VOL. LXXIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 3Q5 



acid should be made, we ought to be certain that the ambergris employed has 

 not been previously adulterated, especially as it is but too common to find it adul- 

 terated with flower of rice, or with styrax or other resins, which might deceive us 

 in forming a solid judgment about the real nature of its acid. The adulteration 

 of ambergris with any of the heterogeneous substances may be discovered by its 

 not having all the qualities mentioned above as requisite for the purest and best 

 ambergris. 



The use of ambergris in Europe is now nearly confined to perfumery, though 

 it has formerly been recommended in physic by several eminent physicians; 

 hence the essentia ambrae Hoffmanni, tinctura regia cod. Parisini, trochisci de 

 ambra, Ph. Wurtemberg, 8rc. &c. If we wish to see any medicinal effects from 

 this substance, we must certainly not expect them from 2 or 3 grains, but give 

 rather as many scruples of it for a dose; though even then I should not expect 

 much effect from it, as I have taken of pure unadulterated ambergris in powder 

 30 grs. at once, without observing the least sensible effect from it. A sailor 

 however, who had the curiosity to try the effect of recent ambergris on himself, 

 took half an ounce of it melted on the fire, and found it a good purgative; 

 which proves, that it is not quite an inert substance. In Asia and part of Africa 

 ambergris is not only used as a medicine and as a perfume, but a great use is 

 also made of it in cookery, by adding it to several dishes as a spice; a great quan- 

 tity of it is also constantly bought by the pilgrims who travel to Mecca, probably 

 to offer it there, and make use of it in fumigations, in the same manner as 

 frankincense is used in Catholic countries. The Turks make use of it as an 

 aphrodisiac. Our perfumers add it to scented pillars, candles, balls or bottles, 

 gloves, and hair-powder; and its essence is mixed with pomatums for the face 

 and hands, either alone or mixed with musk, &c. though its smell is to some 

 persons extremely offensive. 



I mentioned above that it is only one kind of whale from which our fishermen 

 obtain the spermaceti, which they call for this reason the spermaceti whale: in 

 this same fish it is that they find ambergris. They never search after the phy- 

 seter catodon, the physeter microps, physeter tursio, and others of the same 

 genus; but they aim at taking both the male and female of the physeter macro- 

 cephalus, though the male contains not only a larger quantity, but also in their 

 opinion a better quality of spermaceti. 1st. It is to be observed, that this spe- 

 cies has but one spout (fistula). This spout is not, as has been generally hitherto 

 asserted, in the neck (cervix) of the fish, but in its front, and on the very edge 

 of the head, bending obliquely on the left side, so that whenever he spouts it is 

 always on that side only. 2dly. It is also remarkable, that the female of this 

 whale has a power of drawing back its breasts after it has suckled the calf, so 

 lhat it hardly appears to have any prominence on the belly, whereas when it 



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