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ipecac
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ipecacuanha
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emetic
Carapichea ipecacuanha
expectorant
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ipecac

botany and medicine
Also known as: ipecac syrup, ipecacuanha, syrup of ipecac
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

ipecac, dried rhizome and roots of the tropical New World plant Carapichea ipecacuanha of the madder family (Rubiaceae). It has been used since ancient times especially as a source of a drug to treat poisoning by inducing nausea and vomiting. The name also refers to the drug itself, which is also known as ipecac syrup or syrup of ipecac. Its use as an emetic has been discouraged in Western medicine in favour of more effective treatments.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.