EEGOT 625 



SECTION XV.— VEGETABLE DRUGS STIMULA- 

 TING UNSTEIATED MUSCLE, PARTICU- 

 LARLY THAT OF THE UTERUS. 

 Eegota. Ergot. (U. S. & B. P.) 

 Synonym. — Ergot of rye, spurred rye, E. ; ergot, ergot 

 de seigle, ergot de ble', ble cornu, Fr.; mutterkorn, korn- 

 mutter, zapfenkorn, G. *" 



The sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea (Fries) Tulasne 

 (Class Fungi), replacing the grain of rye, Secale eereale 

 Linne (nat. ord. Gramineas). 



Habitat. — ifrgot is obtained mainly from Spain and 

 Russia. 



Description. — Somewhat fusiform, obtusely triangular, 

 usually curved, about 2 or 3 Cm. long and 3 Mm. thick; 

 three-furrowed, obtuse at both ends, purplish-black, inter- 

 nally whitish with some purplish, striae, breaking with a short 

 fracture ; odor peculiar, heavy ; taste oily and disagreeable. 

 Constituents. — It is doubtful whether the principles so 

 far discovered wholly represent the activity of ergot. The 

 following are the more important constituents: 1. Sphace- 

 linic acid which contains the chief active principle — sphacelo- 

 toxin, a resinous body soluble in alcohol. Sphacelotoxin, 

 however, often itself combines with other constituents of 

 ergot to form new principles. Thus with a weak acid sub- 

 stance it forms the principle Chrysotoxin. The more im- 

 portant medicinal virtues of ergot reside in sphacelotoxin 

 and its derivatives. These are two : The power to constrict 

 blood vessels, and the power to institute marked contraction 

 of the pregnant womb. In poisoning by sphacelotoxin gan- 

 grene of the extremities occurs due to the prolonged con- 

 striction of arterioles. Thus in cocks dry gangrene of the 

 comb is seen and this is used as the physiological test by 

 which the activity of ergot is commonly proven. Toxic 

 doses of sphacelotoxin produce violent irritation of the diges- 

 tive tract. 



2. Cornutine, an alkaloidal substance soluble in alco- 

 hol and probably embodying in itself several distinct prin- 

 ciples not yet separated. While cornutine stimulates the 

 vagus, vasomotor and other medullary centres, primarily, 

 yet this action is soon followed by depression and great fall 



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