DISTILLATION OP SPERMACETI. 247 



OXIDATION OF SPERMACETI. 



Having made mention of the oxidation of spermaceti as 

 one of the evidences of the non-existence of oleic acid in this 

 substance, I shall give a short statement of what has been done 

 under this head, although but little, owing to the difficulty of 

 isolating the products that are formed. 



When nitric acid and spermaceti are heated together a 

 gentle action takes place, and nitrous-acid fumes are given 

 off; at the end of three or four days the spermaceti still floats 

 upon the surface of the acid, but considerably changed in its 

 nature, having nearly the consistency of hog's lard and an odor 

 of rancid butter, owing probably to the presence of phocenic 

 or butyric acid, but I am more inclined to believe phocenic acid, 

 as this acid is found in the oil, in connection with which sperma- 

 ceti is found in its natural state, and the spermaceti may no 

 doubt play some part in its formation. This fact is interesting 

 and worthy of future examination. 



The action of the acid being continued (renewing it as it 

 evaporates), in about ten days the spermaceti is in complete 

 solution when the liquid is hot, and at the expiration of eighteen 

 or twenty days the oxidation is completed, and if the solution 

 be concentrated a crystalline deposit takes place. 



The examination of the products formed is as yet imperfect ; 

 the following is all that has been done that can be relied upon 

 as accurate. 



After the completion of the oxidation the mass was thrown 

 upon a funnel containing in its neck a bit of asbestus; the fluid 

 was thus separated from the crystalline deposit, which was 

 washed with strong nitric acid. The fluid that passed through 

 upon concentration furnished more of the same crystals. 



The crystalline mass in the funnel gave upon examination 

 no traces of suberic acid, but when dissolved in warm water 

 and allowed to cool a deposit slowly took place having the form 

 of little grains and the appearance of starch. Its reaction is 

 strongly acid, and when crystallized several times from its 

 aqueous solution, and dried at 212° Fah., it has a melting-point 

 of 298° Fah. It sublimes easily in feather-formed crystals; 

 its ammoniacal salt does not precipitate the chlorides of lime, 

 of baryta, or of strontia, the sulphate of copper, sulphate of 



