DISTILLATION OF SPERMACETI. 245 



at a high temperature is to convert spermaceti entirely into 

 athalic acid), still it is of sufficient energy to disturb its atomic 

 arrangement, most of its oxygen combining with one half of 

 the other elements to form an acid which unites with the 

 potash. 



It may be said that if this explanation of the saponification 

 of spermaceti be true, we should apply the same to the saponi- 

 fication of all fats, no longer considering them composed of acids 

 and glycerine, but simply of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, in 

 the proper proportions to form them. But there appears to 

 me no necessity for forming such a conclusion, as the circum- 

 stances attending the saponification of spermaceti and that of 

 the fats differ considerably ; and if this difference be taken into 

 consideration with what follows, there is no doubt that the 

 justice of this explanation will be seen. 



Another reason for supposing that spermaceti does not con- 

 sist 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 distilla- 

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

 is one that should be considered of great value in establish- 

 ing the nature of spermaceti, for there is no way of explaining 

 the non-existence of athal among the products of the distil- 

 lation, except by admitting that the substance distilled did not 

 contain it, for athal is a body easily volatilized without decom- 

 position. 



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 

 substance 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, 

 etc.), and another portion passes over undecomposed; whereas 

 in the distillation of spermaceti its athal (supposing it to con- 

 tain it) undergoes complete decomposition, although athal distilled 

 by itself does not undergo the least decomposition. 



This second reason then serves to increase the difference 

 between the nature of spermaceti and that of the fats; but I 



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