236 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



capillary hemorrhages witli considerable rapidity, and that it has a manifestly as- 

 tringent action on denuded tissue.*. In tho digestive tube the effects are but little 

 marked v, lien the medicine is given in small doses; it is only when the quantities in- 

 vested are considerable that vomiting occurs with carnivora and a serious irritation 

 of the intestines with all animals. In regard to the dynamic or%eneral effects pro- 

 duced by the ergot of ryo in medicinal doses, when its active principles have been 

 absorbed, they are almost unnoticeable with healthy animals and have been only very 

 imperfectly studied up to this time. It follows, however, from the trials undertaken 

 by various authors on the greater part of the domestic animals, that this medicine 

 produces with them as with man two effects somewhat opposed to each other: a 

 very pronounced sedative action on the circulatory center, and an energetic stimula- 

 tion of the nervous centers and particularly of the posterior portion of the spinal 

 cord. We will return to these two culminating effects of ergot of rye in connection 

 with the toxic action that it has on the organism which we are now about to study. 



Toxic effects. — The poisoning of animals by ergot of rye is called ergotism. It may 

 occur at the end of a longer or shorter time, according to various circumstances anil 

 particularly according as the ergot is given alone or mixed with the food. In the 

 former case, it occurs after a few days with birds, and after weeks or even months 

 with mammals, according to the size of the doses and the time between them. In the 

 second case it is much slower still, and when its existence is manifested by apparent 

 phenomena the destruction of the organism is already consummated and there is no 

 means of providing a remedy for it. This is a remarkable example of chronic or slow 

 poisoning. 



The characteristic signs of ergotism are of two varieties. One of these is due to the 

 narcotico-acrid and exciting action that the ergot exercises on the nerve centers ; the 

 other is due to the sedative action that it produces on the heart. When the former 

 predominates, as has been observed with certain epidemics with the human species, 

 the ergotism is called convulsive ; when, on the contrary, the second is more pro- 

 nounced the ergotism is called gangrenous. It is difficult to establish this distinction 

 with animals where the signs of the two varieties are mixed in nearly equal propor- 

 tion as we shall demonstrate. 



1. Solipeds. — Of all the domestic animals, the solipeds are the least exposed to poison- 

 ing by ergot of rye, because oats, the grain they receive most often, is rarely affected 

 with this alteration. Only two authors, MM. Hertwig and Parola, have made experi- 

 ments on solipeds with ergot of rye. The former administered thre,e and one-half kil- 

 ograms (7.7 pounds) of jthis substance to a horse in the space of 24 days ; he ob- 

 served some nervous phenomena and a great depression of the circulation, but no ap- 

 pearance of gangrene. The latter gave ergot of rye to a mule, affected with chronie 

 coryza, for six days in the dose of one to two ounces a day. There was slowing of the 

 circulation, decreased temperature of the body, difficulty of respiration, loss of appe- 

 tite and strength, general depression, muscular trembling, slight swelling of the knees 

 toward the end, &c. The subject was destroyed. The dischage from the nose had 

 disappeared. 



2. Large ruminants. — Poisoning of large ruminants by ergot is more common than 

 that of solipeds because these animals receive quite often, as a supplementary ra- 

 tion, the rejected grains coming from the thrasher or from screening, which always 

 contain more or less ergot of rye and of other grains. With the large ruminants the 

 convulsive phenomena are not seen or are not very apparent; but the depressive ef- 

 fects on the circulatory system are, on the contrary, very marked. Besides, the 

 health is maintained without serious disturbance during weeks and even months if 

 the ergot is taken with the food. Only the extremities lose little by little their nat- 

 ural warmth, as is noticed with the ears, the tail, the lower part of the limbs, &c. 

 The digital region, and sometimes even the metacarpal and metatarsal regions, as M. 

 Beeoste has observed, are smitten with, dry gangrene. In this case, 4he parts lose 

 Their warmth, their sensibility, become hardened and mummified, and soon separate 

 without pain from the parts which have still remained living. 



3. Small ruminants. — It is known that the sheep may, like other animals, feel the noxi- 

 ous influence of ergot ; but science is wanting in precise documents concerning this 

 ruminant and the goat. 



4. Pigs. — It follows from some experiments made on these animals by Tessier, that 

 ergot of rye poisons them after a greater or less time according to their force of resist- 

 ance. There is seen in the first place vertigo, unsteadiness in standing, a tottering 

 walk, moaning, swelling of the eyes, &c. ; then the ears, the tail, the lower part of 

 the limbs, lose their warmth and vitality ; soon appear livid spots, which afterward 

 become black and gangrenous, and are the beginning point for the separation of the 

 mortified from the living parts. 



5. Dogs.— M. Dieu has given ergot of rye to dogs in the dose of 15 grams (half an 

 ounce) a day. The animals were soon taken with nausea, bloody diarrhea, a nasal 

 discharge also colored with blood, depression, weakness, and soon drop into a fright- 



