276 ' FUNGI. 



SECTION X. 



FUNGI. 



There are two officinal drugs derived from this class that are 

 from time to time employed in pharmacy in the state of 

 powder, viz., ergot of rye and white agaric. These drugs differ 

 very markedly in structure from those that have been hitherto 

 dealt with. They consist of long, narrow, tubular cells (hyphse) 

 which interlace with one another, exhibiting scarcely any 

 definite arrangement, but becoming more or less compacted 

 together so as to form a spongy (agaric) or even dense (ergot) 

 mass. They are devoid of a true epidermis, of vascular bundles, 

 of chlorophyll, and of starch. Marks of distinction are, however, 

 not wanting, as will be seen from the followi ng descriptions : 



(133) Ergot of Rye. 



Ergot of rye is the compact mycelium of the fungus Claviceps 

 purpurea, Tulasne (sub-class Ascomycetes). 



It occurs in slender, curved tapering masses about 1 inch in 

 length, dark violet or almost black externally, nearly white 

 internally. 



The outer dark-coloured portion consists of flattened, elongated 

 cells with very dark walls. The rest of the drug is composed of 

 a dense mass of hyphse which appear rounded in transverse but 

 oval in longitudinal sections, thus exhibiting a slight tendency 

 to an axial arrangement. These hyphae contain an abundance 

 of fixed oil intimately associated with protoplasm. Treatment 

 with ether removes the oil and makes the cells more distinct ; 

 chloral hydrate dissolves the protoplasm, and the oil thus 

 liberated rapidly forms globules. The cell walls are also readily 

 seenafter warming a section with acetic acid. There are no 

 crystals of calcium oxalate present, nor any spores. 



The diagnostic characters of powdered ergot are : 



(a) The characteristic structure. 



(b) The abundance of oil. 



(c) The dark outer layer. 



(d) The absence of crystals (tnd .yores. 



