ERGOT (Fr. ergot, argot, spur, extremity of a dead branch). A name given to the peculiar, hard, purplish-black bodies that sometimes re place the grain in the head of rye or other grasses. These ergots are the result of the de velopment of the fungus Claviceps purpurea within the ovaries of the grasses. They arc usually solid, often slightly curved, and, although externally dark in color, :L•e white within, and when fresh they have a peculiar waxy or oily appearance and a heavy characteristic odor. Those produced on rye and some other grasses may be many times larger than the seed which they replace, attaining it length of an inch or more; but in wheat and in some of the smaller grasses they are smaller than the seed, and may not be noticed until crushed, when they are recog nized by odor. The fungous origin of ergot has been more or less understood since 1838, its true cause and the life history of the organ ism were lillk110 Tulasne published the results of his investigations in 1853. If a grain of ergot be placed in suitable conditions of mois ture and temperature it will soon semi out a number of small stalks, each surmounted by small globular heads which contain a multitude of spores. in nature these are produced from ergot sown with the grain, or from that which has fallen to the ground where it wintered, the spores maturing about the time the grass is in flower. The ripened spores are blown about by the wind and some find lodgment upon the styles of the grass. Here they germinate and find their way into the ovary of the flower, where they develop an abundant mycelium and put out many short branches, each of which produces a single eonidium. At the same time a. sweet, milky juice is secreted, called honeydew. in which the eonidia float about until carried away by insects visiting the flower for this sweet sub stance, When taken to another flower the conidia germinate and set up a new infection similar to that already described.
During all this time the fungus within the flowers continues to grow and forms a dense mass of by pine. completely obliterat ing the seed whose place it occupies. Later. the forma tion of conidia ceases, and the fully grown mycelium is transformed into the dark-colored ergot, which, when mature, falls to the ground or is harvested with the grain.
Ergot is a powerful em menagogue, eebolie, and luemostatic, and is poison ous to human beings and higher animals, and occu pies an important place in medicine. For this pur pose the ergot of rye is preferred, Hip principal supplies coming from Ger many, Russia, and Spain.
In some regions where er got is abundant its presence in grain often makes flour injurious unless the grain be thoroughly screened before grinding. The most conspicuous constituent of ergot is a heavy, non-drying, inflammable fixed oil, soluble in ether, which is present to the extent of 30 per cent. er Fiore. 1:iis is nnw considered as i: i t r about 7 per cent, of resin, I I I , „ , tt is claimed t,\ o.,,e been isolated, eel olina ; per e ., cil_otina 0.12 per cent., and tip • 1"%e prit•ir s are contained in these (•,.iep, ands, t n ion ler being much the more T., er1111. Dra,endo•ff and Podwissotzky dis credit the a tive properties of ecbolina and er gotina, bi ,ieN mg them to be formed by chemical aetion and l•:,t and not occurring in the ergot normally. hey have found 4.5 per cent. of sclerotic acid and 2 to 3 per cent. of scleromuein ,n ergot, they claim to be the principal is the constituents. Sclerotic acid is an amor phous, yellowish brown, inodo•ous and tasteless substance, soluble in water, while scleromuein is darker and insoluble in water after once being dried. Another active principle is sclererythrin, is present in small quantities. According to Robert (Leh•bueh der Torikologie fur Thier iirzt•, 1890), the active constituents of ergot are cormitin tan alkaloid), sphacelic acid, and ergotie acid. The uterine contraction is due to the cornutin, while the poisonous properties of ergot, which often result in gangrene, are due to the sphacelie acid. The ergotic acid is a gime side which has narcotic properties and diminishes and finally stops reflex excitability. Ergot is usually administered as a fluid extract of er gotin, which is made in various ways, as a wine of ergot. etc., and, as already stated, when used in considerable quantities is poisonous.