ANALYSIS OF AMBERGRIS. 1S3 



Boiling water is equally incapable of altering its properties, and to boiling 

 In this degree of heat the ambergris melts, and appears in the^^]y ^'^jght 

 form of a brownifli oily fluid; and a fmall quantity of black bitter tafte. 

 matter, infoluble in alcohol, feparates from it. The filtered 

 liquor has neither colour nor fraell, it has however a flightly 

 bitterifli tafte. " 



It is only in confequence of the temperature therefore 

 that the aaibergris m.eks, fince on this being lowered it re- 

 fumes the fame properties as before. 



Exp. V. Acids in general have little action upon amber- ^^|^* aft but 

 gris. Thefe agents likewife do not enable us to difcover the 

 conftituent parts of this compound fubftance. 



Dilute fulphuric acid efreds no change in it. The con- Sulphuric, 

 centrated acid expofes a little oxide of carbon. 



The fame phenomena are produced by the muriatic and ""^ '*^* 

 oxigenated muriatic acid. 



The nitric acid, at 18^, diftilled over this fubftance in the JJlJo^Vg"'',""'. 

 pneumato-chemical apparatus, produces nitrous gas, carbonic bonic acid, and 

 acid, and azote gas. azote gas j 



The azote gas arifes no doubt from the decompotition of 

 fome animal matters, accidentally mixed with the ambergris, 

 as may be obferved in the examination ot lome pieces. 



After the extraction of the e'aftic fluids, a thick liquor, in- and leaves a fub- 



clining to a yellow colour, was iound in the retort : this, on torefins 



bringing it to a foft confiflency, flightly fvvelled up; and 



being evaporated to drynefs, in a porcelain capfule, what 



remained was a dry, bitter fubftance, of a golden yellow hue, 



fl)ining and tranfparent, and exhibiting properties analogous 



to thofe of refins. 



Exp. VI. Alcalis combine with ambergris, and form with Alcalisform 

 . , r , , , r ^"ap with amber- 



it loluble loaps. „^{^^ 



Into- a crucible of platina were put one gramme, 592 (30 

 fr. grs.)of ambergri.s, with 531 thoufandth of a gramme (lOgrs.) 

 of pure potath ; it was gently heated ; the mixture melted, 

 without exhibiting airy figns of the prefence of ammonia ; 

 on cooling a homogeneal brownifli mafs was obtained. 



On this were poured 30 grammes (onefr, ounce) of diftilled 

 water, which diflblved part of it. The folution was very 

 alcaline. 



The undiflTolved portion remained in a foft tenacious mafs, 

 which adhered to the fingers when warm. 



2 ^ A large 



