Ipecac, << IHP uh kak, >> is a drug made from the dried root of a small shrub native to Brazil. It contains emetine, an organic compound that causes a person who takes the drug to vomit. Ipecac is sometimes used to treat victims of poisoning. However, if a poison has been swallowed, a person should, instead of using ipecac, contact a poison control center, emergency medical service, or physician for instructions on how to treat the victim. This is because inducing vomiting in people who have swallowed certain poisons can have further toxic effects.
