Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 317 



no necessity for forming such a conclusion, as the circumstances 

 attending the saponification of spermaceti and that of the fats dif- 

 fer considerably, and if this difference be taken into considera- 

 tion with what follows, there is no doubt that the justice of this 

 explanation will be seen. 



Another reason for supposing that spermaceti does not consist 

 of an acid and a base, or rather that athal does not exist in it 

 ready formed is, that in the products afforded by the distillation 

 of spermaceti, no trace of athal is to be found. This fact is one 

 that should be considered of great value in establishing the na- 

 ture of spermaceti, for there is no way of explaining the non- 

 existence of athal among the products of the distillation, except 

 by admitting that the substance distilled did not contain it, for 

 athal is a body easily volatihzed without decomposition. 



If, on the contrary, we remark the action of a strong solution 

 of potash upon spermaceti at 100°, we find athal to be volatilized 

 during the process, an evidence of the ease with which this sub- 

 stance is volatilized, as well as the necessity of an alkali for its 

 formation. 



Let us compare with this the action of heat upon the fats, with 

 reference to the change that the glycerine undergoes. We find 

 that if a fat be distilled, a portion of the glycerine is decomposed, 

 giving rise to acroleine, (a mixture of acetic acid, &c.) and an- 

 other portion passes over undecomposed ; this is also exactly what 

 takes place if glycerine be distilled alone, whereas in the distil- 

 lation of spermaceti, its athal (supposing it to contain it) under- 

 goes complete decomposition, although athal, distilled by itself, 

 does not undergo the least decomposition. 



This second reason then serves to increase the difference be- 

 tween the nature of spermaceti and that of the fats, but I am 

 able to advance anothef fact stronger than either of the above, 

 augmenting this difference. 



Dumas and Stass have shown, that if athal be acted upon by 

 potash at a temperature of from 410° to 428° Fah. an acid is the 

 result, which acid they called athalic acid, the same that has 

 been shown to result from the saponification of spermaceti, where 

 the same alkali was employed, but at a much lower temperature. 

 The action then of potash upon spermaceti, assisted by the proper 

 temperatures, is to produce but one body, athalic add, which 

 circumstance would hardly take place were spermaceti composed 



