A companion to the United States pharmacopia; . ne-eighth inch thick. The grains are nearly triangular, somewhat curved, marked lengthwise by three grooves, of which the one on the inner side of the curve is the most distinct. The grains are thickest about the middle, tapering toward both ends, which are blunt. On the outside they are of a very dark purplish color, with a slight coating of a cloudy Fig 243 — bluish bloom. They should be full, firm, and somewhat Ergot, natural elastic, but are easily broken. The broken surface is even, whitish toward the center, but has, in a good drug, a pinki
A companion to the United States pharmacopia; . ne-eighth inch thick. The grains are nearly triangular, somewhat curved, marked lengthwise by three grooves, of which the one on the inner side of the curve is the most distinct. The grains are thickest about the middle, tapering toward both ends, which are blunt. On the outside they are of a very dark purplish color, with a slight coating of a cloudy Fig 243 — bluish bloom. They should be full, firm, and somewhat Ergot, natural elastic, but are easily broken. The broken surface is even, whitish toward the center, but has, in a good drug, a pinkish tint increasing toward the circumference. Sometimes the grains are transversely superficially cracked. The drug has a peculiar, offensive, rancid, heavy odor ; and a fatty, mawkish, disagreeable taste. The strong odor developed when ergot is triturated with solution of potassa reminds of herring brine, and is probably due to trimethylamine. The ergot grains are very close and tough, not easily penetrated by water, and difficult to UNITED STATES PHAKMACOPCEIA 427 This drug is frequently attacked by mites. To prevent this, and topreserve its medicinal activity, it should be carefully dried at not above50° C. (122° F.) before putting it away, and is best kept in well-coveredtin cans. It is also advisable to put a few drops of chloroform in withit. The stock must be renewed every year. It is collected in August. Powdered ergot soon loses its medicinal activity, and should there-fore never be kept in stock except for a very brief period. Best is topowder it in an iron mortar. Much broken, small, lean, unclean, worm-eaten, mouldy, or too hardand dry ergot is totally unfit for use ; also a drug having an ammo-niacal odor, or one having no odor at all. Constituents.—Two alkaloids—ecbolina ( per cent.), and ergo-Una ( per cent.)—have been described as isolated from ergot. Theformer has been stated to be much more active medicinally than thelatter, which is
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1884
