302 Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 
a portion of the salt, whose acid was fusible at 113° Fah., and 
secondly a portion whose acid was fusible at 132° Fah. : : this ae. 
portion, treated again six times with alcohol, gave ine an acid 4 
fusible at 131° Fah., and secondly an acid fusible at 122° Fah. ; 
from this I conclude that it is margaric and not stearic acid with 
“manifests itself in the saponification of spermaceti.” 
Chevreul gives the following analyses of the salts of this acid, 
to which I have affixed the atomic weight of the acid that oe 
indicates, and which differ considerably one from the other. 
Salt: Atomic wight 
Potash salt, i tae Ne 265.12 
Barytasalt, $A Det f 78 °° BM eS 
Strontia welt, Poe Dol gp oe 255.52 4 
Lead salt Acid, - = = 100.00 oe 
bibasic, ; ie acennies 262.40 
What was considered és = oleic acid, could not be entirely 
separated from the supposed margaric neta: and consequently it 
was impossible for Chevreul to study accurately its properties. 
The elementary oe of Monier according to Chevreul is ~ 
‘arbon, = a \ oll 
Hydrogen, ov BSNS Sh | Delesipien Sag 4 
Oxygen, sa aie ae ae 5.48 he 
100.00 
Dumas and Peligot, considering the base of spermaceti to bea © 
athal, and its acids margaric and oleic, have proposed the follow- — 4 
ing formal la. ; 
(2 ats. margarate ; 2 ats. salaried acid, ee aon y a 2 3 
3 of athal. 2 ats. athal, 2 a 
1 at. oleic acid (O...H, mee ae 
4 steeple TOO By mesg! ore” oF i al 3 
er ‘ 1 at. water, 5» 8 
_ The athal here mentioned as the base, is now considered as | 
con mposed of a substance called cetyl or ceten, and water. This 
y or Seo | is obtained from athal by the action of anhydrous 
Sp acid; it is a substance of an oily nature, and consists 
juiva ents of carbon and hydrogen. es 
