Acute Ipecac Poisoning

Abstract

FEW drugs have as long a history of use in medicine as ipecac and its official galenicals, ipecac fluid extract, ipecac syrup and ipecac and opium powder. Also official are the derived preparations, emetine hydrochloride and emetine hydrochloride injection. Two botanical varieties of ipecac have official status, the roots and rhizomes of either Cephaelis ipecacuanha (Brotero), which is referred to as Rio or Brazilian ipecac, or Cephaelis acuminata (Karsten), more commonly known as Cartagena, Nicaragua or Panama ipecac.^{1 , 2} Rio ipecac was introduced to Europe in 1648 from Brazil, where it already enjoyed a wide reputation as a specific for amebic . . .