Ergots and LSD

[Roger McSharry]

In message Fri, 29 Sep 95 10:44:04 -0400,
  "Burgess, John" <jburgess at usia.gov>  writes:

> LSD, in its rye-ergot form, is a pretty natural drug, at least as natural
> as peyote or marijuana or amanita.  As a fungus of the rye plant -- which
> was a staple in the central/northern European diet --
> the opportunities for accidental injestion were rife.
>
  Ergotamine and ergonovine are highly toxic alkaloids which are naturally
  produced in the fungus Claviceps purpurea that grows on rye. Ingestion
  causes (besides hallucination/psychosis) severe gastrointestinal symptoms,
  muscle pain, ischemia of extremities, and coma.

  LSD has none of the life-endangering properties of this toxic class of
drugs. The closest `natural' analogue I'm aware of is the seeds of the
morning glory plant, which contains lysergic acid monoamine (vice the
diamine form in synthetic lysergic acid). Reports of those who've used this
natural form are devoid of the toxic side effects and much more akin to LSD
experience than the descriptions of ergot toxicity I've heard (personal
communication).

Roger