316 Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 
maceti ought properly to be classed with cholesterine and athal, 
although approaching nearer to the fats than either of these sub- 
stances ; and that both the athalic acid and athal resulting from 
the saponification, are simply products of decomposition, brought 
about by the action of an alkali, neither of them existing ready 
formed. 
The first reason for so believing, is based upon the extreme 
difficulty with which spermaceti is saponified, it requiring to be 
digested for a number of days ina strong solution of potash or 
soda, or to be fused with the same alkalies at a temperature of from 
212° to 220° Fah. before this change takes place. Now from the 
experiments of Dumas and others, it will be seen that the action of 
hydrated potash upon organic substances, at a temperature more 
or less elevated, is to decompose them, by changing their mole- 
cular arrangement, and that among the products formed, acids 
play the most’ conspicuous part; the atom of water in the alkali 
is often important in bringing about this change, by furnishing 
oxygen, hydrogen gas being evolved; but the action of this wa- 
ter appears to be but a secondary thing, and its influence is only 
felt where oxygen does not exist in suflicient quantity in the 
substance acted upon by the alkali, to furnish the products that 
are found with the quantity that they exact. 
The above would. appear to apply exactly to the case in ques 
tion. The spermaceti contains oxygen enough, which when 
combined with one half. of. its other elements, serves to give rise 
to an acid; it is quite possible that the action of the alkali, al- 
though not sufficiently strong at the temperature of 212° Fah. to 
determine the elements of the spermaceti, to appropriate the atom 
of water in the alkali to its complete conversion into athalic id 
(I say complete conversion into athalic acid, for it will be show? 
that the action of an alkali at a high temperature is to convert 
spermaceti entirely into athalic acid ;) still it is of sufficient en- 
ergy to disturb its atomic arrangement, most of its oxygen eae: 
bining with one half of the other elements, to form an acid which 
unites with the potash. ; 
_ It may be said, that if this explanation of the saponification 
of spermaceti be true, we should apply the same to the sapoD! 
cation of all fats, no longer considering them composed of acids 
rine, but. simply of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygets 1D. 
proportions.to form them. But there appears to me 
OL OL 
Bee St bare 
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