Source, Nature, and Preparations

Ipecac, which is a mixture of the alcohol-soluble alkaloids from the underground parts of the South American plant, C. ipecacuanha, is used almost solely as the U.S.P. ipecac syrup. 

Black mustard is a light olive-brown powder obtained by grinding the dried ripe seeds of several varieties of plants of the Brassica genus moisture yields from this, through enzymatic hydrolysis of a contained glycoside, are about 0.6% of the volatile oil of mustard, which has as its main ingredient the irritant compound allyl isothiocyanate. Mustard is available in bulk and as the official plaster, the latter used only for the local irritant (counterirritant) properties it develops when applied to the skin after moistening with tepid water. 

Copper sulfate (CuS04 5H20) occurs as deep blue crystals or granules that effloresce slowly in dry air it is freely soluble in water and in glycerin (1 3), slightly soluble in alcohol (1 500), the solutions being acidic and it is available in bulk. 

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