, nightly fits of dry cough, terminating in nausea and vomiting, general sweat and great weakness. — Constant rattling in the chest, with danger of suffocation and convulsions. — Dry spas modic racking cough, with loss of breath and consciousness. — Uninterrupted succession of short and racking turns of cough, preventing the breathing. — Dry titillating cough ; cough with retching.— Hooping-cough, especially when the whole body 4 IPECACUANHA. becomes stiff, and blood gushes from the nose, with vomiting, (also Ferrum.) — Pleuritis (as intermediate remedy to remove the dyspncEa and the spasmodic cough.) — Spasmodic asthma. — Asthma millari. — Sudden attacks of spasmodic asthma in the night, the air being pressed against the larynx as if it were arrested by a foreign body, and being finally expelled with a crowing sound ; the inspirations are free, and there is some- times an arrest of breathing ; there are remissions of five or ten minutes ; cold sweat, sunken features, frequent desire to urinate, but scanty emission, small, quick pulse, constant tossing. — Asthmatic complaints,- especially at night. — Sudden danger of suffocation, loss of breath, nausea, anguish. — Dread of death, alternation of heat and coldness (in a case of urticaria removed by Dulcamara). — Suffocative fit of a child, with green diar- rhoea, constant coughing and crowing, curbing the body, rat- tling in the chest, alternation of heat and coldness, redness and paleness, bloated and bluish countenance.