A M B 
made by nature for the fecretion and collection of this 
lingular fubftance. That the part they cut open to come 
at the ambergreafe, is no other than the intcftinal canal 
is certain, becaufe they conftantly begin their incilion at 
the anus, and find the cavity every where filled with the 
fasces of the whale, which, from their colour and fmell, 
it; is hnpoflible for them to miitake. The ambergreafe 
found in the inteftinal canal is not fo hard as that which is 
found on the fea or fea-coaft, but foon grows hard in the 
air: when firft taken out it has nearly the fame colour, 
and the fame difagreeable fmell, though not fo firong, 
as the more liquid dung of the whale has; but, on expo- 
ling it to the air, it by degrees not only grows greyifh, 
and its furface is covered with a greyifh duft, like old cho¬ 
colate, but it alfo lofes its difagreeable fmell, and, when 
kept for a certain length of time, acquires the peculiar 
odour which is fo agreeable to mod people. 
In confidering whether there be any material difference 
between the ambergreafe found upon the fea or fea-coaft, 
and that found in the bowels and among the dung of the 
whale, the doftor refutes the opinion, that all amber¬ 
greafe found in whales is of an inferior quality, and there¬ 
fore much lefs in price. Ambergreafe, he observes, is 
only valued for its purity, lightnefs, compactnefs, colour, 
and fmell. There are pieces of ambergreafe found on dif¬ 
ferent coafts, which are of a very inferior quality; whereas 
there are often found in whales-pieces of it of the firfi- va¬ 
lue; nay, feveral pieces found in the fame whale, accord¬ 
ing to the above-mentioned qualities, are more or lefs va¬ 
luable. All ambergreafe found in whales, has at firfi, 
when taken out of the inteftines, very near the fame fmell 
as the liquid excrements of that animal have ; it has then 
alfo nearly the fame blackifit colour: they find it in the 
whale fometimes quite hard, fometimes rather foftifh, but 
never fo liquid as the natural fieces of that animal. And 
it is a matter of fad, that, after being taken out and kept 
in the air, all ambergreafe grows not only harder and 
whiter, but alfo lofes by degrees its fmell, and aflumes 
fuch an agreeable one, as that in general has which is 
found fwimming upon the fea; therefore the goodnefs 
of ambergreafe feems rather to depend on its age. By 
being accumulated after a certain length of time in the 
inteftinal canal, it feems even then to become of a whiter 
colour, and lefs ponderous, and acquire its agreeable fmell. 
The only reafon why ambergreafe found floating on the 
fea generally pofleftes the above-mentioned qualities in a 
fnperior degree, is becaufe it is commonly older, and has 
been longer expofed to the air. It is more frequently 
found in males than females ; the pieces found in females 
are in general fmaller, and thofe found in males feem 
conftantly to be larger and of a better quality ; and there¬ 
fore the high price in proportion to the fize is not merely 
imaginary for the rarity fake, but in fome refpeft well 
founded, becaufe fuch large pieces appear to be of greater 
age, and poffefs the above-mentioned qualities in general 
jn a higher degree of perfection than fmaller pieces. 
It is known, that the fepia oCtopodia, or cuttle-fifli, is 
the conftant and natural food of the fpermaceti whale, or 
phyfeter macroeephalus. Of this the fifliers are fo well 
perfuaded, that, whenever they difcover any recent relics 
of it fwi'mniing on the fea, they conclude that a whale of 
this kind is, or has been, in that part. Another circum- 
ftance which corroborates the fad is, that the fpermaceti 
whale on being hooked generally vomits up fome remains 
of the fepia. Hence it is eafy to account for the many 
beaks, or pieces of beaks, of the fepia, found in all am¬ 
bergreafe. The beak of the fepia is a black horny fub¬ 
ftance, and therefore pafles undigefted through the fto- 
mach into the inteftinal canal, where it is mixed with the 
faeces ; after which it is either evacuated with them, or, 
if thefe latter be preternaturally retained, forms concre¬ 
tions with them, which render the animal ftek and torpid, 
and produce an obftipntion, which ends ei.ther in an abfeefs 
of the abdomen, "as has been frequently obferved, or be¬ 
comes fatal to the animal; whence, in both the cafes, on 
Vol. I. No. 3J6. 
A M B 40;( 
the burfting of its belly, that hardened fubftance known 
under the name of Ambergreafe is found fwimming on the 
fea or thrown upon the coaft. 
From the preceding account, and his having conftantly 
found the above-mentioned beaks of the fepia in all piece's 
of ambergreafe of any coniiderable fize, Dr. Swediar con¬ 
cludes, that all ambergreafe is generated in the bowels of 
the phyfeter macroeephalus, or fpermaceti whale ; and 
there mixed with the beaks of the fepia odopodia, which 
is the principal food of that whale. He therefore defines 
ambergreafe to be the preternaturally hardened dung or 
fasces of the phyfeter macroeephalus, mixed with fome 
indigeftible relics of its food. Mr. Magellan, however, 
mentions an undoubtedly vegetable ambergreafe, gathered 
from a tree which grows in Guyana, and is called cumu. 
Specimens of this were prefented to him by Mr. Aublet, 
author of the Hiftoire de la Guyane, publifiicd in 1774, 
who himfelf collected it on the fpot; and Mr. Magellan 
prefented part of it to the late Dr. Fothergill, and alfo to 
Dr. Combe. Iris of a whitifti brown colour, with a yel- 
luwifh ftiade ; melts and burns like wax on the fire, but 
is rather of a more powdery. .confidence than any amber¬ 
greafe he had feen. 
The ufe of ambergreafe in Europe is now nearly con¬ 
fined to perfumery, though it has been recommended in 
medicine by feveral eminent phyficians.. It is foluble in 
boiling fpirit of wine ; from which, if the fiiturated folu- 
tion be fet in a very cold place, a part of the ambergreafe 
concretes into a whitifti unctuous fubftance. Diftilled it 
yields an aqueous phlegm, a brown acidulous fpirit, a 
deep-coloured oil, a thicker balfam, and fometimes a little 
concrete fait. The fpirit, oil, balfam, and fait, are timi- 
lar to thofe obtained from amber, except that the oil is 
more agreeable to the fmell. Rectified fpirit of wine 
takes up near one-twelfth of its weight of ambergreafe. 
According to Neumann, if the fpirit is- impregnated with, 
a little eftential oil, the ambergreafe will diflblve more 
readily in it. A deeper coloured tindure is made with 
alcohol, but not a ftronger. Dulcified acids and alkaline 
fpirits have no effect upon it; water and exprelfed oils 
have as little. It is one of the mod agreeable perfumes ; 
it heightens the natural odour of other bodies ; but the 
great fecret to this end is, to add it fo fparingiy, that 
while it improves the fmell of that to which it is added, 
its own may not be dil'covercd. From two grains to a 
fcruple it is a high cordial and powerful antifpafmodic ; 
though the common dofe is from two to four grains, 
which may be given in an egg lightly poached. Riverius ■ 
fays, that ambergreafe is a fpecific againfi the fames canina. 
In Alia, and part of Africa, ambergreafe is not only 
ufed as a medicine and as a perfume, but confiderable ufe 
is alfo made of it in cookery, by adding it to feveral difiies 
as a fpice. A great quantity of it is alio conftantly bought 
by the pilgrims who travel to Mecca ; probably to offer 
it there, and make ufe of it in fumigations, in the fame 
manner as frankincenfe is ufed in catholic countries. 
Ambergreafe may be known to be genuine by its fra¬ 
grant feent when a hot needle or pin is thruft into it, and 
its melting like fat of an uniform confiftence ; whereas tfie 
counterfeit will not yield fuch a fmell, nor prove of fuch 
a fat texture. One thing, however, is very remarkable, 
that this drug, which is the moft fweet of all the perfumes, 
fliouid be capable of being refembled in fmell by a prepara¬ 
tion of one of the moft odious of all ftinks. Mr. Homberg 
found, that a veftel in which he had made a long riigeftiou 
of the human fasces, acquired a very firong and perfect 
fmell of ambergreafe, infomuch that any one would have 
thought a great quantity of e(fence of ambergreafe had been 
made in it. The perfume w.-as fo firong and oftenfive, that 
the veil'd v. as forced to be removed out of the elaboratory. 
AM'BERT, a town in the department of Puy-de 
Dome, and in the late province of Auvergne. It is feated 
in a beautiful valley, on the river Ore. It carries on thq 
paper manufadure very exteniively, and has alfo a trade 
in coarfe laces, cumbiets, ferrets, Sec. It is twenty.one 
5 K miles 
