A naturally occurring alkaloid compound found in ergot fungus that causes the uterus to contract, historically used in childbirth and now used medically to control bleeding.
From 'ergot' plus the chemical suffix '-ine'. First isolated from ergot in the 1930s, the name reflects its origin in the ergot fungus and its effects on the female reproductive system.
Ergonovine saved countless mothers' lives by stopping dangerous bleeding after childbirth, but it comes from a fungus that once poisoned entire medieval villages—the same fungus that inspired witch-hunt hysteria.
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