dhap.XV. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. loi 



6. All the grains in an ear are never diftempered at once. They 

 flick lefs to the hufks, than found grains do. 



7. M. Aimen imputes this diftemper to the grain's not being 

 Impregnated ; and therefore what is faid of the charbon in wheat, 

 may be applied to the ergot in rye. 



Both M. Tillet and M. Aimen are of opinion that other plants, 

 befides rye, are fubjedl to this ergot. M. Tillet afferts, that he 

 has found fome grains of wheat attacked with this diftemper. If 

 fo, they are two different diftempers, not to be confounded toge- 

 ther. What feems ftill more to eflablifli this difference is, that, 

 by M. Tillet's experiments, the diflempered fubflance of the rye is 

 not contagious. 



M. Tillet feems to think that the ergot Is occafioned by the fling 

 or bite of fome infeft, which turns the rye into a kind of gall. 



Several phyfical writers give many inflances of people who have 

 been feized with dileafes, by eating, for their conftant food, in fome 

 years, bread in which there was much of this diftemper'd rye. 



As the diftemper'd grains are larger than the found ones, it Is 

 eafy to feparate the greatefl part of them by fifting. It Is what 

 the country people do, when corn Is not dear : but in times of 

 great fcarclty or dearth, they are loth to lofe fo much grain. It 

 is then that they are apt to be attacked with a dry gangrene, 

 which mortifies the extreme parts of the body, fo that they fall 

 off, almofl without cauflng any pain, and without any hemorrhagy. 

 The Hotel-Dieu at Orleans has had many of thefe miferable ob- 

 jefls, who had fcarce any thing more remaining than the bare trunk 

 of the body, and yet lived in that condition feveral days. 



As it is not every year that the diflempered rye produces thefe 

 dreadful accidents, Langius is of opinion that there may be two 

 kinds of this difeafed rye ; one which is not hurtful, and another 

 which occafions the gangrene. It is however probable, that there 

 is but one kind, and that It does no hurt, firfl, when fufEcient 

 care is taken in fifting the grain ; and, fecondly, when only a fmall 

 part of the rye is dillempered. It is alfo laid, that the rye lofes 

 its bad quality by keeping : in which cafe, the reafon why the 

 peafants are attacked with the gangrene in years of dearth, may 

 be, becaufe they confume their crop as foon as the harvefl i? 

 over. 



CHAP. 



