Ergotism. 
25 
own experience, as well as the investigations of others, which 
may develop some ideas that will be useful, and gain new in¬ 
formation which will be of benefit to some members of this 
Society, including myself. 
But before proceeding with a description of the cases re¬ 
ferred to, I have concluded to say a few words on the subject 
oi ergot and smut of grasses, by which means our patients 
nearly always take the poison into their systems. 
v The cause that is most likely to produce the diseased con¬ 
dition of the grasses is muggy, damp weather ; and undrained 
soils favor the development of these ergot and spores of other 
fungi. 
Just here 1 wish to call attention to an article on this sub¬ 
ject written by Prof. George Vasey in the Report for 1885 of 
the Department of Agriculture, as I find nothing of a more re¬ 
cent date. His description is as follows: 
“ I made an investigation in May and June, and found the 
affected plants somewhat smaller than those that were not 
diseased. Otherwise they presented no unusual appearance 
when carelessly handled. On a careful examination, however, 
one or more of the leaves were found to be marked by lead- 
colored, slightly thickened lines about one sixty-fourth of an 
inch wide and one-sixteenth to one-fourth of an inch long, 
running lengthwise of the leaf. Sometimes but a single line 
or series of lines was to be found on a leaf, but usually there 
were several, in many instances the space between the two 
veins of the leaf being occupied by these discolorations, which 
extended from the base nearly to the apex. When one of these 
leaves was cut or torn across, it was found that each of the 
lead-colored lines referred to corresponded to a black, dirty 
mass occupying the center of the leaf and merely covered by 
the epidermis at the top and bottom. Shortly afterwards the 
epidermis ruptured along the dark lines, one side usually 
tearing before the other, and so exposed the smutty substance, 
which was shaken from the cavities and dispersed by the 
wind, under the action of which the leaves were soon 
reduced to brown shreds, by which the diseased plants could 
be readily distinguished, even from a distance.” 
