THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



35 



armed, is not a horn, but a tusk it is, in reality, one of 

 its two front teeth which has grown oiit to the amazing 

 length of eight or ten feet, whilst the second tooth has not 

 been developed at all. The tusk is composed of ivory, and 

 has a spiral twist. The Spermaceti Whale is remarkable 

 for the size of its head, the length of which equals the 

 rest of the body, whilst in bulk it exceeds it. It is not, 

 however, the skull which gives such size, but an immense 

 mass of waxy matter, called Spermaceti and oil, which 

 is contained in a large bag placed in a hollow on the 

 front of the head. The Spermaceti is separated from the 

 oil in which it is originally dissolved by boiling water, 

 from which the spermaceti crystallises as it cools. Sper- 

 maceti is called demulcent and emollient y both of these 

 terms mean having the property of smoothing and soften- 

 ing the textures to which they arc applied, but the first 



Fig. 12. 



implies inward and the second outward application : thus, 

 as a demulcent, spermaceti is used as an ingredient in 

 cough mixtures, whilst for an emollient it is mixed with 

 white wax and almond oil, and is thus made into the 

 spermaceti ointment, the healing property of which is so 

 well known, From the Spermaceti Whale another substance 



