FAT OF ANIMALS FATA MORGANA. 



on tradition, except that of the day of expiation, 

 which was appointed by Moses. We find, however, 

 many instances of occasional fasting in the Old Testa- 

 ment. Herodotus says that the Egyptians prepared 

 themselves by fasting for the celebration of the great 

 festival of Isis. So in the Thesmophoria at Athens, 

 and in the rites of Ceres in Rome, fasting was a part 

 of the ceremony. Neilher Christ nor his apostles 

 give any precept respecting fasting. It was probably, 

 however, early practised by the Christians as a private 

 act of devotion. No public fast is spoken of in 

 the most ancient times, except that on the day of 

 crucifixion. The church of Rome distinguishes be- 

 tween days of fasting and of abstinence. The former 

 are 1. The forty days of Lent : 2. the Ember days, 

 being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the 

 first week in Lent, of Whitsun week, of the third 

 week in September, and of the third week in Advent: 

 3. the Wednesdays and Thursdays of the four weeks 

 in Advent : 4. the vigils or eves of Whitsuntide ; of 

 the feasts of St Peter and St Paul ; of the Assump- 

 tion of the Virgin ; of All Saints ; and of Christmas 

 day. When any fasting day falls upon Sunday, it is 

 observed on the Saturday before. The Greek church 

 observes lour principal fasts : that of Lent ; one be- 

 ginning in the week after Whitsuntide ; one for a 

 fortnight before the Assumption ; one forty days be- 

 fore Christmas. The church of England appoints the 

 following fixed days for fasting and abstinence, be- 

 tween which no difference is made : 1. The forty 

 days of Lent ; 2. the Ember days, at the four seasons; 



3. the three Rogation days before Holy Thursday ; 



4. Every Friday except Christmas day. Other days 

 of fasting are occasionally appointed by royal procla- 

 mation. The church, however, gives no directions 

 concerning fasting; and the ordinance of parliament 

 prohibiting meat on fast days is designed for the en- 

 couragement of fisheries and navigation. See Festi- 

 vals, and Lent. 



FAT OF ANIMALS. Animal oils and fats, as 

 they difl'er only in the fluidity of the former at com- 

 mon temperatures, while the latter are generally con- 

 crete, will be treated of together in the present 

 article. Of animal oils, whale oil and sperm oil are 

 most generally known in this country ; and among 

 the principal varieties of fat are spermaceti, butter, 

 tallow, lard, and suet. Whale oil, or train oil, is 

 extracted from the blubber of the whale (principally 

 the balcena mysticetus). Originally, it is a firm solid 

 fat. To obtain the oil, the blubber is melted in large 

 copper vessels. A large quantity of water separates, 

 and on the surface there floats a solid matter, called 

 fenks, which is probably coagulated albumen. The 

 more moderate the heat, and the shorter its duration, 

 the paler and better is the oil ; but this is attended 

 with a diminution in its quantity. The deep colour 

 is owing partly to too great heat in the boiling, and 

 partly to blood and other impurities, which are un- 

 avoidably mixed with it. What is extracted in 

 Greenland is perfectly pale and limpid, and free from 

 smell, and burns with a pure and bright flame. 

 Whale oil requires to be kept in close vessels to pre- 

 vent the action of the air. It is rendered more fluid 

 and combustible, by adding to it a little cold-drawn 

 linseed oil ; but it cannot, by any treatment, be made 

 so tit for burning in lamps as spermaceti oil. The 

 best way of using it is found to be by converting it 

 into gas. It may be deprived of its offensive odour, 

 however, by the use of chloride of lime. Its specific 

 gravity is 0-9191. It boils at 640 Fahr., and may 

 be distilled ; but its properties are then materially 

 altered, or, rather, it becomes a new substance, its 

 specific gravity being diminished to 0'868, its boiling 

 point lowered, and its inflammability much increased. 

 Whale oil consists of carbon 68-87, oxygen 16-10, 



and hydrogen 15.03. Sperm oil, or spermaceti oil, 

 forms part of the oily substance found in the cnmium 

 of the spermaceti whale, or physeter macrocephalus. 

 The oil is separated by putting the mass into a wool- 

 len bag, and pressing it, by which the, fluid is made 

 to run out, and the solid residue, when washed with 

 a weak alkaline ley, affords spermaceti, (q. v.) This 

 kind of oil is much purer than train oil and burns 

 away without leaving any charcoal on the wicks 01 

 lamps. Iii composition, it differs but slightly from 

 whale oil, consisting, according to doctor lire, of 

 carbon 78, oxygen 10.20, and hydrogen 11.80. 



The fat of animals, or more solid animal oils, may 

 be separated from the membranous and other sub- 

 stances with which it is united, by melting it at a 

 gentle heat, with the addition of a small quantity of 

 water. Fat thus prepared is called lard, when of a 

 soft consistence, and tallow, when harder. It is in- 

 sipid, and sometimes free from smell ; at others, it 

 has a distinct and peculiar odour. It is apt to be- 

 come rancid, however, by keeping a change con- 

 nected with the absorption of oxygen. It is insoluble 

 in water or in alcohol. It melts at 90 or 100 

 Fahr. : by raising the heat, it is rendered more acrid, 

 and exhales a pungent vapour. In close vessels, it 

 is decomposed, and, among other products, yields a 

 large quantity of olefiant gas. It is inflammable, 

 and affords, by combustion, water and carbonic acid. 

 The acids act chemically on fat. Sulphuric acid chars 

 it. Nitric acid, mixed with it in small quantity, 

 gives it a firmer consistence, and renders it soluble in 

 alcohol. In this state, it has been called oxygenated 

 fat. The animal oils and fats combine with the alk- 

 alies, and form with these perfect soaps. With some 

 of the earths, and metallic oxides also, they form 

 saponaceous compounds. They even facilitate the 

 oxidation of some of the metals, as copper and mer 

 cury, by the atmospheric air. Animal fat is not 

 homogeneous, but consists of two different proximate 

 principles, called stearine and elaine, the former of 

 a firm consistence, resembling suet or tallow ; the 

 other more soft or liquid, and analogous to vegetable 

 oils. For an account of the mode of 'separating 

 these principles, and their properties when separate, 

 see those articles ; for a view of the theory of saponi- 

 fication, see Soap. 



FATALISM (from fate, q. v.) ; the belief in fate, 

 an unchangeable destiny, to which every thing is 

 subject, uninfluenced by reason, and pre-established 

 either by chance or the Creator. Fatalist; a be- 

 liever in fatalism. 



FATA MORGANA ; a singular aerial phenom- 

 enon seen in the straits of Messina. When the rising 

 sun shines from that point whence its incident ray 

 forms an angle of about 45, on the sea of Reggio, 

 and the bright surface of the water in the bay is not 

 disturbed either by the wind or current, when the 

 tide is at its height, and the waters are pressed up by 

 currents to a great elevation in the middle of the 

 channel, the spectator being placed on an eminence, 

 with his back to the sun, and his face to the sea, 

 the mountains of Messina rising like a wall be- 

 hind it, and forming the background of the pic- 

 ture. on a sudden there appear in the water, 

 as in a catoptric theatre, various multiplied ob- 

 jectsnumberless series of pilasters, arches, cas- 

 tles, well delineated, regular columns, lofty tow- 

 ers, superb palaces, with balconies and windows, 

 extended alleys of trees, delightful plains, with 

 herds and flocks, armies of men on foot, on horseback, 

 and many other things, in their natural colours, and 

 proper actions, passing rapidly in succession along 

 the surface of the sea, during the whole of the short 

 period of time while the above-mentioned causes 

 remain. All these objects, which are exhibited iu 



