Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 303 



1 at. ceten, 

 1 at. water, 



1 at. anhydrous athal, 

 1 at. water, 



1 at. hydrated athal. 



C32H32 



c. 



,H3.0, 



CD 



w. 



2 at. margarate 

 of ceten. 



1 at. oleate of 

 ceten. 



Taking ceten as being the probable base of spermaceti, Dumas 

 has also proposed the following formula. 



2 at. margaric acid, 

 2 at. ceten, 

 2 at. water, 

 1 at. oleic acid, 

 1 at. ceten, 

 1 at. water, 



But it will be seen that neither the per-centage indicated by 

 this, nor by the last formula, agrees with Chevreul's analysis of 

 spermaceti. 



(C3.1H33O3)' 

 (C32H3. ) 

 ( HO) 

 (C..H3,0J 

 (C32H32 ) 

 ( HO) 



K 



208 atoms Carbon, 

 205 " Hydrogen, 

 14 " Oxygen, 



208 atoms Carbon, 

 204 " Hydrogen, 

 13 " Oxygen, 



Analysis of Spermaceti 



hy Chevreul. 

 Carbon, 81.66 



^Hydrogen, 12.86 

 Oxygen, 5.48 



100.00 



1580 100.00^ 



What has been stated thus far, is a short account of all that 

 was known concerning the nature and composition of spermaceti, 

 previous to my attention being attracted to this subject, and what 

 follows is a detail of my investigations. 



Having undertaken some time since, at the suggestion of Prof. 

 Liebig, to examine the products afforded by the distillation of 

 spermaceti, I arrived at certain results, which lead me to believe 

 that the composition of this body was not properly made out, and 

 therefore I. undertook an examination of it, after the most recent 

 methods for the investigation of fatty bodies. 



* The atomic weight here taken for carbon is that of Berzelius, (6115,) as Chev- 

 reul's calculation is made with the same. 



