87 

 Samples with very snaai amoi^ntq of etgot do not sSicv any color when 

 tested by this rcethod. Lauck was able, however, to stim the presence 

 of at least 0.5 per cent of ergot. He established also that ergot loses 

 with time some of tis coloring natter and that no other impurities in 

 flour Of plant origin give the same color or any color at all. 



Mj"6en (178) has given us the spectorscopical vie-y of ergot 

 determination, but this is so complicated ^and of so little practical 

 value that it will not be worth while to describe it here, 



Strasburger (263) has given us a test for ergot in the 

 faeses. The faeses are mixed with water, sedimented and tlie sediments 

 obtained further purified and then tested for ergot by the addition of 

 acid which gives a characteristic red brown color to the ergot tissue 

 with its enclosed oil drops. This color is visible upon microscopic 

 examination. Ergot, as is also true of other fungi, because of its 

 chitinous, miembranous nature is very slowly digested so that after taJcing 

 it even in small dosss the ergot will come out with the faeses unchanged. 



Ergotism 

 Ergot has veiy marked toxic properties and when taken in by 

 animals in considerable qtianfities with infected hay, grain, or in..the 

 jjasture is apt to bring about distinct pathological conditions, depend- 

 ing upon the kind of ergot, amount consumed, and length of time during 

 which ergot has been fed in one or another form, and also upon climatic 

 conditions. Cattle, horses, mfules, sheep, hogs, dogs, cats, and fowls 

 are know:i to snffor from ergotism. 



Kobert (136), who experimented chiefly vath cattle and fov/ls, 

 found tha* an acute case of the poisoning can be distinguished from a 

 chronic case^also a ga,rgrenous ergotism from a spasmodic. The disease 

 icanifests itself amoag animals chiefly in the chronic form, since 



