ON THE FLUID EXTRACT OF ERGOT. 
159 
more or less, their composition. If a little of this acid be poured 
over colophony, it immediately, and by simple contact, developes 
an intense red color. The same acid, when poured over pure 
resin of scammony, produces, on the contrary, no immediate change; 
it is only, after the lapse of some minutes, and with contact of the 
air, that it becomes colored, and then but slightly, the color being 
that of wine dregs. 
By this means, the presence of one-twentieth part of colophony 
may be detected in resin of scammony. For this purpose, it is only 
necessary to put four or five grains of the resin into a glass 
or porcelain mortar, to add 60 or 80 grains of the oil of vi- 
triol of commerce, and to rub it with the pestle. If the resin of 
scammony should contain colophony, the mixture will at once 
become red, but if on the contrary it is pure, it would only become 
colored after some time. — London Pharm. Jo urn., from Reper- 
toire de Pharmacie. 
REMARKS ON THE FLUID EXTRxlCT OF ERGOT. 
By Joseph Laidley, Pharmaceutist, of Richmond, Virginia. 
The preparations [of ergot] heretofore employed have been the 
(solid) extract, decoction, injection, tincture, syrup, compound 
powder, pill, wine and the oil. Pills and the extract are only 
suitable for administration in such cases as require the continued 
use of the medicine ; being solid, they do not exert their influence 
speedily enough for cases of labor ; besides, not one of the above 
preparations fully represents ergot. We are as yet unacquainted 
with the active principle of this medicine. It was supposed to be 
the oil; but this view has been shaken by the fact that the oil, 
when obtained by simple expression, is inert; but when procured 
by treating ergot in powder with ether, and allowing the latter to 
evaporate spontaneously, the resulting oil possesses in some degree 
at least the properties of ergot, shewing lhatthe oil, when obtain- 
ed by means of ether, probably contains some of the active prin- 
ciple dissolved in it, but is not itself that principle. Again, it was 
thought by others that in the extract (sometimes, but erroneously 
