RYE. 157 



other, afterwards the remainder of the feet, 

 and lastly, it ate off the flesh of both his legs 

 and thighs, leaving the bone bare. 



This diseased rye is not only pernicious to 

 man, but to dumb animals also, who have been 

 known to die miserably convulsed, or dread- 

 fully ulcerated. It has been known to de- 

 stroy even the flies that settle on it. 



This defect in rye, which we call honied 

 rye, Secale cornutum, and which the French 

 call Ergot, from its resemblance to a cock's 

 spur, is a very different disease from the 

 rubigo, or mildew in wheat, or the ustrigo, 

 black or smut of corn. At the time when 

 rye-bread was more generally used in Europe 

 than at present, and the dreadful diseases 

 already described were frequent, this subject 

 was one of the utmost importance ; but, how- 

 ever the improvements in husbandry may 

 have lessened the diseases incident to corn, 

 and thereby banished some of the calamities 

 of man, yet we should endeavour as far as 

 possible to ascertain the cause of these irre- 

 gular vegetations producing so singular a 

 poison. Dr. Tissot remarks, that the circum- 

 stance of this poison producing at one time 

 spasms, at another gangrene, sometimes with 

 fever, but generally without, is highly de- 



