Ergotoxine and some other constituents of ergot : by George Barger and H.H. Dale.

  • George Barger
Date:
[1907?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ergotoxine and some other constituents of ergot : by George Barger and H.H. Dale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/64 (page 270)
    effect of ergotoxine, is the connection, suggested by Ehlers, between ergot and the disease described by Weir ATtchell as erythromelalgia, in which vaso-motor paralysis in the extremities is the most prominent symptom. The Relation of Ergotoxine to Other Ergot Alkaloids (a) Hydro-Ergotinine In a private communication to us, Herr Kraft states his agree¬ ment with our conclusion that the alkaloid which he described as hydro-ergotinine is identical with our ergotoxine. (b) Ergotinine] As Tanret’s crystalline ergotinine was the first well-defined alkaloid in ergot, it was, not unnaturally, assumed by its discoverer to be the active principle. Experiments on animals, made in France, to some extent seemed to support this view. Since Tanret, how¬ ever, applied the name ‘ ergotinine ’ also to the amorphous mixture which contains the highly active ‘ ergotoxine,’ it is obvious that no weight can be attached to experiments of which it is not definitely stated that the specimen used was wholly crystalline. On this ground the clinical results of Chahbazian, and the more recent physiological experiments of Plumier, must be set aside. On the other hand, Kobert, who used a pure specimen, consisting of ‘ very beautiful white needles,’ prepared by Tanret himself, found only a trace of doubtful activity, 10 to 100 mgms. being without effect on frogs, while similar doses caused only a trifling rise of blood-pressure in mammals, without convulsions or other symptoms. Similarly Meulenhoff concluded that the activity of the crystalline ergotinine represented only a very small part of that of the ergot containing it. The results of our own experiments point in the same direction. We have examined commercial specimens of ergotinine obtained from two well-known German firms. The specimens were described r. Tanret distinguishes amorphous and crystalline ergotinine. It will be seen that we regard the so-called amorphous ergotinine as chemically different from the crystalline and as, in any case, impure. When, therefore, we use the term ‘ergotinine’ without qualification we mean the pure, crystalline alkaloid.