Why do you think the extraction is impossible?The yield is not so good,but getting white needles of freebase or the hydrochloride is not too difficult.
That's what I said, impossible at acceptable yields. Plus, I was talking about a straight A/B extraction of the powder, which is called 'Ma Huang 8% extract', because the manufacturer increased the alkaloid content by extraction, and following addition of the extract to unprocessed plant matter.
Processing a methanol extract is a different matter. This will get you some clean alkaloids, but you need a soxhlet, or go through the hassle of doing multiple boils and washes with a volatile, toxic and flammable solvent.
You first extracted the freebase in plant material with the oily substances of the plant.then you removed the freebase by washing it with the acetone,besause the freebase is soluable in acetone,if you do not acidify it first.
The ephedra salts were reclaimed from the chloroform with acidified H2O, from what he wrote.