540 VHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 17 Q5. 



the nitrous acid takes ofF the greatest part of the foetor from the substance thus 

 formeri, yet it gives it a yellow colour, which is with difficulty removed, and a 

 peculiar smell, evidently similar to the smell of the acid employed, which mere 

 washing and the addition of alkalis will not entirely remove. 



My father, who has been indefatigable in his attempts to whiten this sub- 

 stance, finds that the following process will make it very pure, and very beautiful, 

 though not so white as the spermaceti of the shops. The cow, which had lain 

 in the water for a year and a half was taken up, and we found that the whole 

 muscular p:irt was perfectly changed into a white matter; this was broken into 

 small pieces, and was exposed to the action of the sun and air for a considerable 

 length of time. By these means it lost a great deal of its smell, and seemed to 

 acquire a firmer consistence. The appearance of this substance was somewhat 

 singular; for on breaking it, we found little filaments running in every direction, 

 exactly similar to the cellular substance between the muscular fibres. These 

 pieces were then beaten to a fine powder, and on this powder was poured some 

 diluted nitrous acid; after the acid had been on it for about an hour, a froth was 

 formed at the top; the acid was then poured off, and the substance was repeat- 

 edly washed; it was then melted in hot water, and when it concreted it was of a 

 very beautiful straw-colour, without the least oflTensive smell, on the contrary, it 

 had the agreeable smell of the best spermaceti. May not this substance be 

 applied as an article of commerce ? Great quantities of it may be obtained. It 

 burns with a fine flame; and dead animals, which at present are of little or no 

 use, may be changed into it. I am very sorry that it has not been in my power 

 to ascertain the precise quantity which may be obtained from a given quantity of 

 flesh; but from what I have obtained, 1 can say that it would be very consider- 

 able. The running water carries off a great deal of it, but that might be 

 obviated by the addition of strainers. That which is carried off by the water is 

 the purest, so I always take care to get as much as possible of it, as it gives me 

 less trouble in purifying it. The water over the animals, and for some distance 

 round them, is covered with a very beautiful pellicle, which is white in general; 

 sometimes it refracts the sun's rays, producing the prismatic colours. 



Fish may be also changed; and I recollect having seen in some old author, 

 whose name I cannot recollect, a passage in which he mentions a circumstance 

 where something of this kind happened in a whale. He says, that after this 

 fish has been putrifying on the shore some time, the people have a secret by 

 which they can procure and purify lumps, which they find to be similar to the 

 spermaceti which they get in the usual way. I have heard, from many people, 

 observations which they had made where this substance had been formed, and 

 which they could not account for; but as the circumstances were the same as 

 those before-mentioned, I shall forbear giving additional trouble. 



