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PH A RMA CO GNOS Y. 
life history — an active and a resting stage. Daring 
the latter it forms a compact mycelium, or sclerotium, 
which replaces the flowers and grains of rye. Ergot 
is picked by hand from the ears of rye, or it is sepa- 
rated after the thrashing of the rye ; it is carefully 
dried, and preserved against the attacks of insects by 
the use of small quantities of chloroform. It deterio- 
rates with age and is not considered so valuable after 
one year. Russia, Spain and Germany furnish the 
chief part of the commercial supply, the Russian being 
considered the most active. 
Description. — Subcylindrical, tapering toward but 
obtuse at both ends, somewhat curved, 2 to 4 cm. long 
and about 3 mm. thick; externally purplish black, 
longitudinally furrowed, occasionally transversely fis- 
sured, one end with the whitish remains of the sphace- 
lia; fracture short, whitish or pinkish white, sections 
somewhat triangular or two-lobed ; odor peculiar, 
heavy, increased by trituration with potassium or 
sodium hydrate solution; taste oily and disagreeable. 
Constituents. — The constituents of ergot have been 
the subject of considerable investigation, and the 
results have been more or less contradictory. It 
appears to contain an alkaloid ergotinine OT to 0‘25 
per cent. ; two organic acids, ergotinic and sphacelinic ; 
fixed oil about 30 per cent. ; tannin and ash about 3 
per cent. The alkaloid cornutine, which has been 
isolated from the extract, appears to be a decomposi- 
tion product of ergotinine. 
Allied Plants. — Ergot is also found on other cereals, 
as wheat, barley and rice, but the drug from this 
source is apparently not much used. 
Ustilago Maydis, the fungus found upon the stem and 
flowers of Zea Mays, was formerly official as Ustilago 
(corn smut) ; it occurs in irregular, somewhat cylindri- 
