Ipecac

Cephaelis ipecacuanha

COMMON NAMES

• Ipecac
• Ipecac Shrub

Ipecac - small shrub with a slender stem growing to 1 ft (30 cm). Ipecac has a few oblong leaves, small white flowers, and purple-black berries.

The Grand Dauphin, son of France's Sun King, Louis XIV, seemed to be dying of a severe and prolonged case of dysentery. The king was frantic with worry and anxious to try any remedy, but there was little that doctors were able to do. Then word reached Jean Baptiste Colbert, the king's chief minister, that a man called Jean Adrien Helvetius was curing similar cases in Paris with a secret remedy. Helvetius was sent for, the mysterious concoction was administered, and in due time the symptoms of the dread disease vanished. Louis's gratitude was effusive. Helvetius was honored by the court, received a small fortune for the formula, and was appointed inspector general of French hospitals. Later he became personal physician to the duke of Orleans. His son was to become physician to the queen of France and his grandson, Claude Adrien Helvetius, one of the outstanding poet philosophers of his time.

The secret remedy that saved the dauphin and wrought such a change in the fortunes of the Helvetius family was ipecac (pronounced IP-uh-kak), made from the dried rootstock of an 18-inch-tall shrub that grows rampant in the steamy forests of Amazonian Brazil and Bolivia-places where annual rainfall often exceeds 80 inches. The Indians of those regions had used it for many years, perhaps for many centuries, to treat amebic dysentery, and it is still used for that purpose throughout the world. Ipecac is also wielded in India and Pakistan against other serious parasitic diseases, including bilharziasis, caused by a flatworm. The component that acts against these invaders of the human body is an alkaloid called emetine. Given by mouth in small doses as part of a syrup, it also acts as an expectorant in the treatment of persistent coughs.

Ipecac is a strong emetic as well. A standard item in family first aid kits for many years, ipecac syrup has been used to induce vomiting, especially in people who have swallowed certain poisons. Although ipecac is still widely used, it has become the subject of controversy. Research has shown that cephaeline, the emetic agent in ipecac, is itself a powerful irritant that can cause poisoning, and so ipecac syrup should be administered only in measured doses by trained medical personnel.

Ipecac is grown commercially in several tropical regions of the world, but in South America ipecac is still gathered from the wild. Local Indians arrive with digging tools and pointed sticks in November and set up camp. Gently they pry up each plant's musty-smelling rootstock and cut away much of it, leaving just enough to allow the shrub to survive and produce a new crop. They may still be at work in January and February, when globelike clusters of tiny, white, funnel-shaped flowers bloom among the dark green leaves. But by May, when the small, oval, deep purple fruits ripen, the harvesters are gone.

PARTS USED

Root, rhizome.

USES

Ipecac is still used in both conventional and herbal medicine, and is listed in most national pharmacopoeias. One of the surest of emetics, even moderate doses will stimulate vomiting until the contents of the stomach are cleared -it is particularly useful for medication overdose. At a lower dose, ipecac is a strong expectorant. Ipecac is commonly found in many patent cough medicines, and is used in the treatment of bronchitis and whooping cough. Ipecac is also still used for amebic dysentery with good results.

Other medical uses
Homeopathy.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Ipecac grows in South America, mainly Brazil. Ipecac prefers moist, shady woods. Cultivation has been attempted in Southeast Asia, but with limited success. The root of 3-year-old plants is unearthed when the plant is in flower, and is dried before use.

CONSTITUENTS

Ipecac contains isoquinoline alkaloids, tannins, and glycosides. The alkaloids are an expectorant and, at a larger dose, cause vomiting and diarrhea. They are also strongly amebicidal.

USUAL DOSAGE

Infusion: as this is a very powerful herb, only a small amount should be used. 0.01 - 0.25 grams of ipecac are used for an infusion. Pour a cup of boiling water onto a small amount of the herb (equaling the size of a pea) and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. This can be drunk three times a day. If you need to use it as a powerful emetic, 1 - 2 grams should be used, which equals 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoonful when used for an infusion.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

The root of this small South American shrub is gathered throughout the year, although the Indians collect it when it is in flower during January and February.

COMBINATIONS

In bronchial conditions ipecac combines well with white horehound, coltsfoot and grindelia. In amoebic dysentery ipecac may be used with American cranes bill or Echinacea.

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