Secale

Ergot / Spurred rye

Secale cornutum

Ergot is produced by a fungus that grows on rye and other cereals. It has several alkaloids with medicinal and poisonous effects. Outbreaks of ergot poisoning (caused by eating contaminated flour) occurred as far back as AD 857. Symptoms include a sensation of ants crawling on the skin, delirium, severe burning, gangrene, convulsions, and uterine spasms. Today, ergot is used in a medication that controls blood loss following childbirth or miscarriage.

Parts Used

Immature ergot collected before the grain is harvested.

Uses

This remedy is used for circulatory disorders, in which the muscle fibers of the arteries constrict to cause spasms. This leads to severe blanching and coldness of the extremities with numbness, similar to Raynaud's syndrome, intermittent cramp in the calf muscles, and, in severe cases, gangrene. Typical symptoms include skin that feels ice-cold to the touch but with an internal sensation of burning heat.

The remedy is also given to treat constriction of the muscle fibers in the uterus, resulting in pain and hemorrhage. Symptoms include menstrual cramps with irregular, dark, copious bleeding and continuous oozing of watery blood until the next menstrual period. Other symptoms treated include weak contractions in labor.

Source

A fungus that grows on rye grains and other cereals that grow in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the US.