

CHEMISTRY. 



( ., tor. 



: .soluble in water, but soluble in alcohol ; 

 : itcs it from that liijiml. 



:ththcm acorn- 



m* P'" : -' s been i soap. Acids, 



oil both from water 

 ut if they be concen- 

 vi J. 



. nice is found floating on 



the s, -ts of India, Africa, and Branl, usual. 



IT in rrrw!l pieces, but sometimes in mascs of fifty or one 

 ):.: :nds weight. Various opinions have been 



It origin. Some affirmed that it 

 ;. juice of a tree ; others thought it a bi- 

 tuuii !iidered as prett)' well establish- 



td, that it is a-concretion formed in the stomach or in- 

 -s of the pli i/scIf r niacrocep/ialus, or spermaceti 

 whale. See .' us. 



Ambeigris when pure, is a light soft substance which 

 Its specific cravity varies from 0.78 to 

 according to Brisson. Bouillon La Grange, who 

 has lately published an analysis of it, found its specific 

 gravity from 0.84-9 -to 0.8 it. Its colour is ash grey, 

 vi;h brownish -yellow and white streak 5 . It has an agree- 

 able smell, which improves by keeping. Its taste is in- 

 sipid. 



According to Bouillon La Grange, it is composed of 



52.7 adipocirc. 



30.8 resin. 



1 1.1 benzoic acid. 

 5.1 charcoal. 



100.0 



3. Cattor. This substance is obtained from the bra- 

 ver. In each of the inguinal regions of that animal there 

 are two bags, a large and a small. The large one con- 

 tains the true castor ; the small one a substance which 

 has s< me resemblance to it, but which is in much less 

 estimation. We are indebted to Bouillon La Grange 

 for a set of experiments on it. 



(_ . tor is of a yellow colour, and when newly taken 

 ffom the animal it is nearly fluid. But by exposure to 

 the atmosphere i; gradually hardens, becomes darker co- 

 loured, and assumes a resinous appearance. Its taste is 

 fitter and acrid, and its odour strong and aromatic. 



From the analysis of Bouillon La Grange, we learn 

 lhat castor contains the following ingredients : 



1. Carbonate of potash. 



2. Carbonate of lime. 



3. Carbonate of ammonia. 

 4-. Iron. 



;'>. Resin. 



6. A mucilaginous extractive matter. 



7. A volatile oil. 



The properties of the resin are analogous to those of the 

 resin of bile. 



SECT. IX. Of Acids. 



The acids which have been discovered ready formed, 

 and constituting a part of animal bodies, arc the follow- 

 ing : 



1. Phosphoric, 7. Rosacic. 



'2. Sulphuric. 8. Amniotic. 



3. Muriatic. 9. Oxalic. 



4. Carbonic. 10. Formic. 



5. B; . zoic. 1 1. Ac.- ic. 

 'W. 12. Malic. 



^hophoric, . 1 The phosphoric acid it by far the most abundant 

 of all the acid* found in animals. Combined with luiic, 



found in 

 animals, 

 viz. 



it conititutcs the basis of bone ; and t' ' 



lime is found in the muscles, and aim >st all the <"!id part - 

 of animab ; neither are there many of th fluids from , 

 which it is absent. In the blood, phosphoric :;c . 

 found combined with oxide of iron ; and in the uii 

 cxistu in excess, holding phosphate of lime in solu- 

 tion. 



2. Sulphuric acid can scarcely he consi.Vrvd" as acorn- Sulr-' 

 ponent part of any of the substnnc-s brl < the 



human body. It is said, -.;:* in 



urine combined with soda. It'i<, however, a very com- 

 mon constituent of the liqi vrior ani- 

 mals. Thus sulphate of b ' i:i the liquor of 

 the amnios of cows, and stilphi.tc ct' lin-.c occurs usually 

 in the urine of quadrup- 



3. Muriatic acid occurs in mcst of thj fluid animal Mu: 

 substances, and is almost alv. :. o combined with soda, 

 constituting common salt. 



4. Carbonic acid has been d 1 in fresh human j'.-irboniej 

 urine by Proust, and it oiv , and 



cows abundantly, partly combined with lime. 



5. Benzoic ncid was iiiit i!i cov< -r.-J in human urine Benzoin, 

 by Schrele ; and Fourcroy and Vauquel-ii havo fov:nd it 

 abundantly in the urine of cows. PrOUM Kis detected 



it in the blood, the albumen of an ei;g, i '<. ;ui.l 



wool, in the sponge, different species of i.!^*, and even 

 in mushrooms. 



6. Uric or lithic acid was discovered by Schrd>' in uric, 

 1776. It is the most common constituent of urinary 

 calculi, and exists al<o in human urine 1 . Tliat spec 

 calculus which resembles \viod in its colour z:id appear- 

 ar.ce, is composed entirely of this s-u^stance. It was cal- 

 led at first lithic acid ; but this name, in consequence of 



the remarks made by Dr Pearson on its impropriety, 

 has been laid aside, and that of uric acid substituted in 

 its place. 



7. Rosacic. During intermittent fevers, urine depo- Rosacic, 

 sites a very copious precipitate, which has been long 

 known to physicians under the name of luleritious sedi- 

 ment. This sediment always makes its appearance at the 



crisis of fevers. In gouty people, the same sediment ap- 

 pears in equal abundance- towards the end of a paroxjsm 

 of the disease; and if this sediment suddenly disappears 

 after it has begun to be deposited, a fresh attack may 

 be expected. Scheele considered this sediment as uric 

 acid mixed with some phosphate of lime ; and the same 

 opinion has been entertained by other chemists ; but 

 I'roust affirms, that it consists chiefly of a different ub- 

 i tuner, to which he has given the name of rosacic acid 

 from its colour, mixed with a certain proportion of uric 

 acid and phosphate of lime. This rosacic acid, he inform* 

 us, is distinguished from the uric by the facility with 

 which it dissolves in hot water, the violet precipitate 

 which it occasions in muriate of gold, and by the little 

 tendency which it has to crystallize. The experiments 

 of Proust have lately been confirmed by those of Vauque- 

 lin. 



8. Amniotic acid has been lately discovered by Vauque- 

 lin and Buniva in the liquor of the amnios of the cow, 

 and may be obtained in white crystals, by evaporating 

 that liquid slowly. Hence they have j;iven it the name 

 of anmiotic acid. It is of a white and brilliant colour ; 

 its taste has a very slight degree of sourness ; it reddens 

 the tincture of turnsole ; it is scarcely soluble in cold 

 water, but very readily in hot wat< r, from ivhich it sepa- 

 rates in I ng needles as the solution cools. It is soluble 

 also in alcohol, especially when assisted by heat. 



!i Ox die acid ha* hitherto been found only in a few 

 urinary calculi by Vauquelm and Fourcroy. 



Amniotijjp 



Oxalic, 



