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| Hpathy Ezine - May 2005 | ||||
SECALE COR : A NEW LOOK-- Dr. Kulwant Singh |
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INTRODUCTION COMMON NAME : ERGOT OR RYE , SPURRED RYE Ergot appears as black grain size fungal structures. In late spring, these ergots germinate and form tiny spore producing mushroom like structures. Infectious spores are carried by wind currents to the host during the flowering stage. Infection of the cereal flowers may produce a secondary phase called Honeydew. Honeydew is a shiny sticky liquid that oozes from infected flowers and contains large numbers of ergot spores. The spores spread to adjacent flowers and heads by insects and rain splash particularly to the open flowers of rye. Ergot that germinates in June can infect early flowering weed grasses, which produce honeydew when cereals are flowering. It gives out a sickening heavy smell. Its colour is externally purplish black. Internally it is pinkish white. It has a nauseous and slightly acrid taste. After an overdose of ergot or medications derived from ergot or from eating flour milled from ergot infected rye, humans and livestock may develop Ergotism, a condition sometimes called as St. Anthony’s Fire. The symptoms include Convulsions, Miscarriages and Dry Gangrene and may be Death. It contains the crystalline alkaloid Ergotamine, Ergotinine and the amorphous alkaloid Ergotoxine. Dr. Stearns of Waterford, New York introduced it in 1807 as a substance, which he had used for several years to expedite lingering labors when pains had subsided and were incomplete to expel the foetus. It is justly regarded as unfortunate if the labor does not come to an end soon after the administration of the Ergot, since if it be delayed there is reason to believe that the child will be poisoned by it. “These poisonous effects are said to be due to the oil of the Ergot, which if given alone to a parturient woman, does not cause contraction of the uterus, but does poison the foetus. Whereas on the other hand the Ergot, deprived of its oil, acts on the uterus, but does not poison the foetus. This phenomenon has not been explained as yet....“(Dr. Carol Dunham) Ergot is the common name given to the sclerotium formed by that fungus. The sclerotium is the fungal mass that replaces the seed of the plane, it may have somewhat the same general configuration as the seed but is a larger, dark colored and hard. One of the most famous derivatives of ergot was lysergic acid. In 1938, two Swiss researchers, Hofmann and Stoll, derived d-lysergic acid diethymanide (LSD). It was thought to be relatively uninteresting until Hofmann accidentally ingested a small quantity of the drug. He was the first person to go on an “acid trip”. LSD is the most famous psychotomimetic drug and was used widely in North America and Europe through the 70’s. After ingesting LSD, the user will experience optical changes, inability to concentrate, phases of uncontrollable laughter, anxiousness and the quite typical experience of the subject standing outside of the body watching these events. Senses are also enhanced. The “trip” lasts for about 8 hours with a state of self-centeredness that lasts for an additional 5 hours. The first major outbreak of dancing mania was in Aix-la-chapelle in July of 1374. A group of people was seen to dance uncontrollably in the streets, foaming at the mouth and screaming of wild visions. They kept on dancing until they collapsed from exhaustion, but even then they flailed about in agony until forcefully restrained. The dancing caught on, and spread rapidly throughout France and the Low Countries. The dancing mania, especially as described in Aix-la-Chapelle, may have had a physical hypotheses, that the manic dancers (at least some of them) were victims of ergot poisoning, or ergotiism. Ergotism, which was known in the Middle Ages as “St. Anthony’s Fire”, is a toxic condition in humans and animals which inadvertently eat rye and other grasses parasitized by Claviceps purpurea (ergot). Ergot has been widely used for many centuries for a number of different purposes ranging from its medical uses to its recreational drug uses. It has also been the cause of great many epidemics across Europe from the early 10th to the late 19th century. Knowledge of this fungus has increased throughout the years, however further research into the alkaloid derivatives may still produce beneficial medical uses. PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION This is a medicine for which no human proving has been done due to its toxicity. The pathogenesis and symptomatology has been derived from its effect on human race accidentally, by its effect on cattle, lower animals and some proving on lower animals. There were so many epidemics of ergotism, due to which the symptoms have been recorded and have been confirmed in clinical practice. In almost every branch of medicine it has been used for contractions during birth, dilation of veins, decreasing blood pressure and treatment of migraines etc. Since ancient times it was known to produce ergotism which then was divided into two main groups, i.e., Gangrenous ergotism and Convulsive ergotism and another being Hallucinogenic ergotism.( Dr. Peter J Burfening , Ph.D). In gangrenous bodily extremities turn black, dry and become mummified, making it possible for infected limbs to spontaneously break off at the joints. In convulsive ergotism there were epileptic form seizures, violent retching, tongue biting or unusual breathing patterns. This resulted in permanent nerve damage, deformity and long recovery period. In hallucinogenic ergotism , there were vivid hallucinations, nervousness, jerky movements, persons used to perform strange dances with wild movements, hopping, leaping and screaming until exhausted which often lead to unconsciousness. Dr. Willard Ide Pierce writes : “The chief interest in the action of ergot centers about its power to produce tonic contractions of involuntary muscle fiber; the arterioles are violently and persistently contracted, causing dry coldness of the surface and even gangrene of the lower extremities, and we have records of terrible epidemics of what are now believed to have been due to ergotism; that have devastated sections of Europe from the ninth to the last century (1089 – 1816). Depending on observations for years together the action of Secale Cor on different parts of the body can be described as follows:- CEREBRO SPINAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: Muscular Cramps, Epilepsy There is involuntary twitching in various group of muscles, e.g., in the tongue and extremities. They soon pass into continuous contractions, which specifically affect the flexors, so that the arm remains fixed in a bent position. When the contractions pass off, a state of exhaustion remains. But soon the painful convulsion returns and makes the patient moan and groan continuously. The contractions come in simultaneously in various group of muscles, like face, extremities, digestive tract , uro-genital system etc. CIRCULATION AND VASCULAR SYSTEM: Arterial contraction , venous dilatation It has unquestionable effect on the pulse and reduces it. This has been confirmed by so many researchers. The amount of reduction varies from 10-35 beats per minutes. The chief effect of ergot is upon arteries and veins. It contracts the arteries first and on the other hand there is a dilatation of veins. The result is diminished quantity of blood in arteries and corresponding increase in the contents of the veins. This was studied in frogs and rabbits by Dr. Wernich, Dr. Holmes and was micrometrically measured by Dr. Briesemann. Dr. Wernich sees in the dilatation of the veins the primary, in the contraction of the arteries and the action of the heart the secondary symptoms. The arteries therefore, collapse from want of sufficient quantity of blood, the action of the heart. UTERUS: Viloent Uterine contraction, abortifacient, haemoorragic tendancy INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ON FOETUS: In fact if the cervix is not dilated and ergot is administered, due to contraction of uterus gives pressure on the child which may cause of the death. According to Dr. Meigs it should be employed at the moment of, or just before, the birth of the child, in order to secure a good contraction of the womb in women who are known to be subject to hemorrhage. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Increased peristalsis, diarrhea, vomiting In Dr. Wright’s experiments, the intestines were found in very active peristalsis at the post-mortem examination of the poisoned animals. In rabbits it also produced very violent peristalsis. It produced involuntary stools, which may be its affect on the sphincter muscles of anus and bladder. SKIN: (Gangrenous ergotism): Diaphoresis, Gangrene, Purpura, Coldness of Skin
TEMPERATURE: Lowers down the temperature, hence there is coldness of the skin. It may come down by 4-5 degrees. It is the result of its action on the heart and vascular system. |
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Ergot is a fungus, from family Clavicepitaceae, botanical name being
Claviceps purpura. Secale Cor is made from the plant
Rye infected by Claviceps. Rye is a grass that was
first cultivated rather late in human history, perhaps as recently
as 2000 to 3000 years ago. It is still grown extensively in northern
Europe and Asia. It lacks the proteins that make wheat suitable
for living, and rye bread is denser and usually darker than the
wheat bread, hence called Black Bread. 
Ergot
has had several uses in the field of medicine. There are reports
as far back as 1582 of European and Chinese midwives using it to
reduce hemorrhage following childbirth. It has also been used to
induce abortions. Two of the alkaloids of ergot, ergotoxine and
ergotamine have also been found to have medical uses. Ergotamine
and to a lesser extent ergotoxine, were found to be remarkable in
the treatment of migraine headaches. However both ergotamine and
ergotoxine cause gangrene with chronic use. It must therefore be
used only under strict medical supervision. 
It has a marked action on the brain and spinal cord. They are first
stimulated for a short time which is soon followed by paralysis.
This paralysis has often extended to the centres of respiration
and cardiac contraction; and in chronic poisoning the filaments
of sensory nerves are powerfully influenced. The first symptom of
this makes its appearance in the form of an ant creeping over the
skin. This formication continues during the whole course of sickness
and it is the last symptom which disappears. 
Dr. P. Eberty had done a study of ergot on heart and cardiac system.
He found that in a frog , the injection of ergotine caused a diastolic
arrest of the heart and that the viscous was unable respond at all
to stimuli. Although the heart is a profoundly affected in acute
poisoning by ergot, yet death is probably not due to this cause,
since Dr. Wright found that even though the heart after death was
quiet, it commenced to beat as soon as the congestion was relieved
by an incision, and continued to beat for a few minutes.
It produces violent contractions of uterus causing abortions. Through
the nerve centres of the brain and lumbar region of the spinal cord,
ergot has a powerful and fixed action upon the pregnant uterus.
It was proved by Dr. Schlesingher and Dr. Wernich, that, even in
the impregnated uterus of animals, movement take place under the
influence of ergotine. But those movements according to present
experience, these are not as primary effect of the poison, but as
secondary, and dependent on the arterial anemia produced by ergotine.
It might always be assumed that the influence of ergot upon the
movement of the uterus proceeds solely from an influence of the
poison upon the nerve centers of these movements in the lumbar region
of the cord and its higher situated parts, as well as in the brain.
The experiments of Dr. Schlesinger and Oser have proved that the
arterial anemia is to be regarded as the stimulating cause of the
movements of the uterus, and secondly, that the uterine contractions
are caused by excitement from the central organs. The abortions
produced by ergot are thus accounted for by its increasing uterine
contractions. The evidence of those who have used ergot for the
induction of premature labor in women tallies very closely with
that which is brought forward in regard to lower animals. Prof.
Ramsbotham states that he has a great number of trials and found
that expulsive action soon followed with very few exceptions.
There are instances that ergot administered in tedious and difficult,
slow labors has proved very destructive to the life of the child.
Dr. Moore of New York says “It appears to be injurious to the child
at all times; for, in every case in which I have seen it exhibited,
the child has been stillborn.” 
The most evident symptom
in the early stage of the action of ergot is retching, vomiting,
diarrhea and profuse salivary secretion which are consequences of
the action of the poison on the sensory nerves of the mucous membrane
of the alimentary canal, these are excitement, communicated to the
motor and secretory regions. 
