316 DRUGS ACTING UPON THE GENITAL ORGANS 



and stock suffer in a similar nianner. The last outbreak of consid' 

 erable size in this country was in New York in 1825. Since the 

 cause of the trouble has become known, the outbreaks have not been 

 so frequent but still occur in some places, particularly in Eussia. 



Ergotism may take so many different forms that they appear to 

 have little or no relation to each other. This difference has been 

 explained by the fact that the action of the active principles of 

 ergot are so different. The two common types are the gangrenous 

 and the nervous, both results of the action of the drug upon the 

 circulation. Of animals affected, horses, sheep, pigs and cattle ap- 

 pear most susceptible, the dog and rabbit less so. 



Gangrenous. The gangrene affects those parts poorest in blood 

 supply, the extremities, tail, and ears. The lesions may vary from 

 simple sores around the top of the hoof, in the interdigital space, 

 upon the teats, etc., to loosening of the sole or wall or sloughing 

 of an entire limb. If the entire limb sloughs there is usually a 

 circular line of demarcation between the healthy and gangrenous 

 area. In man the sloughing usually appears first upon the fingers 

 and toes. The gangrene may be dry or moist and does not differ es- 

 sentially from other gangrene. The small arteries of the part con- 

 tain hyaline plugs as in other cases of gangrene. The theory as to 

 the cause of the gangrene has been discussed previously. 



Nervous form. The nervous or spasmodic form is ushered in 

 by anesthesia or hyperesthesia of the skin. Both may exist in dif- 

 ferent localities of the body at the same time. These conditions 

 begin at the extremities and spread toward the body. There are also 

 some disturbances of sensation in the digestive tract. There may be 

 a craving for food and a lack of appetite at the same time, digestion 

 is impaired, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common. The in- 

 volvement of the central sensory apparatus is shown by the loss of 

 special senses. The motor area later begins to be affected, caus- 

 ing twitching, tremors, ataxia, convulsions and painful contractions 

 of the muscles and delirium. Animals frequetly die in convulsions. 



Treatment: This is purely symptomatic. 



Administration. A good tested preparation should always be 

 used. The fluid extract is a serviceable preparation and may be 

 given per os, or injected intramuscularly. On account of the con- 

 striction of the blood vessels and the local irritant action it should 

 not be given subcutaneously. 



Therapeutics. 



1. Labor. Ergot may be used in labor, in small doses, to hasten 

 the expulsion of the fetus, when the delay in birth is due to uterine 

 inertia and not to mechanical obstruction. For this purpose the use 

 of ergot is almost entirely confined to the practice of small animals. 

 To use ergot in full doses, in dystokia due to some mechanical ob- 



