276 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Distribution and hosts. Found on a large number of host plants. Rye 

 is more subject to it than any of the other cultivated cereals. The largest 

 specimens are usually produced on isolated specimens of rye coming up in 

 fields. It seldon happens that all of the ovaries are affected. Wheat, especial- 

 ly winter wheat, is subject to the disease. The ofBcinal ergot is usually 

 obtained from rye. In Europe it has been reported on oats. Mr. C. W. 

 Warburton found it on the same host in Iowa, in 1909. 



Of our native wild grasses, wild ryes (Elyinus robustus, E. virginicus, 

 E. striatiis, E. canadensis, Asprella hystrix) are most subject to the disease. 

 Most cases of ergotism in the United States undoubtedly result from the 

 ergot on various species of Elymus ; in Iowa on the Elymus robustus, which 

 is a common plant everywhere. Agropryon occidentale, a grass not uncommon 

 in northwestern Iowa, and Quack Grass (Agropyron repens), are also much 

 subject to its attacks. Scarcely a head of the Western Wheat Grass cultivated 

 on the college farm could be found which did not have some ergot. This may 

 be for the same reason that it occurs most abundantly on rye, namely, that 

 the grasses occurred in isolated places. In some pastures, timothy (Phleum 

 pratense), is much subject to the attack of Claviceps purpurea. Thus in an 

 old pasture in Wisconsin I observed a large percentage of timothy which 

 contained many heads which were ergotized. Blue grass (Poa pratensis), 

 Poa annua, Calamagrostis canadensis, Agrostis alba, Glyceria fluitans, and 

 many others, in some seasons and localities, are diseased. Unusually large 

 spemimens sometimes occur on Wild Rice (Zisania) in Iowa. 



It may be possible that some of the forms of ergot on grass may be 

 referred to other species. Halsted states, however, that ergot on Elymus 

 robustus is Claviceps purpurea. The Hordeum jubatum contained apparently 

 the same species, with some minor differences but these were due to the 

 nature of the host. Claviceps microcephala (Wallr.) Tul., occurs on Phrag- 

 mites, C. setulosa (Quel.) Sacc. with yellow stroma on Poa, and C. pusilla 

 Ces on Andropogon Ischacmum. 



Poisonous properties. The subject of ergot and ergotism is one of con- 

 siderable importance to stockmen in many parts of the country. Scarcely a 

 year passes without some complaints being received by the state veterinarians 

 of the injurious effects of ergot. The writer receives several complaints of 

 this kind every year. But the cases of ergotism today are not nearly so fre- 

 quent as they were 40 or SO years ago. We will, therefore, append here a 

 short history of the disease. 



Epidemics of ergotism have, without doubt, been correctly referred, be- 

 fore the tenth century. Wood states that epidemics of ergotism or chronic 

 ergot poisoning have been recorded from time to time since the days of 

 Galen (130-200 A. D.) and of Caesar (B. C. 190-44). From the ninth to the 

 thirteenth ceutnry epidemics were frequent in France, and in tlie twelfth in 

 Spain. They were first called plagues but later received special names. In 

 1596 Flesse and adjoining provinces were visited by this plague which was 

 attributed to the presence of ergot in grain. In the epidemic in Silesia in 

 1722, the king of Prussia ordered an exchange of sound rye for the affected 

 grain. Freiburg was visited in 1702, Switzerland in 1715-16, Saxony in 1716, 

 and other districts of Germany in 1717, 1736, 1741-42. France was visited in 

 1650, 1670, and 1674. From 1765 to 1769 it was abundant in Sweden in rye 



