BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 379 
Lard is a soft, greasy, white substance, hav- 
ing a specific gravity of 0.94, readily melting at 
95° F., and when pure has little odor, but a de- 
cided fleshy taste. Lard contains about 60 per 
cent. of o/etn, with a combination of stearin and 
palmitin. Gum benzoin is added to lard to pre- 
serve it from rancidity, also to form the officinal 
adeps benzoatus of the Pharmacopceia. 
Lard enters into combination with wax, oil, 
and spermaceti to form the officinal ointments 
and cerates. The word lard is derived from the 
French, /ard, and the Latin, /ardum; whilst the 
word hog is derived from the Welsh, kwoch, a 
swine, or from the Breton, hoch, from houcha, 
to grunt, etc. 
Ambra Grisea, Ambergris.—This substance 
is found floating on the sea in the vicinity of the 
East Indian Islands; also on the coasts of Bra- 
zil, China, Japan, and America. Ambergris is » 
said to be found in the stomachs of most vora- 
cious fishes, but it is described as a morbid ex- 
cretion of the physeter macrocephalus (sperma- 
ceti whale), class Mammalia, and order Cetacea. 
Most of the authorities on the subject assert 
that it is only found in the intestines of sickly 
fish. Some authors of equal authority affirm 
that ambergris is of vegetable origin, and some- 
what similar, or rather, analogous, to amber; 
hence the name—ambergris, gray amber. This 
substance is found on the bosom of the ocean in 
various-sized pieces, varying from a few ounces 
to several pounds; it is also found in small 
pieces in the intestines and stomachs of the 
various large fishes. In appearance amber- 
gris is of a gray or brownish-gray color, dot- 
