How is vomiting induced?
A. The two main ways are stimulation of the constrictor muscle with a finger — bet you knew that — and ingestion of syrup of ipecac, which has been the emetic of choice for decades now. In the past, people were urged to induce vomiting using a greater variety of emetics, including salt and mustard powder, which are not as effective as ipecac and which can be poisonous themselves if vomiting does not occur. It’s a good idea to keep syrup of ipecac on hand in case the poison center ever tells you to administer it to a poisoning victim. The stuff is available over the counter at any drug store.
