Am.  Jour.  Pharni.  1 
March,  1910.  / 
Chemical  Assay  of  Ergot. 
119 
THE  CHEMICAL  ASSAY  OF  FLUIDEXTRACT  OF  ERGOT. 
By  John  R.  Rippetoe. 
Dr.  Horatio  C.  Wood,  Jr.,  has  recently  shown  (Am.  Jour. 
Pharm.,  8i,  p.  215,  May,  1909)  that  the  benzol  extract  of  the  fluid- 
extract  of  ergot  bears  a  proportional  relation  to  its  physiological 
action.  Dr.  Wood's  physiological  tests  were  made  by  the  blood- 
pressure  method. 
The  writer  for  the  past  three  years  has  been  testing  the  fluid- 
extract  by  observing  the  action  upon  the  cock's  comb.  Although 
the  method  is  considered  by  most  workers  to  be  of  little  value,  a 
marked  difference  is  noted  between  fresh  and  old  preparations.  A 
fluidextract  made  from  a  drug  of  good  quality,  when  injected  into  the 
thigh  muscle  of  a  Plymouth  Rock  rooster  in  a  dose  of  1.5  c.c.  to  one 
kilogramme  bodyweight  of  rooster  produces  characteristic  physio- 
logical reactions ;  the  breathing  is  dyspnceic,  the  wings  are  drooped, 
there  is  stupor,  diarrhoea,  and  the  wattles  and  comb  become  pale 
and  then  bluish-black  in  color.  The  dyspnoea  usually  passes  off 
within  three  to  five  hours  and  the  comb  becomes  normal  within 
six  to  eight  hours.  After  one  year  or  more  the  preparation  requires 
a  larger  dose  to  produce  the  same  results.  Apparently,  so  far  as 
the  action  on  the  rooster  is  concerned,  the  preparation  has 
deteriorated. 
Some  of  the  preparations  tested  as  above  in  the  past  have  been 
recently  assayed  by  Dr.  Wood's  benzol-extract  method,  the  method 
having  been  modified  as  follows :  Introduce  10  c.c.  of  the  fluidextract 
into  an  eight-ounce  bottle,  add  20  c.c.  water  and  100  c.c.  benzol. 
Shake  the  mixed  liquids  in  a  mechanical  shaker  for  thirty  minutes. 
Allow  the  liquid  to  stand  until  the  benzol  solution  is  clear.  Decant 
50  c.c.  of  the  benzol  solution,  evaporate,  and  dry  the  residue  to  con- 
stant weight  on  a  water-bath  at  a  low  temperature. 
Date  When        Test  on  Rooster.  Benzol  Extract. 
Fluidextract  Made.    Date.       Result.  Oct.  1909. 
A    June,  1907    July,  1907  Good  0.14  Gm.  in  100  c.c. 
Feb.,  1908  Poor 
B    Nov.,  1907    Feb.,  1908  Good  0.20  Gm.  in  100  c.c. 
Dec,  1908  Poor 
