558  ^  Ergotin, 
hoi,  we  can  obtain  an  ergotin  that  represents  the  ecbolic  action  of 
ergot  in  a  more  concentrated  form  (irrespective  of  any  money-loss  by 
the  sacrifice  of  scleromucin);  then  it  still  remains  to  determine  a  for- 
mula whereby  a  product  of  as  nearly  constant  composition  as  is  possible 
with  a  substance  of  such  complex  nature  may  be  uniformly  secured. 
To  determine  these  points  three  distinct  kinds  of  experiments  have  to  be 
made,  viz.,  pharmaceutical,  chemical  and  physiological.  In  the  pres- 
ent inquiry  I  have  confined  myself  to  the  pharmaceutical  experiments, 
and  while  these  are  by  no  means  complete,  they  appear  to  me  of  suffi- 
cient interest  to  warrant  publication. 
Forty-five  troyounces  of  ergot  of  good  ({uality,  in  moderately  fine 
powder,  were  macerated  36  hours  with  24  fluidounces  of  cold  distilled 
water,  The  moist  ergot,  having  been  passed  through  a  No.  18  sieve, 
was  packed  lightly  in  a  percolator  provided  with  a  Squibb's  tube,  and 
after  pouring  on  distilled  water  until  it  had  penetrated  the  entire 
column,  it  was  allowed  to  stand  again  36  hours,  and  then  percolated. 
The  percolate  was  collected  in  nine  fractions,  each  of  15  fluidounces, 
each  three  consecutive  fractions  corresponding  to  d  fluidounce  of  per- 
colate for  1  troyounce  of  ergot  employed,  and  constituting  a  set.  The 
three  sets  of  percolates  so  obtained  were  designated  A,  B,  C,  and  the 
fractions  in  each  1,  2,  3,  respectively.  The  quantity  of  dry  extract 
contained  in  each  fraction  was  determined  by  evaparating  one  or  two 
centigrams  of  the  fraction  on  a  watch-glass,  and  completely  drying  on 
a  water-bath.  In  this  way  the  following  rate  of  exhaustion  was 
determined : 
Set  A:  No.  1  contained  1,909  grains.     B:  239  grains.     C:  75  grains, 
u       2        "         1,462       "  152       "  54 
"       3        "  690       "  86       "  46  " 
Dry  extract,  4,061       "  477      "  175  " 
Making  a  total  of  4,713  grains  dry  extract,  or  21*81  per  cent,  from 
21,600  grains  of  ergot,  and  showing  that  the  first  fluidounce  of  perco- 
late for  each  troyounce  of  ergot  contains  86  per  cent.,  the  second  10 
per  cent,  and  the  third  4  per  cent,  of  the  total  soluble  matter.  For 
practical  purposes,  therefore,  and  in  view  of  the  ease  with  which 
aqueous  solutions  of  ergot  undergo  change,^  2  fluidounces  of  percolate 
for  each  troyounce  of  ergot,  representing  96  per  cent,  of  all  the  solu- 
ble matter,  would  be  the  proper  limit  of  percolation.    It  proves,  also, 
^  The  temperature  of  the  room  during  these  experiments  ranged  from  50^ 
to  65°  during  the  day,  and  to  near  tlie  freezing  point  at  night. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       Nov.,  1881. 
