AmjSy(r'x8P78arm'}     The  Active  Constituents  of  Ergot.  337 
form,  to  which  the  name  scleroiodin  has  been  given.  By  far  the  most 
important  coloring  matter,  however,  is  sclererythrin,  to  which  the  char- 
acteristic reactions  of  ergot  are  due,  which  were  erroneously  ascribed 
to  a  ferruginous  substance  supposed  to  be  allied  to  the  coloring  prin- 
ciple of  blood. 
If  ergot  is  exhausted  by  ether  or  alcohol,  and  then  treated  with  acid- 
ulated alcohol  or  ether,  sclererythrin  will  be  liberated  from  its  calcium 
compound  and  produce  a  red  solution.  Diluted  solutions  of  alkalies 
and  alkaline  carbonates  dissolve  sclererythrin,  with  a  beautiful  murexide 
color.  Ether  agitated  with  this  solution  is  not  colored,  but  after  neu- 
tralizing with  an  acid  a  delicate  and  characteristic  reaction  occurs,  by 
imparting  a  red-brown  color  to  the  ether.  Alcohol  or  ether  will  not 
dissolve  the  sclererythrin  directly  from  ergot,  unless  the  drug  be  previ- 
ously acidulated. 
In  connection  with  the  above  investigations,  Dragendorff  and  Pod- 
wissotzky  isolated  a  bitter  alkaloid,  which  they  call  picrosclerotin,  and  a 
yellow  acid,  which  they  named  fuscosclerotic  acid.  They  were  obtained 
in  purifying  sclererythrin,  by  precipitating  its  alcoholic  solution  with 
lime  water,  when  picrosclerotin  and  fuscosclerotate  of  calcium  remained 
in  solution  ;  on  the  addition  of  dilute  sulphuric  acid  and  agitating  with 
ether,  this  solvent  took  up  the  fuscosclerotic  acid  and  left  nearly  all 
picrosclerotin  behind,  which  is  readily  dissolved  by  acetic  or  sulphuric 
acid  and  reprecipitated  by  ammonia. 
A  solution  of  the  amorphous  alkaloid  subcutaneously  injected  was 
observed  to  produce  in  frogs  decreased  sensibility,  paralysis  of  the 
extremities,  and  in  10  or  12  minutes  death,  without  convulsions. 
Blumberg  noticed  that  picrosclerotin  is  colored  violet  by  oil  of  vitriol, 
and  that  in  the  isolated  state  it  rapidly  loses  its  activity,  forming  a  resin- 
ous mass,  which  is  insoluble  in  acetic  and  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  and 
colored  brown  by  oil  of  vitriol.  It  is  identical  with  the  resin  obtained 
by  Ganser  (1870)  from  the  fixed  oil  of  ergot,  from  which  Blumberg 
isolated  also  a  crystalline  alkaloid,  closely  allied  and  probably  identical 
with  picrosclerotin. 
As  above  stated,  the  filtrate  showing  the  reactions  of  Wenzell's 
alkaloids  proved  to  be  destitute  of  medicinal  action  ;  Dragendorff  and 
Podwissotzky  isolated  the  alkaloids  by  Wenzell's  process  from  this 
filtrate  as  well  as  directly  from  ergot,  and  found  that  both  ergotina  and 
ecbolina  are  precipitated  by  corrosive  sublimate  from  their  concentrated 
