1818.] their Combinations with Alkalies. 197 



maceti both in its pure and in its saponified state. They differ 

 materially in their boiling point, in their solubility in alcohol, 

 and in their capacity of saturation with potash. 



We next proceed to the third part of the memoir, an account 

 of the fatty matter occasionally formed in dead bodies. We 

 have an examination of the substances which are united to the 

 fatty matter, and afterwards an analysis of the fatty matter 

 itself. The fatty matter was first acted upon by alcohol, and 

 afterwards the residue, insoluble in alcohol, was boiled with water. 

 The water removed small portions of lactic acid, lactate of lime, 

 lactate of potash, a yellow colouring matter, and an azotated 

 matter. The substance which was insoluble in water was then 

 treated with muriatic acid, . and the fluid was saturated with 

 ammonia, when phosphate of lime and magnesia, and oxide of 

 iron were deposited : by the addition of carbonate of ammonia, 

 carbonate of lime w T as deposited. The part which was insoluble 

 m muriatic acid was again treated with boiling alcohol, by which 

 nearly the whole of it was now dissolved, except a small quan- 

 tity of an azotated matter and some extraneous substances. 



That part of the fatty matter which had been deposited from 

 boiling alcohol was then examined; it melted at 175°; by pro- 

 longing the fusion, ammonia was disengaged, and the substance 

 was rendered more fusible. The substance was decomposed by 

 muriatic acid ; and from the result of the process, we learn that 

 it consisted of a peculiar fatty matter, to be afterwards more 

 particularly examined, ammonia, potash, and a minute quantity 

 of lime which were combined with it. The alcohol itself was 

 then examined, when by gradually evaporating it, two distinct 

 substances were separated from it, which differed a little in 

 their melting point and other properties, chemical and physical. 

 A portion of ammonia, together with lactic acid and some other 

 substances in small quantities, were detected in the fluid. The 

 author's general conclusion respecting the fatty matter of dead 

 bodies is that, even after the lactic acid, the lactates, and other 

 ingredients which are less essential, are removed from it, it is 

 not a simple, ammoniacal soap, but a combination of various 

 fatty substances with ammonia, potash, and lime. The fatty 

 substances which were separated from alcohol, as has been 

 remarked above, had different melting points and different 

 sensible properties. It follows from M. Chevreul's experiments, 

 that the substance which is the least fusible has more affinity 

 for bases than those which are more so. It is observed that 

 adipooire possesses the characters of a saponified fat; it is 

 soluble in boiling alcohol in all proportions, reddens litmus, and 

 unites readily to potash, not only without losing its weight, but 

 without having its fusibility or other properties changed. 



As adipocire appears to exist in different states, or as the 

 same term lids been applied to substances possessed of different 

 properties, the author examined the action of potash upon 



