Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
April,  1886.  J 
Ergot  of  Diss. 
205 
separates  into  two  layers.  The  upper  is  not  saponifiable,  and  if  dis- 
tilled it  is  partly  decomposed.  The  lower  layer  is  of  a  thick  con- 
sistence and  holds  in  suspension  opaline  flakes,  apparently  of  resinous 
matter.  It  is  inflammable  and  becomes  brown  when  heated.  Ad- 
ministered to  a  dog  both  oils  produced  poisonous  symptoms,  causing 
vomiting,  slowness  and  weakness  of  the  pulse,  extreme  thirst  and 
feebleness  of  the  hind  legs.  M.  Lallemand  agrees,  therefore,  with 
those  who  consider  the  oil  to  be  poisonous,  and  who  believe  that  it 
should  be  removed  from  ergot. 
By  treating  with  boiling  alcohol  the  residue  left  after  exhaustion 
by  ether,  reducing  the  alcoholic  liquid  to  a  small  volume  and  adding 
to  it  distilled  water  or  a  few  drops  of  nitric  acid,  the  ergotin  of 
AYiggers  is  precipitated.  This  appears  to  be  of  the  nature  of  an  acid 
resin,  since  it  is  insoluble  in  hot  water  and  ether,  soluble  in  cold,  but 
still  more  readily  in  boiling  alcohol ;  also  in  caustic,  but  not  in  car- 
bonated alkalies.  It  also  dissolves  in  sulphuric  and  acetic  acid,  color- 
ing these  liquids. 
M.  Lallemand  finds  that  the  ergot  of  diss  contains  2*30  per  cent, 
of  this  ergotin  and  30*60  per  cent,  of  the  oils ;  but  that  samples  of 
ergot  gathered  in  the  same  week  in  different  localities  yield  different 
percentages  of  these  constituents. 
Ergotin  prepared  as  above  descibed,  washed  with  distilled  water 
and  dried,  presents  the  appearance  of  a  reddish-brown  powder. 
The  extract  called  ergotin  by  Bonjean  can  be  obtained  from  the 
ergot  of  diss  as  follows :  The  powdered  drug  is  moistened  with  dis- 
tilled water  and  allowed  to  swell  for  three  or  four  hours.  It  is  then 
packed  lightly  in  a  percolator  and  distilled  water  allowed  to  pass 
through  it ;  but  unless  the  powder  has  swollen  to  its  full  extent  be- 
fore packing,  filtration  becomes  impossible. 
The  percolate  is  evaporated  as  soon  as  practicable  on  a  water-bath 
or  at  a  low  temperature,  and  when  reduced  to  the  original  weight  of 
the  ergot,  it  is  filtered  to  separate  the  albuminous  matters  that  are 
precipitated  by  the  heat  employed.  The  filter  is  washed  with  dis- 
tilled water  and  the  washings  added  to  the  filtrate,  which  is  again 
evaporated  to  a  clear  syrup.  To  this  is  added  twice  its  weight  of  86° 
alcohol,  by  which  gummy  matters  are  precipitated.  The  decanted 
liquor  is  again  reduced  to  a  syrupy  consistence.  Thus  treated  the 
ergot  of  diss  yields  a  little  over  one-sixth  of  its  weight  of  fluid 
extract. 
