AN ANALYSIS OF ERGOT OF RYE. 
99 
tate in a clear brownish solution. After decantation, the viscid 
mass was softened with a little water and again treated with 
alcohol both cold and hot; and this operation repeated a third time. 
The precipitate thus freed from all that was soluble in alcohol was 
dried as far as practicable and weighed. The precipitate had a 
taste similar to that of gum, and consisted chiefly of gum and 
nitrogenous matter. It was soluble with a brownish red color in 
water, the alkalies, the acids, and in alcohol of 20°, but insoluble 
in ether and strong alcohol ; its solution was precipitated entirely 
by acetate of lead and corrosive sublimate, and less perfectly by 
subacetate of lead and tannin ; it was not altered by yellow prus- 
siate of potash. It was charred by oil of vitriol ; but by boiling with 
diluted sulphuric acid was partly changed into sugar. Heated 
with potassa-lime it gave off ammoniacal fumes. 
The hot alcoholic solutions, by repose, deposited small four-sided 
prisms upon the sides of the glass, which agreed in form and 
behaviour with mushroom sugar ; but as its amount was small, it 
was not deemed of sufficient importance to justify the analysis of 
a fresh portion of ergot with a view of determining its quality. 
The alcoholic solutions thrown together, were evaporated to a 
soft extract, which could not be further hardened without decom- 
position. This is the ergotin of Bonjean, and contains the greater 
part of the nitrogenous extractive, together with a little resin. It 
is soluble in water, alcohol, the strong and dilute acids, and in 
the alkalies with a dark red color, which is deeper with the latter, 
and with sulphuric acid ; its solutionis precipitated by the acetates 
of lead, corrosive sublimate, and tannin, but not by yellow prussiate 
of potash ; it evolves copious fumes of ammonia when treated with 
potassa-lime. Its behavior to reagents and its peculiar meat-like 
odor, recall the characteristics of osmazone. 
2. Displacement with Alcohol. — After thorough displacement 
with water, the residue was similarly treated with alcohol of 80° 
until the latter passed through colorless. 
The tinctures evaporated by water bath and dry hot air, became 
a mass of hard black crusts forming a net-work through a black 
oily liquid. 
As the alcoholic solution tested acid, it was inferred to contain 
resin. The liquid being poured off, the residue was repeatedly 
