TOXICITY OF GIBBERELLA SAUBINETTII 359 



sphacelotoxin. When acted upon by an alkaloidal base, sphacelo- 

 toxin became secalintoxin, and when purified, it became the 

 ergotinine of Tanret. Analysis by Kraft in 1901 yielded two alka- 

 loids, Tanret's crystalline ergotinine and an amorphous hydro- 

 ergotinine. In 1906 Barger and Dale [Barger (1931)] maintained 

 that Kraft's hydroergotinine is ergotoxin, CssH^OeNg, an alkaloid 

 capable of increasing blood pressure, of causing gangrene on the 

 combs of hens, and of inducing uterine contractions. Tanret, who 

 first gave the formula of his ergotinine as C35H40O6N4, later 

 changed it to C35H40O5N.-,. After years of study Barker con- 

 eluded that the correct formula of ergotinine is C33H35O5N5. 



Reports of studies on the nature of the toxic principle in ergot 

 appeared almost simultaneously from several laboratories. Stoll 

 and Burkhart (1935) called their purified alkaloid ergobasine; 

 Thompson (1935) called his ergostetrine. Dudley and Moir 



(1935) named their substance ergometrine. Kharasch and Le- 

 gault (1935) called their product ergotocin. They got 0.1 to 0.3 

 mg of ergotocin from 3 to 4 grams of ergot grains, an amount 

 held to constitute a dose. Kharasch, King, Stoll, and Thompson 



(1936) compared the melting points of the four alkaloids, ergoba- 

 sine, ergostetrine, ergometrine, and ergotocin, and those of certain 

 of their salts, and also the optical properties of each in different 

 solvents, and came to the conclusion that the four names are 

 synomymous. 



The alkaloidal content of ergot varies with the year and with the 

 locality. Spanish and Portuguese ergot assays 0.05 to 0.30%, 

 whereas ergot from Russia and Poland varies from 0.02 to 0.10%. 

 The superiority of the Spanish and Portuguese ergots may be 

 causally related to moisture. When stored at high humidities, 

 ergot deteriorates, deterioration being correlated with increased 

 histamine content. When stored dry, it keeps for long periods, al- 

 though pharmaceutical supply manufacturers avoid buying ergot 

 that is more than a year old. 



TOXICITY OF GIBBERELLA SAUBINETTII (G. ZEAE) 



AND FUSARIUM SPP. 



The heads or inflorescences of various grasses may be para- 

 sitized by a polymorphic ascomycetous fungus, Gibberella scaibi- 

 nettii, that is especially destructive to barley, oats, rye, wheat, and 



