Am.  Jour.jPharm.  ) 
April,  1911.  J 
Active  Principle  of  Ergot. 
159 
If  the  original  ethereal  solution  is  not  carefully  fractioned  with 
petroleum  ether  the  chrysotoxin  is  admixed  with  a  nitrogenous 
body.  When  such  a  precipitate  is  treated  with  glacial  acetic  acid 
a  portion  only  dissolves.  The  portion  which  remains  undissolved, 
when  taken  up  in  ether,  gives  a  precipitate  with  petroleum  ether. 
This  has  a  golden  yellow  color  and  is  inactive  on  the  cock's  comb. 
It  has  received  the  name  ergochrysin. 
On  treatment  with  sodium  carbonate,  the  acid  solution  of  the 
crude  precipitate  yielded  a  gray  alkaloidal  precipitate  which  was 
named  secalintoxin  (C13H24N2O2)  •  This  is  about  four  times  as 
active  as  chrysotoxin  in  producing  bluing  of  the  cock's  comb  and 
is  free  from  any  convulsant  action.  Secalintoxin  has  the  same 
action  as  chrysotoxin,  but  differs  from  it  in  degree.  Jacobj  says 
that  under  certain  conditions  a  marked  rise  in  blood  pressure  may 
follow  its  injection.  Secalintoxin  is  a  white  powder  which  is  soluble 
in  alcohol,  benzol,  chloroform,  and  slightly  so  in  ether.  It  gives  a 
violet  color  on  evaporation  with  an  alcoholic  solution  of  HQ.  An 
oxalate,  a  phosphate  and  other  salts  were  obtained  by  precipitating 
its  ethereal  solution  with  the  corresponding  acids.  It  was  noted 
that  on  standing,  the  oxalate  separated  into  two  portions,  one  less 
soluble  than  the  other,  but  this  did  not  suggest  to  Jacobj  that  they 
were  possibly  two  oxalates. 
When  the  precipitate  of  secalintoxin  is  dissolved  in  a  mixture 
of  ether  and  alcohol  and  treated  with  petroleum  ether,  a  greenish 
mass  is  precipitated  along  with  some  crystalline  needles.  Jacobj 
believed  that  by  this  means  he  had  separated  the  basic  portion 
of  secalintoxin,  but  one  would  hardly  expect  such  a  method  to 
free  a  base  from  its  comhination.  These  needles  have  received  the 
name  secalin  and  their  formula  was  determined  to  be  C29H55N6O14. 
They  gave  a  violet  colored  reaction  with  alcoholic  HCl.  These 
crystals  are  presumably  the  same  as  Tanret's  crystalline  base. 
Jacobj  expressed  a  doubt  as  to  this  identity,  on  the  ground  that  his 
N.  determinations  did  not  agree  with  those  of  Tanret,  but  it  has 
since  been  shown  that  Tanret's  figures  are  too  high  and  should 
be  close  to  those  of  Jacobj.  Even  40  mg.  of  these  crystals  failed 
to  produce  bluing  of  the  cock's  comb,  and  they  were  also  devoid 
of  convulsant  action.  The  greenish  precipitate  with  which  these 
crystals  were  mixed,  in  0.005-0.008  gm.  doses  caused  bluing  of  the 
cock's  comb.  Jacobj  believed  this  resinous,  readily-decomposable 
body  to  be  the  active  principle  of  ergot,  and  has  named  it  sphacelo- 
