134 Analysis of Ambergris. 



quelin, I made some comparative experiments with it. The 

 tbllowing are the points in which they differ : 



1st, It fuses much more slowly, 



2d, It emits a thick odorous smoke, which in smell ap- 

 proaches near to that of honey. 



3d, It swells up, and leaves a very voluminous charcoal. 



In the last place, this first suhstance extracted from am- 

 bergris, which may be considered as a real resin, is soluble 

 in alcohol, and may be precipitated by water. This tinc- 

 ture reddens turnsole paper ; which still proves that the al- 

 cohol dissolves at the same time the benzoic acid previously 

 found, either by burning the amber under a bell, or in treat- 

 ing it with lime. 



Nothing now remains but to examine the product ob- 

 tained by alcohol warm, after the resin has been extracted 

 by maceration. 



I have already said that there is separated from the al- 

 cohol by cooling, a substance which deposits itself in part, 

 and which adheres to the sides of the vessel. 



When separated from the liquor and properly dried, it 

 remains light and somewhat voluminous; it breaks and 

 moulders under the pressure of the linger, but scon after 

 it extends itself and becomes soft by the heat : it has a la- 

 mcllated texture if left to cool slowly. 



It retains between its moleculfe. a little water and alcohol, 

 which arc separated by keeping this substance some time in 

 a state of fusion. When re-fused it is much less white than 

 before, and no longer possesses the oranulated texture it 

 exhibited. In a word, I have found in it all the properties 

 of adipo-cirn ; a substance which C. Fourcroy found in the 

 fat matter of dead bodies, and of which he described the 

 characters in a memoir printed in the eighth volume of the 

 Annules de Clinnie. 



Recapitulation. 



It appears, then, that we may conclude from these expe- 

 riments : 



1st, That ambergris is a compound svibstance which 

 burns and is entirely volatitlized. 



2d, 7'hat when distilled alone there is obtained from it a 

 ]i(juor slightly acid, and an oil partly soluble in alcohol and 

 of an empvreumatic odour. 



3d, That by sublimation, or the process of Seheele, ben- 

 zoic acid is extracted from it. 



4th, That water has no action on this substance. 



5th, That 



