er'got

The sclerotium of Claviceps purpure a, growing on and replacing the grain of rye, Secale cereale. The chemistry of e. presents many difficulties, and it has been the subject of much dispute, but it appears that ergot contains at least two alkaloids: amorphous ergot in in, having crystalline salts, and crystalline ergot in in, having amorphous salts; the lat- 312 ter alkaloid being concerned in the action of e. on blood pre ure. E. also contains tyramin, the action of which resembles that of epinephrin, and another amin which is present in small amount and is probably not concerned in the therapeutic action of the drug. It is impo ible to give all the terms which have been applied by different investigators to the various substances found in e., the same name having been given to different substances and the same substances having received different names, owing to the difficulty of isolating the various principles in a fair degree of purity. E. is used therapeutically for its action on the uterus, whereby the organ is thrown into tonic contraction, after the delivery of the placenta, or, le frequently, to induce peristaltic contraction to facilitate the expulsion of the fetus [U. S. Ph., Br. Ph.]. List of poisons and their antidotes, see in appendix, page 938. e. of maize. The sclerotium of Ustilago maid is, growing on and replacing the grain of Zea maiz; corn smut. It excites uterine contraction of shorter duration than that caused by e. of rye. It is said to produce abortion in cows. e. of oats. A variety, slenderer than e. of rye, occurring in commerce either by itself or mixed with e. of rye. Said to act on the uterus as energetically as e. of rye. e. of rice. E. produced on the grains of rice by a fungus identical with Claviceps purpure a; used in the East Indies as a substitute for e. of rye. e. of rye. See ergot, sugar of e. See trehalose. [Lat., erg ota.'\(er-go'tah). See ergot. _ ext racer got a tum ergotae. A hydro-alcoholic extract of ergot, obtained after precipitating with hydrochloric acid [U. S. Ph.]. The Br. Ph. directs alcohol for the exhaustion of the drug. This extract represents, probably, only a part of the activities of ergot [U. S. Ph.], extractum ergotae fluidum [U. S. Ph.]. extractum ergotae liquidum [Br. Ph.]. A fluidextract of ergot. It undergoes rapid deterioration, especially when exposed to the air. extractum ergotae purificatum. Purified extract of ergot. extractum secalis cornutum, extractum ergot i. Bon jean's ergot in; an aqueous extract of ergot, purified by alcohol. tufusum ergotae. An infusion of ergot [Br. Ph.]. vinum ergotae. A mixture of 20 per cent, of fluidextract of ergot with 80 per cent, of white wine and alcohol [U. S. Ph.].