USEFUL WAR WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 126, 24 November 1941, Page 9

USEFUL WAR WORK

COLLECTION OF ERGOT

AN URGENT DEMAND

MUCH OF IT ABOUT

CITY

About this time last year an appeal was made that everyone who could should assist, during December and January, in the collection of ergot, from which is extracted a drug essential for war surgery. The appeal wfts given wide publicity and should have been followed by wide results, for what « was proposed was practical, necessary war wOrk. In fact, the result was pitiful, for from the whole of the country a parcel of a few pounds only was made up; and Britain had asked for tons. The need this year is still greater: Britain will take every ounce, pound, and ton of ergot that can be sent from New Zealand. Last year's collection failed because the appeal was not followed by the not difficult or elaborate group organisation to ensure collection as well as first individual enthusiasm. What was everybody's job was nobody's job. The ergot went to waste. What was Wellington's contribution to tho very small parcel gathered last year is not known, but it was alto-' gether inadequate. Something much better must be done this summer, for there will be any amount of ergot on the hills, waste lands, and railway sidings in the Wellington suburban and Hutt Valley areas and on seaside sand dunes. Ergot develops in the seed heads of a number of grasses and grains as a result of a fungoid disease, but from this diseased seed chemistry extracts a drug of extreme value for the treatment of war wounds, particularly in the stopping of bleeding. The value of ergot depends upon its alkaloid content, and though ergots develop on many seed heads only two of those commonly found in New Zealand have the right alkaloid content. These are the ergots which will be found next month and into January and February on the seed heads of tall fescue, a common waste land grass, and marram grass, at the seaside. other Supplies stopped. The collection is not beyond / the [ capacity of anyone. It must be made j successful because supplies from Central Europe, Hungary, Rumania, Spain,! and Russia are not available to Britain and the need is far greater than when European supplies could be had. Later, as the collecting season is reached, descriptions of the grasses and the ergots and methods of collection and separation will be given. Samples will be on display in various shop windows and will be shown at schools before they rise for the holidays. Places where ergot is plentiful will be named. The Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture will give full particulars and advice to those who will help. The price to be paid will depend upon quality, from. 6d an ounce down to 3d an" ounce for poorer stuff. There is good pocket money in it for children on holiday. Some organisations take the attitude that the collection should be. a patriotic duty, but on whatever, basis the collection is undertaken something more than last year's poor result must be obtained. It was suggested today that such bodies as those which follow should discuss at once organised collection within their groups so that some of the many tons which Britain urgently needs will come from the Wellington city and surrounding country districts: All schools, Boy Scouts, Boys' Brigade, church and other boys' and girls' clubs, camping clubs. Women's War Service Auxiliary, Women's Division of the Farmers' Union, Women's Institutes, in fact, all associations whose members and friends can be interested, and kept interested, in an anything but arduous, but necessary practical war work. The Girl Guides are a'ready making their plans.