t 
ACTIVE  CONSTITUENTS  OP  ERGOT  OF  RYE. 
201 
drogen  may  be  replaced  by  N  O*  forming  a  new  acid,  a  nitro- 
acid.  On  decomposing  this  barytic  salt  carefully  with  sulphuric 
acid,  the  liberated  acid  was  found  to  possess  a  stronger  acid  re- 
action than  ergotic  acid.  It  decomposes  alkaline  and  earthy 
carbonates  with  effervescence,  and  forms  crystallizable  salts  with 
them  which  ergotic  acid  does  not.  The  salt  of  potassa  crystal- 
lizes in  rhombic  prisms,  the  soda  salt  in  cubes,  and  the  salt  of 
lime  in  oblique  rhombic  prisms.  On  evaporating  a  solution  of 
ergotic  acid  in  water,  the  acid  volatilizes  with  the  vaporized  water. 
Ergotic  acid  has  been  hitherto  considered  to  be  fungic  acid. 
As  the  latter  acid  is  not  volatile  and  can  be  evaporated  to  a 
syrupy  consistence  without  loss,  I  do  not  believe  there  is  any 
foundation  for  it.  It  is  true  that,  like  fungic  acid,  the  free  er- 
gotic acid  is  not  precipitated  by  salts  of  baryta  and  silver  unless 
they  are  in  combination  with  bases. 
In  order  to  determine  as  near  as  possible  the  manner  in  which 
the  acids  and  bases  of  ergot  are  combined,  an  infusion  of  the 
drug  was  evaporated  to  one  half  and  filtered  to  separate  the  al- 
buminous matter  which  had  coagulated.  It  was  then  carefully 
evaporated  to  a  syrupy  consistence  and  mixed  with  95°  alcohol 
in  large  excess.  The  precipitate,  after  washing  with  alcohol  and 
solution  in  water,  was  found  to  possess  an  acid  reaction.  On  the 
addition  of  ammonia  in  excess,  the  basic  phosphate  of  ammonia 
and  magnesia  subsided,  and  on  adding  now  sulphate  of  magne- 
sia, more  of  the  precipitate  fell.  Potassa,  ergotic  acid,  and  the 
alkaloids  were  found,  but  no  propylamina.  It  was  evident  that 
the  precipitate,  insoluble  in  alcohol,  contained  its  constituents  in 
the  following  arrangement  : 
Ergotates  of  the  alkaloids, 
"       "  potassa. 
Acid  phosphate  of  magnesia. 
The  alcoholic  solution  was  evaporated  to  expel  the  alcohol 
and  di]uted  with  water ;  on  adding  ammonia  no  precipitate  ap- 
peared, but  adding  also  sulphate  of  magnesia,  the  triple  phos- 
phate at  once  appeared,  indicating  the  presence  of  phosphoric 
acid.  Propylamina  was  found,  also  ergotic  acid,  the  alkaloids, 
potassa,  chlorine  and  lime.  It  is  evident  that  the  constituents 
of  the  alcoholic  extraction  are  thus  arranged : 
