swell in the stomach, thus giving the sensation
of fullness, and they are slowly and only
partly digested.
Rye and LSD
In addition to its role as a food, rye has
also had an indirect influence on modern
medicine and recreational pharmacology.
The cool, moist climate in which rye does
well is also favorable for the growth of the
ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea). From
the 11th to the 16th centuries, ergot
contamination of rye flour was responsible
for frequent epidemics of what was called
Holy Fire or Saint Anthony’s Fire, a
disease with two sets of symptoms:
progressive gangrene, in which extremities
turned black, shrank, and dropped off; and
mental derangement. Occasional outbreaks
of ergot poisoning from contaminated flour
continued well into the 20th century.
Early in the 20th century, chemists