414 
Ergoxanthe'in. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t  (September,  1910. 
was  obtained  on  extracting  the  suspected  flour  with  alcohol,  strongly 
acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid.  Evidently,  this  pigment  was  identi- 
cal with  that  of  Zinnin's.  < 
Fig.  i. — This  spectrum  represents  the  absorption  spectrum  of 
lutein  existing  in  the  ray-fungus,  Actinomyces  (pathogenic). 
Its  absorption  beginning  at  the  Fraunhofer  line  b.  and  continuing 
to  the  end,  showing  an  absorption  of  a  part  of  the  green,  the  blue, 
and  purple  luminous  rays  (strength  of  solution  unknown). 
Fig.  2. — This  represents  the  spectrum  of  ergoxanthein  solution 
as  it  appears  in  the  25  c.c.  as  obtained  from  25  c.c.  of  the  fluid- 
extract  which  also  represents  the  standard  solution  as  previously 
stated  contained  in  a  test-tube  having  an  internal  diameter  of  10  mm. 
The  absorption  will  be  seen  to  commence  at  the  line  of  F.a  and 
continue  to  the  end.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  absorption  is  less  than 
that  of  the  preceding. 
Fig.  3. — This  gives  the  spectrum  of  an  alcoholic  solution  of 
ergoxanthein  made  strongly  alkaline  with  ammonia,  which  has 
changed  its  yellow  to  a  blood  red.  This  spectrum  shows  its  ab- 
sorption to  begin  at  the  D.  line  leaving  intact  the  orange  and  the  red. 
Fig.  4. — This  absorption  spectrum  represents  the  preceding 
ammoniacal  solution  of  ergoxanthein  viewed  through  a  100  mm. 
sugar  tube  filled  with  this  solution.  By  means  of  this  arrangement 
all  of  the  colors  of  the  spectrum  are  eliminated  with  the  exception 
of  the  red,  the  absorption  beginning  at  the  C.  line. 
In  diluting  this  normal  alkaline  alcoholic  solution  of  ergoxan- 
thein, in  the  proportion  of  2  c.c.  to  make  up  10  c.c.  solution,  and 
analyzing  the  same  by  the  spectroscope  through  the  200  mm.  tube, 
a  spectrum  will  be  obtained  identical  with  that  of  Fig.  4.  From  this 
we  may  infer  that  the  spectrum  analysis  of  a  solution  of  ergoxan- 
thein representing  equal  volumes  of  it  and  that  of  the  fluidextract 
may  not  only  be  of  value  in  forensic  chemical  analysis,  but  also  be 
useful  in  a  quantitative  determination  of  ergot  in  preparations  con- 
taining ergot  or  its  fluidextract.  Since  by  such  colorimetric  method, 
through  a  200  mm.  sugar  tube  two-fifths  of  a  cubic  centimetre  of  a 
fluidextract  equal  to  0.4  Gm.  of  ergot  may  thus  be  estimated. 
Fig.  5. — The  spectrum  of  Uffelmann's  yellow  coloring  matter 
showing  an  absorption  band  between  the  Fraunhofer  line  C.  and  E. 
and  another  band  between  the  line  B.  and  F. 
Fig.  6  gives  the  spectrum  of  Tichomirow's  pigment  which,  as 
will  be  seen,  differs  materially  from  the  preceding  spectra.  Its 
