io6 
Pure  Spermaceti. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
\    February,  1897. 
The  melting-points,  acid  numbers  and  ether  numbers  correspond 
very  closely  with  those  reported  last  year.  The  anomalous  specific 
gravities  are  unique  and  require  an  explanation.  The  highest  spe- 
cific gravities  were  obtained  by  the  same  method  that  was  used  to 
ascertain  the  specific  gravities  reported  on  in  a  previous  paper,  viz.: 
alcohol  diluted  to  such  an  extent  that  the  small  pellets  floated 
indifferently.  This  method,  for  convenience,  will  be  called  the  sus- 
pensory method. 
In  making  the  pellets  for  the  suspensory  method,  the  melted  (on 
a  water-bath)  spermaceti  was  dropped  on  a  moistened  plate  having 
a  temperature  of  about  200  C.  This  was  cool  enough  to  chill  the 
melted  spermaceti  quickly,  so  that  the  molecules  were  not  given 
time  to  assume  a  crystalline  form  ;  at  least,  the  pellets  were  very 
slightly  crystalline,  if  at  all. 
For  the  other  methods  in  which  the  solid  material  was  employed, 
the  melted  spermaceti  was  poured  into  porcelain  crucible  covers  and 
allowed  to  cool  in  a  room  at  about  22°  C.  After  cooling,  the  sper- 
maceti was  removed  from  the  covers.  All  material  worked  on  was 
given  at  least  two  days'  time  to  assume  a  normal  state  before  the 
specific  gravity  was  taken'.  These  prepared  forms  were  30  mm.  in 
diameter  and  about  6  mm.  thick ;  thicker  in  the  centre,  tapering 
towards  the  circumference.  The  manner  of  congealing  allowed 
ample  time  for  the  spermaceti  to  assume  crystalline  forms. 
Normally,  spermaceti  is  crystalline.  From  the  fact  that  the  pel- 
lets prepared  for  the  .suspensory  method  were  non-crystalline,  and 
of  a  higher  specific  gravity  than  the  crystallized  material,  the  writer 
is  led  to  think  that  the  specific  gravity  for  normal  spermaceti  is  not 
much  above  o  9000  and  not  much  below  0  8900  at  150  C.  The  spe- 
cific gravity  obtained  by  the  suspensory  method  is  probably  abnor- 
mal, due  to  the  non-crystalline  character  of  the  pellets. 
The  writer,  on  referring  to  his  memorandum,  finds  that  the  low 
specific  gravities  obtained  by  the  suspensory  method,  reported  in  a 
former  contribution  (0-905,0-915,  0-920,  etc.),  were  taken  during  the 
months  of  August  and  early  September ;  while  the  higher  specific 
gravities  (0  935,  °  939»  etc0  were  taken  in  November  and  Decem- 
ber. 
In  the  former  case  the  elevated  temperature  was  conducive  to 
the  formation  of  more  highly  crystalline  pellets  than  in  the  latter 
case,  when  the  temperature  was  considerably  lower.    The  specific 
