540 
REMARKS  ON  ERGOT. 
through  a  hole  left  in  the  top  of  the  larger  dome,  near  the  side  ; 
this  hole  is  about  2 \  inches  in  diameter,  and  a  wide  funnel,  such 
as  grocers  use,  is  inserted  so  as  to  facilitate  the  introduction  of 
the  manganese.  When  this  is  fairly  introduced,  it  is  rapidly 
stirred  for  a  minute  with  a  stick  through  the  hole.  The  hole  is 
then  stopped  with  a  wooden  plug  cased  with  thin  lead,  and  the 
heat  is  gently  kept  up,  until,  on  withdrawing  the  small  stopper 
in  the  arms,  the  fumes  of  iodine  are  scarcely  observable ;  this, 
according  to  the  quantity  of  ley,  will  be  from  three  to  six  hours.  The 
process  completed,  the  fire  is  withdrawn,  the  arms  removed  from 
the  end  receiver,  and  the  hole  plugged  with  old  cloth  of  any 
kind  to  prevent  escape.  The  receivers  are  allowed  to  stand  so  until 
cool,  when  they  are  disconnected,  and  tilted  gently  to  remove 
the  condensed  steam  ;  they  may  then  be  replaced  and  used  three  or 
four  times  before  the  iodine  is  removed.  The  liquor  in  the  stile  is 
then  run  off  with  a  syphon,  a  stream  of  cold  water  being  con- 
veyed into  it  at  the  same  time.  As  the  acid  liquor  attacks  the 
iron  very  readily,  it  is  good  economy  not  to  neglect  ths  empty- 
ing of  the  stile,  but  have  it  done  immediately  after  the  process 
is  finished. 
From  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association — 1851". 
REMARKS  ON  ERGOT. 
p>y  William  Procter,  Jr. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Association,  (1856,)  among  the 
questions  proposed  for  solution,  during  the  interval  till  the  next 
meeting,  was  the  following,  which  was  accepted  by  the  writer : 
"  Does  Secalin,  the  volatile  alkaloid  of  Ergot,  possess  the 
utero-stimulant  power  of  the  drug  itself  ?  Does  Propylamine 
as  obtainable  from  4  herring  pickle,'  and  from  <  Narcotin,' 
possess  the  same  power  as  Secalin  ?  In  view  of  the  result,  what 
is  the  best  formula  for  preparing  a  permanent  fluid  preparation 
of  Ergot?" 
It  will  be  seen  by  the  sequel,  that  only  a  part  of  this  query 
has  been  answered,  but  it  has  been  deemed  best  to  report  the 
following  : 
Ten  thousand  grains  of  powdered  ergot  was  exhausted, 
nearly,  with  commercial  ether  in  a  percolator,  and  the  residue 
spread  on  paper  until  the  adhering  ether  had  passed  off.  The 
