120

THE ALKALOIDS OF ERGOT

that, when assayed as directed, 1 gram shall be equivalent to not less

than 0.5 mg of the U.S.P. Ergotoxine ethanesulfonate Reference Stand-

ard. It contains not more than 6% of moisture, and not more than 4%

of seeds, fruits, and other foreign organic matter."

Ergot is a fungus which infects many plants in the family Gramineae

or Cyperaceae, where it takes the place of the grains or fruits, but it is

most frequently found in rye, Secale cereale. Ergot-like formations have

been found on wild rice, wild rye, oats, wheat, and a number of other

plants. The fungus undergoes three distinct changes.

The spores are transmitted to the young ovaries of rye in the late

spring or early summer. They germinate, and their hyphae finally

envelop and destroy the whole ovary, in whose place is now found a

hard, compact pseudoparenchyma. This purplish or violet curved

body, which is found instead of the grain, represents the sclerotial or

resting stage of the fungus, and it is this material which is the medici-

nally useful ergot. That ergot, which falls to the ground, germinates in

the following spring, and grows small stalks terminated by ascocarps

or stromata, which eventually grows the ascospores. These spores are

transmitted to the grain by air currents or insects and are ready to

start a new cycle.

Ergot, although it resembles grain, has nothing in common with it.

It is dark purplish on the outside with an almost white interior. It is

made up of large, somewhat oily cells, almost free of starch. A full

description of the drug will be found in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia (8th

Edition).

The artificial infection of rye and wheat has been performed success-

fully with conidiospores, which were obtained from ascospores grown

in an artificial medium.36 Ergot is now produced commercially in

Minnesota.36 It is usually collected prior to harvesting. No relation

has been established between the size of the grain and its content of

"ergotoxine." 37 Much ergot is imported from Europe.

MANUFACTURING METHODS

The manufacture of the ergot alkaloids on a large scale presents cer-

tain difficulties, which are due to a variety of causes. Not only does

the alkaloid content of crude ergot vary from species to species, but also

different lots from the same species sometimes seem to vary in their

content. This variation may be due to differences in the soil, in the

climate, or in the time of harvesting, the manner of drying, etc. The

second difficulty is due to the fact that most of the industrially suc-

cessful methods of manufacture are protected by patents. The following

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