SECALE CORNUTUM. 745 



glycerin. The large amount of oil is remarkable; the fungi, dried 

 at 100°, usually contain not more than 5 per cent, of fat, mostly 

 much less; they are on the other hand much richer in albumin than 

 PT-fTAf r^f T-TTo Thn r^U nf i.hf^ laf.fpv as (^.xtm.c.iex] hv bisul?:)hide of carbon. 



ergot of rye 

 is accom 



3ss; they are on the ottier nana mucn ricner ui tiiuuiuui man 

 ' rye. The oil of the latter, as extracted by bisulj^hide of carbon, 

 IS accompanied by small quantities of resin and cholesterin (see p. 420). 

 It is erroneous to attribute to this oil the poisonous properties of ergot, 

 although it has been shown by Ganser' to display irritating ])roi)crties 

 when taken in doses of about 6 grammes. ^ But the effects observed 

 appear dependent on the presence iu it of resin. 



According to Wenzell (1864), ergot of rye contains two peculiar 

 alkaloids, which he designated Ecboline and ErgoUne, and claimed to 

 be the active principles of the drug. They were, however, got merely 



as brownish amorphous substances. ,^ ^ • i -ii. 



The two bases of ergot are, according to Wenzell combined jith 

 Ergotic Acid, the existence of which has been further admitted by 

 Ganser. It is said to be a volatile body yielding crystalhzaW 



A crystallized colourless alkaloid, Ergotinine,Cm'W, ha^ been 

 isolated (1877-1878) by Tauret, a pharmacien of Troyes- He oMamed 

 it to the amount of about 0-04 per cent., some amorphous ergotmme 

 moreover being present. Tanret exhausts the P™^^^ P'"° n 

 boiling alcohof ihich by evaporation affords a fl"!"^;; ^^^"^ved 

 aqueous solution, besides a fatty layer. Some ^rgotmrn is ™ d 



from the resin by shaking it with ether, and °^^f f, ;;*\2 jv t^ 

 liquid. This is acidulated\nd purified by -^-'^ff^^^^.^fpoU^- 

 ergotinine is extracted by adding a slight excess of ^^'^^'^^oh ^ ^ j^,, 

 «ium and shaking with ether, and recrystalhzmg from alconoL ^^^ 

 solutions of ergotinine turn very soon greenish and re ^ y 

 fluorescent. Sulphuric acid imparts to it a red, violet, ^ 



Hue hue. 



ue hue. . , (,,-- i ^^g isolated the 



Dragendorff and several of his pupils, ^"'''V^ Notice :—(l) Sclerotic 



'llowing amorphous principles of the drug un e • „}^jitance, 



^fid (do'ubtful formula C^H^NO'), sa^d to^^^^^ ^^ of colourless acid 

 chiefly iu subcutaneous injections. About i\^ g^j^^.^mucin, a mucila- 

 may be obtained from good ergot of rye. (^J ^^^-^^^i from aqueous 



FuscoscUrotinic acid. (6) PicroscUroUpmf'^ q^. . ^^^ (8) Sckro- 



ous alkaloid. Lastly (7) >ScferoOTii</t"''/ ,^ crvst^ds ; their alcoholic 

 crystallin, C^ffO^ have been obtained in J ^^^ ^^ addition of 

 solution is but little coloured, yet assumes a vi 



ferric chloride. , ^ ,,., a volatile camrhoraceous 



Tanret also observed in ergot ot ije 



substance. ., „„t,ins a sugar termed iUf/cose, 



Ergot, in common with other fungi,' contains a » 



, i, ,1843) 107; Pereira. i.7.- o/^«'- ^«'- 



lirrhiv der Pharm. mHv, (1870) 200. '«' AgoO) 1012. . „^„, Uxvi. 



^ ' The name Eh-yoUne has also been given "-/^^^ 'jm„tz w CompKi tiena 

 to a medicinal extract of ergot, prepared ^^ 



after a method devised by Bonjean, a phar- v 

 ttiicienof Chambery, vide Journ. de Pharm. 



