358 POISONOUS AND EDIBLE FUNGI 



pasture grasses and of ergotized hav when consumed by domestic 

 animals. The fungi involved are mainly Claviceps purpurea and 

 C. paspali. Poisoning from C. purpurea occurs when animals are 

 fed rye as grain or are pastured on ergot-infected Loliwn perenne, 

 Poa pratensis, or Agrostis alba. Several serious outbreaks of 

 ergotism among cattle and horses, caused by C. purpurea on 

 Ely mils canadensis, fed as hay, have been reported from the prairie 

 regions of the central United States. Claviceps paspali, occurring 

 on several species of Paspalum used as forage grasses, is known 

 to cause poisoning of cattle in the Argentine, Natal, and the south- 

 ern United States. 



Poisoning bv C. purpurea causes lameness and swelling of one 

 or more limbs; in severe cases, as the result of impairment of cir- 

 culation, the extremities may become oangrrenous. Ears, horns, 

 hoofs, toes, feet, and tails may become necrotic and may slough 

 off. The loss to stockmen from abortion by cows and mares is 

 heavy when ergot is abundant. Gastric disturbances and varying 

 degrees of paralysis are other symptoms of ergot poisoning in 

 horses and cattle. 



An epidemic of poisoning by C. paspali in Mississippi was 

 studied by Brown and Ranck (1915) and Brown (1916). Their 

 feeding trials involved guinea pigs, young calves, and more mature 

 young cattle. Thev noted that affected animals are highly nerv- 

 ous and are unable to coordinate their movements. Paralysis may 

 ensue, and in consequence affected cattle are unable to reach water 

 to drink. If ergotized grass was kept from the sick animal, and 

 water and feed were given after the administration of a purgative, 

 recovery followed. 



Toxicology. Many painstaking chemical analyses have been 

 made to isolate and identify the active principle in ergot, as is 

 apparent from Barger's (1931) monograph. In 1875 Tanret 

 [Barger (1931)] isolated what he regarded as a pure alkaloidal 

 substance and as the active principle, and called it ergotinine. In 

 1884Kobert [Barger (1931)] identified three substances, ergotinic 

 acid, sphacelic acid, and cornutine. Ergotinic acid is a nitrogen- 

 ous elucoside that causes inflammation of mucous membranes and 

 hemolysis. Robert first thought sphacelic acid caused uterine 

 contractions but later attributed this action to cornutine. At 

 first cornutine was thought to cause convulsions and paralysis. 

 In 1897 Jacoby isolated a phenol-like substance that he called 



