ADecirabrerP1^f9r9m•}      Valuation  of  Drugs  and  Foods.  '  587 
samples  of  ergot.  For  the  past  two  or  possibly  three  years  it 
has  been  very  difficult  to  obtain  fresh  ergot,  that  is,  of  the  year's 
crop  then  existing.  This  year  we  are  having  much  more  trouble 
than  in  the  past,  and  two  small  lots  we  have  already  purchased  for 
our  next  year's  wants  are  of  old  crop  and  are  somewhat  wormy  in, 
parts.  This  we  have  to  manipulate  carefully  by  blowing  the  wormy 
parts  out  and  sifting,  and  then  put  up  in  chloroform  to  secure  it 
from  further  attacks  by  these  little  pests.  We  have  no  samples  of 
either  our  present  or  past  supply,  for  we  grind  it  all  up  immediately 
after  importing  it  in  order  to  put  it  in  the  best  condition  for  pre- 
serving in  chloroform  vapor  in  sealed  packages,  and  then  open  each 
package  when  we  make  our  fluid  preparations  from  it." 
"  Dear  Sir  : — Replying  to  your  favor  of  the  1 1  th  inst.,  we  regret  that 
we  have  thus  far  been  unable  to  obtain  any  ergot  which  we  were 
satisfied  was  this  year's  crop.  We  can  obtain  any  quantity  of 
the  article  which  is  claimed  to  be  this  year's  gathering,  but  have  no 
means  of  verifying  the  statement,  and  as  a  consequence  are  some- 
what inclined  to  doubt  its  authenticity.  We  will,  however,  make 
an  effort  to  secure  for  you  the  desired  quantity  of  this  year's  crop 
as  well  as  of  that  of  two  years  ago." 
I  also  wrote  to  Dr.  Erwin  F.  Smith,  the  well-known  pathologist 
of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  for  material,  and  asked 
him  to  give  me  the  results  of  his  experience  in  regard  to  the 
vitality  of  ergot.    The  following  is  an  excerpt  from  his  letter : 
"  Dear  Sir  : — I  cannot  tell  you  just  at  present  where  you  can  get 
ergot  that  will  grow.  Only  rarely  have  I  seen  it  in  abundance. 
The  last  time  it  came  under  my  observation  was  something  like  five 
or  six  years  ago,  growing  on  rye  in  South  Michigan.  I  could  have 
collected  a  pint  of  it  then  without  any  difficulty.  I  will  remember 
your  wish  should  I  come  across  any  next  summer,  or  if  any  is  sent 
in  to  the  Division. 
"  My  impression  is  that  ergot  will  not  grow  after  one  or  two 
years.  I  have  tried  a  number  of  times  to  get  ergot  six  months  to 
two  years  old  to  form  the  mature  fruits,  but  have  never  succeeded, 
although  with  fresh  material  this  ought  not  to  be  difficult." 
This  is  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  go  with  this  investigation ; 
however,  the  facts  recorded  would  seem  to  point  to  the  infer- 
ence that  one  test  for  good  ergot  would  be  that  depending  upon  its 
germinating  qualities,  1.  e.,  producing  the  sporocarp  of  the  next 
generation. 
