Analysis of Amhergris, 13S 



except ti small quantity of black matter, the liquor was fil- 

 tered still warjTi. It passed through clear; but by couling; 

 lliere was separated a light pale yellow substance, a part ot" 

 Avhich remained .attached to the sides oF tiie vessel. 



The first alcoholic tinctur/.' made cold, and that arising 

 from the matter precipitated, wei-c mixed, and evaporated to 

 liie consistence of extract : it was of a reddish y^'llow co- 

 lour, adhered to tlie fingers, had an agreeable odour and 

 a sweet taste. The evaporation was contuiued to drvness : 

 in this gtate the matter with a brilliant and transparent 

 aspect became soft between the fingers, and burnt in the 

 -same manner as resins, 



Tlic experiment was repeated, to establish in a more po- 

 «itivc manner the characters of these two substances. 



For this purpose the ambergris was left, as before, to 

 macerate in alcohol for twenty-four hours : it was then fil-r 

 ■tered, and a new quantity of alcohol was added to the re- 

 siduum ; the maceration was the same. This second 

 liquor was less coloured than the former. A third dose of 

 alcohol was poured over the undissolved part, but it was 

 scarcely coloured. This little action of the alcohol on the 

 residuum gave reason to believe that it was no longer so- 

 hible in that menstruum : but I soon was convinced of the 

 contrary. I heated the mixture, and the whole matter was 

 dissolved in a moment. Nothing remained but about four 

 grains of a black powder, which was oxide of carbon. The 

 lifjuor was filtered warm, and by cooling there was precis 

 pitated a whitish yellow glutinous matter, which was sepa-r 

 rated from the liquor. 



This experiment proves the possibility of separating by 

 the help of alcohryl three very distinct products : the first 

 joluljle cold, the second soluble warm, and the third inso->- 

 luble, which is separated in the fonn of dust. 



To establish the characters of the two first substances, the 

 alcoholic tincture made cold was evaporated to dryness. 

 There remained in the capsule 22 grains of a brown dry 

 matter, brilliant in the fracture, vmalterable in the air, and 

 Avhieh became soft in a gentle heat: fifteen degrees were 

 sufficient to give it a tenacious 'and glutinous consistence : 

 vhen placed on coals it was entirely volatilized. If this 

 experiment be made in a silver spoon, the volatilization is 

 etteeted with the same rapidity : it emits an aromatic odour, 

 ■and leaves no carbonaceous residuum. 



As I suspected that tliis substance might have some ana- 

 lofry w jlh the ie.-;ia extracted from the propolis by C. \ au- 



I 3 (juelm. 



