692 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



tions have a blue fluorescence. With concentrated sulphuric acid 

 it produces a violet-blue color after standing several hours ; with 

 sulphuric acid and a drop of ferric chloride the solution of the 

 alkaloid becomes orange-red, the margin being somewhat bluish- 

 green. Sphacelinic acid (sphacelotoxin) is a non-nitrogenous, 

 resinous substance, which is insoluble in water but soluble in alco- 

 hol and is readily decomposed by chemicals. 



An amorphous alkaloid ergotoxine has recently been isolated. 

 It forms crystallizable salts with oxalic, tartaric and phosphoric 

 acids and possesses the physiological properties of the drug. The 

 dose of the alkaloid is a few milligrams and for injection it is 

 dissolved in a dilute solution of sodium hydrate. 



The alkaloid ecboline (Wenzell), which exists to the extent 

 of 0.16 per cent., somewhat resembles cornutine in its physio- 

 logical action in contracting the muscles. The alkaloid ergotine 

 (about 0.04 per cent.) described by Wenzell may be (like the alka- 

 loid picROSCLEROTiNE of Dragendorfif) similar to the ergotinine 

 of Tanret, which, according to Keller, owes its activity, to the 

 presence of cornutine. 



The substance known as secalintoxin is a compound of 

 sphacelinic acid (sphacelotoxin) and a physiologically inactive 

 crystalline substance, secaline. The drug also contains a crys- 

 tallizable phenolic body, chrysotoxin ; an amorphous, nitrogen- 

 ous, glucosidal acid, ergotinic acid (sclerotic acid), which 

 is soluble in water and easily decomposed by the digestive secre- 

 tions ; choline; leucine (amido-caproic acid) ; a crystalline mona- 

 tomic alcohol, phytosterin (cholesterin), also found in some animal 

 fats ; a crystalline substance, ergosterin ; an amorphous red color- 

 ing principle, sclererythrin ; about 2 per cent, of a crystalline 

 sugar, mycose, occurring in rhombic octahedra; 13 to 35 per cent, 

 of a yellowish, non-drying oil which is bland when pure but usu- 

 ally more or less acrid, due to the dissolved bitter principles ; and 

 starch. 



Allied Plants. — Ergot is also found on other cereals, as 

 wheat, barley and rice, but the drug from this source is appar- 

 ently not much used. 



Ustilago Maydis (Fam. Ustilaginacese) , the fungus found 

 upon the stem and flowers of Zea Mays, was formerly official as 



