Ipecac

C. ipecacuanha

or

C. acuminata

, plants native to Brazil and Central America, but also cultivated in India, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States (see Grollman, 1962).

Emetine was first described in 1817 by Pelletier, the discoverer of

quinine

. However, Pelletier was actually dealing with a mixture of the alkaloids of ipecac, that is,

emetine

,

cephaëline

, and

psychotrine

(see Grollman, 1962).