474 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



ness. It is little used in this country, yet, long after the be- 

 ginning of this century, it was sold at stalls in Edinburgh, 

 near the Cross. It was called anchor-stock, from the shape of 

 the loaves. 



Rye is very liable to the attack of ergot, a species of fungus ; 

 and to the use of ergotised rye a diseased state of the human 

 body, termed ergotism, is ascribed. This diseased condition 

 assumes two distinct forms, one convulsive, the other gangren- 

 ous ergotism. In the convulsive form, spasms of the extremi- 

 ties are present; in the gangrenous, gangrene of the same 

 parts occurs. 



Oryza sativa, rice. Rice in the husk is called paddey in the 

 East. The kinds of rice most esteemed in this country are the 

 Carolina and the Patna rice. Rice is grown not only in India, 

 China, the West Indies, and various parts of America, but also 

 in some of the southern countries of Europe. 



The following table, after Branconnot, exhibits the compara- 

 tive composition of Carolina rice and Piedmont rice : 



Carolina. Piedmont. 



Starch, . . . .85.07 83.80 

 Parenchyma (woody fibre), . 4.80 4.80 

 Glutinous matter, . . 3.60 3.60 

 Rancid, colourless, tallowy oil, . 0.13 0.25 

 Uncrystallisable sugar, . . 0.29 0.05 

 Gum, .... 0.71 0.10 

 Phosphate of lime, . . 0.40 0.40 

 Water, .... 5.00 7.00 

 Acetic acid, phosphate of potash, 

 chloride of potassium, and vege- 

 table salts of potash and lime, . traces. traces. 



100.00 100.00 



Rice, though nutritious, is less so than wheat, as might be 

 anticipated from the less proportion of nitrogenous matter which 

 rice contains. It is less laxative than the other cereal grains ; 



