o60 
Ergotin. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(      Nov.,  1881. 
of  alcohol  must  not  produce  any  further  cloudiness,  otherwise  more  is 
to  be  added  until  this  point  is  reached.  After  24  hours  the  clear 
liquid  is  removed,  the  residue  washed  with  a  little  alcohol,  the  united 
liquids  distilled  and  the  residue  evaporated  to  the  proper  consistence, 
the  yield  being  80  or  90  grams. 
German  Pharmacopoeia  proQess^  for  "  Extradum  secalis  cornutV^ 
(''Mutterkornextract,"  "Ergotinum,"  ^^Extractum  hemostaticum'^): 
Take  of  ergot,  coarsely  powdered,  1  part;  distilled  water,  2  parts. 
Macerate  for  6  hours,  strain  and  express.  Pour  upon  the  residue  dis- 
tilled water  2  parts,  and  operate  as  before.  Evaporate  the  mixture 
and  filtered  liquids  to  the  consistence  of  a  thin  syrup,  and  add  of 
diluted  alcoliol  1  part,  mix  and  set  aside  a  day,  stirring  frequently, 
then  .filter  and  evaporate  to  the  consistence  of  a  thick  extract.  The 
extract  has  a  reddish-brown  color,  forming  a  clear  solution  with  water. 
According  to  Dr.  H.  Hager,"  ergot  yields  14  to  18  per  cent,  of  this 
•extract. 
The  obscure  point  in  Bonj can's  process  is,  What  constitutes  a  large 
■excess  of  alcohol  ?"  Any  quantity  exceeding  the  weight  of  the  aque- 
ous extract  may  be  considered  an  excess,  and  if  it  amounts  to  one  and 
one-half  or  twice  the  weight,  it  might  be  considered  a  large  excess. 
A\  hen  the  infusion  is  evaporated  so  that  2  grains  shall  retain  1  grain 
of  water,  the  resulting  extract  is  of  a  syrupy  condition.  If  we,  there- 
fore, add  to  such  an  extract  an  equal  weight  of  alcohol  the  relation  of 
alcohol  to  water  is  as  2 : 1  ;  if  we  increase  the  weight  of  alcohol  by 
one-half,  3  : 1 ;  if  we  double  it,  4:1,  etc.  In  France,  an  alcohol  of  90 
per  cent.,  having  a  specific  gravity  of  0"83  to  0'84,^  is  employed. 
Taking  the  mean  of  these  specific  gravities  we  would  have  an  alcohol 
of  specific  gravity  0*835,  containing  85  per  cent,  by  weight  of  absolute 
alcohol.  The  following  approximately  shows  the  percentage  strength 
of  alcohol  that  w^ould  effect  the  precipitation  in  2  parts  of  syrupy  aqueous 
extract  of  ergot  containing  1  part  of  water. 
Alcohol,  Percent-    i  Alcohol,  Percent- 
sp.  gr.  .835.  age. 
2  parts  56 '66 
3  "  63-75 
4  "  68-00 
sp.  gr.  •8:>o.  age. 
5  parts  69-16 
6  "  72-85 
74-37 
Alcohol,  Percent; 
sp.  gr.  -835.  age. 
8  parts  75-55 
9  "  76-50 
10     "  77-27 
As  before  stated,  the  large  excess  of  alcohol  "  directed  by  Bonjean 
is  an  indefinite  quantity.    Not  so,  however,  with  Carles,  who  directs 
^German  Pharmacopoeia,  translated  by  L.  L.  Lochman,  1873. 
Pharm.  Praxis.,"  vol.  i,  p.  1118. 
^Dorvault's  "  L'Officine,"  third  edition,  1850. 
