ergotine

A pharmacist carefully measures a dose of ergotine from a small bottle.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specific alkaloid: "ergotine" refers to a particular alkaloid derived from ergot, a fungus that infects certain grains, especially rye. It is historically used in medicine to induce uterine contractions and control bleeding, particularly during childbirth.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor administered ergotine to manage postpartum hemorrhage. (The alkaloid was used to stop bleeding after childbirth.)
  • Ergotine was once a common treatment in obstetrics. (The substance was widely used in childbirth medicine.)

Advanced Usage

• "Ergotine in pharmacology": Refers to the compound's role in traditional and early modern medicine.

  • Ergotine's vasoconstrictive properties made it useful for treating migraines. (The alkaloid narrows blood vessels, which can relieve headache pain.)

• "Ergotine poisoning": Overdose or contamination can lead to ergotism, a condition causing hallucinations and gangrene.

  • Ergotine poisoning from contaminated rye bread caused the medieval disease known as St. Anthony's Fire. (Excessive ergot alkaloids led to severe health crises.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ergot (n): the fungus Claviceps purpurea from which ergotine is derived.

  • Ergot grows on rye and other grains. (The fungus infects cereal crops.)

• Ergotism (n): poisoning caused by consuming ergot alkaloids.

  • Ergotism can cause convulsions and tissue death. (The condition results from toxic levels of ergot compounds.)

Synonyms

• Alkaloid: a class of nitrogen-containing organic compounds with physiological effects.
• Oxytocic: a substance that stimulates uterine contractions (ergotine has oxytocic properties).

Related Idioms

• No common idioms: "ergotine" is a specialized medical term and does not appear in idiomatic expressions.