ERGOTA — ERGOT 313 



Comutin {Keller) : Impure mixture of ergotinine with ergo- 

 toxine. 



Chrysotoxin (Jacobi) : Inactive yellow coloring matter with a 

 small proportion of adherent alkaloid. 



Secalintoxin (Jacobi) : Mixture of ergotoxine and ergotinine. 



Spaeclotoxin (Jacobi) : Impure ergotoxine. 



Hydroergotinin {Kraft) : Eecent synonym for ergotoxine. 



Preparations and Doses. 



Ergot. Horses 3 ijss — ^vj ; 10. — 25. Cattle 3 v — xij ; 25. — ■ 

 50. Sheep, goats and swine 3 ss — j ; 2. — 5. Dogs grs. 

 vi] — XXX ; 0.5 — 2.0. Cats grs. iij — xv; 0.2 — 1. Fowls, 

 retention of eggs, grs. iij — ^vij ; 0.2 — 0.5. 



Fluidextraot : Same as for ergot. 



Extract: /4 — Vs as much as of the crude drug. 



* Wine: 4 times as much as of the fluidextract. 



All these preparations of ergot deteriorate, but the fluidextract is 

 as reliable as any and in many cases better than many of the pro- 

 prietaries on the market. 



Dose of ergotoxine phosphate, dog, gr. %o ; 0.002 ; tyramin, gr. 

 Yz; 0.03. Hypodermically. They are not irritating. 



Standardization. Since ergot varies greatly in its activity and 

 deteriorates somewhat quickly, some means of standardization is 

 necessary. There is, as yet, no chemic assay which has proved 

 satisfactory and the physiologic method is necessary. There are 

 three methods of physiologic assay: the blood pressure method, the 

 uterine method and the cock's comb method. The first method is 

 not good because the pressure effect is no indication of its action 

 upon the uterus. The uterine method is satisfactory, but it is too 

 expensive. The cock's comb method is based upon the development 

 of a purple hue in the comb of a rooster from an injection of ergot. 

 The standard is 0.Y5 mil of the fluidextract per kilo, (= 1.87 mg. 

 of ergotoxine phosphate). 



Deterioration. Ergot deteriorates rapidly unless kept from the 

 air, and several investigators agree that preparations are useless if 

 more than a year old. This, however, is not found to be the case 

 in clinical experience and corresponds very closely to later researches 

 which. show that there is a gradual deterioration after two years so 

 that those preparations which were five years old required 1.Y5 mil 

 to produce as much reaction as 0.Y5 mil of a potent extract. 



Action. The active principles of ergot stimulate those sym- 

 pathetic nerve endings which have motor functions and ergotoxine 

 in large doses paralyzes them, while the endings of those fibers which 

 are concerned with inhibition are not affected by it. Ergot acts 



* UnoflScial. 



