303 Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 



a portion of the salt, whose acid was fusible at 113° Fah., and 

 secondly a portion whose acid was fusible at 132° Fah. ; this last 

 portion, treated again six times with alcohol, gave first an acid 

 fusible at 131° Fah., and secondly an acid fusible at 122° Fah. ; 

 from this I conclude that it is margaric and not stearic acid which 

 manifests itself in the saponification of spermaceti." 



Chevreul gives the following analyses of the salts of this acid, 

 to which I have afiixed the atomic weight of the acid that each 

 indicates, and which differ considerably one from the other. 



Salt. Atomic weight of acid. 



■r» . 1 ^^ ^ Acid, - - - 100.0 ) ocK TO 



Potash salt, ] ^' . . _ q « ^ 265.12 



Baryta salt, | ^^^^^ ; _" ; ^^\^^ 275.3& 



. ,, (Acid, - - - 100.00) oK^Ko 



Strontia salt, ] j.^J _ _ _ on oa ^ 255.52 



Lead salt ^ Acid, - - - 100.00 ^ 262.40 



bibasic, ^ 



What was considered to be oleic acid, could not be entirely 

 separated from the supposed margaric acid, and consequently it 

 was impossible for Chevreul to study accurately its properties. 

 The elementary analysis of spermaceti according to Chevreul is 



Carbon, 81.66 



Hydrogen, 12.86 



Oxygen, 5.48 



100.00 

 Dumas and Peligot, considering the base of spermaceti to be 

 athal, and its acids margaric and oleic, have proposed the follow- 

 ing formula. 



j: r2 ats. margarate < 2 ats. margaric acid, (C 3 ^H 3 203)2'^ *^ 

 g of athal. ^2 ats. athal, (C3oH330)2|q 



c <! o . If ( 1 at. oleic acid, (C.^RggOJ y^ 



il'fi h^t. athal, (C3.H33O) % 



a'^ of athal. ^1 at. water, ( H O ) J O 



" The athal here mentioned as the base, is now considered as 

 composed of a substance called cetyl or ceten, and water. This 

 cetyl or ceten is obtained from athal by the action of anhydrous 

 phosphoric acid ; it is a substance of an oily nature, and consists 

 of equal equivalents of carbon and hydrogen. 



* The formula for margaric and oleic acids are those that have lately been given 

 by Varrentrapp. 



