ABSTRACT
Many eighteenth century Europeans were intrigued as to where the medicinal ipecac roots came from. Ipecac was introduced from Brazil to Europe in 1672 and preparations of ipecac roots became increasingly popular as a cure for amoebic dysentery, then a devastating disease in Europe. A physician named Helvetius, who received the sole right of vending the remedy from Louis XIV, the king of France, sold the secret to the French government for 1,000 Louis d’or coins and the composition became widely known by 1688. However, the origin of these mysterious roots remained speculative until 1800, when authentic specimens from Brazil were brought to Lisbon (Flückiger and Hanbury 1879).
