SEPIA, OR CUTTLE FISH. 35 



their search, — Now it is to an examination of this peculiar 

 liquor or sepia, supposed by Rondelet to be the ^bile of the 

 cuttle fish, that I beg leave to call the attention of the reader ; 

 premising, however, that the sepia which I used was taken 

 immediately from the fish, as no dependence can be placed on 

 that which is exposed for sale, which is probably mixed with 

 gum arabic, or some other foreign ingredient. 



The sepia, when fresh, is a black glary liquid of a viscid Properties of 

 consistence, a peculiar fishy smell and very little taste. p a " 



Being subjected to experiment it afforded the following 

 results. 



l.'It mixed readily with distilled water in any proportion, it mixes with 

 and shewed little or no disposition to subside after standing water, 

 many hours : when the mixture was submitted to filtration, a 

 considerable quantity of sepia was left behind, and what passed 

 the filter was a thin black liquid, being a saturated solution of 

 sepia in water. 



2. Being poured into alcohol it coagulated immediately. Coagulates 



3. The same effect was produced by mixing it with ether. and with ether 



4. Alcalies appeared to facilitate the solution of sepia in Alcalies assist 

 aqueous menstruum ; Potash changing its colour to a brown, its solution, 

 but ammonia not affecting it, after, however, it had undergone 

 spontaneous evaporation to dryness, it became sparingly soluble 



in solutions of pure fixed and volatile alcali, but its colour re- 

 mained unaltered by either. 



5. When some of the saturated solution of sepia was boiled r * coagulates 



the sepia coagulated. b ? boi,in S if 



1 a saturated, 



6. But when a very weak solution of it was boiled, coagula- but not if 

 tion did not take place. weak. 



7. The sepia which was precipitated from its solution by The last coagu- 

 boiling, was soluble in nitric acid when assisted by heat. in'hot STtu 



8. After separating by filtration the sepia coagulated by The clear 



boiling, fiom the water in which it had been dissolved, a pre- "'quor of No. 

 ... ........ /- 1, 5, was precip. 



cipitate was obtameo by dropping in tinct. of galls. hv galls 



9. A light brown precipitate was also obtained by adding a and also by ox. 

 solution of oxymuriate of mercury to another quantity of. the 



water. 



10. The sulphuric, nitric, and muriatic acid precipitated the Sol of sepia ig 



sepia from- its solution in water.- The sulphuric and muriatic P eci P- by 



acids, 



D % did 



