PHILOSOPHICAL PAPERS. On the CONVERSION of ANIMAL SUBSTANCES into a FATTY MATTER refembling SPERMACETI, by GEORGE SMITH GIBBES, B. A. [From the Second Part of the PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS of the ROYAL SOCIETY of LONDON, for the Year 1795-] "IN N a paper which the Royal Society have done me the honour of inferting in the laft volume of their Tranfactions, (vide our laft volume) I related fome experiments on the decompofition of animal muscle. I regret that it has not been in my power to purfue thefe inquiries with the attention the fubject feems to demand. I beg leave, however, to prefent the few additional facts contained in this paper, not by any means as a full investigation of the fubject, but as ferving to excite the attention of thofe, who have more opportunities, and are better qualified to purfue fuch inquiries. "I mentioned in my former paper, that the fubftance procured either by means of water, or the nitrous acid, appeared to me to have precifely the fame external characters; but I have obferved fince, that there is a difference between that which I obtain from quadrupeds, and that which is procured from the human subject: the former feems not difpofed to cryftallife, while the latter affumes a very beautiful and regular cryftalline appearance. "The matter which I procured from human mufcle was melted, into which I plunged a very fenfi ble thermometer, which foon rofe to 160°; it began congealing at 112°, and became fo folid at 110° that the thermometer could not eafily be taken out. "I took fome of the fpermaceti of the fhops, and under the fame circumstances I plunged the fame thermometer into it. It foom rofe to 170°; a pellicle was formed at the top of it when at 117°; and it became fo folid at 114, that the thermometer could not eafily be taken out. "I diffolved a piece of the fubftance, which I had formed by means of water and the nitrous acid, in boiling fpirits of wine; on cool. ing this mixture, a great quantity of this waxy matter was feparated in the form of beautiful flakes. I could not procure large cryftals, but the flakes affumed a crystalline appearance. "I put into an earthen retort fome of this waxy matter, to which I added fome finely powdered charcoal; on applying a pretty ftrong fire, a fmall quantity of an oily fluid came over, which concreted on cooling; after which came over a pro a prodigious quantity of thick white vapours, which were very fuffocating and offenfive. "I had a copper retort made, for the purpofe of trying fome experiments on this matter. I put a fmall quantity into it, and placed it on a common fire; there came over first a limpid fluid like water, without much fmell; on the addition of more heat, there came over an oily fluid, which foon coagulated, of a firmer confiftence than when put in, and coloured of a beautiful green by the copper; this laft circumftance proves that it contained no ammonia. 66 Having procured fome very pure quickfilver, I took a glafs, which contained about ro pounds of that fluid, with which I filled it; I inverted it in a bafon, which contained the fame fluid; I introduced a fmall piece of lean meat, and also a small quantity of water; at the end of about fix weeks, fo great a quantity of gas was difengaged as nearly to occupy the whole of the veffel; the meat had aflumed a white appearance. "Since I mentioned my former experiments on the cow, which I had fubmitted to the action of running water, I have obferved a few facts relating to the changes which took place. This cow was placed in a fituation where the water could come twice every day, as before defcribed; over it fome loofe earth was thrown: after it had remained fome time in this place, I ufed frequently to push a stick through this earth to the cow; every time this was done there came up a prodigious quantity of air, after I had fuffered it to remain quiet for a fhort time. Since I put this cow in this fituation, I have had two horfes and another cow placed un 1795 der the fame circumstances; in all "In the former cow the whole "My father, who has been indefatigable in his attempts to whiten this fubftance, finds that the following procefs will make it very pure, and very beautiful, though The cow, which had not fo white as the fpermaceti of the fhops. lain in the water for a year and an half, was taken up, and we found. that the whole mufcular part was perfectly changed into a white matter; this was broken into fmall tion of the fun and air for a confipieces, and was exposed to the acgreat deal of its derable length of time. By these to acquire a means it loft fell, and seemed firmer confiftence. The appearance of this fubftance was fomewhat fingular; for on breaking it, we found little filaments running in every direction, exactly fimilar to the cellular fubftance between the mufcular fibres. Thefe pieces were then beaten to a fine powder, and on this powder was poured fome diluted nitrous acid; after the acid had been on it for about an hour, a froth was formed at the top; the fubftance acid was then poured off, and the K fubftance was repeatedly waflied; it was then melted in hot water, and when it concreted it was of a very beautiful straw-colour, with out the leaft offenfive finell; on the contrary, it had the agreeable fmell of the best fpermaceti. May not this fubftance be applied as an article of commerce? Great quantities of it may be obtained. It burns with a fine flame; and dead animals, which at prefent are of little or no ufe, may be changed into it. I am very forry that it has not been in my power to afcertain the precife quantity which may be obtained from a given quantity of flesh; but from what I have obtained, I can fay that it would be very confiderable. The running water carries off a great deal of it, but that might be obviated by the addition of trainers. Moreover, that which is carried off by the water is the pureft, for I always take care to get as much as poffible of it, becaufe I find it gives me lefs trouble in purifying it. The water over the animals, and for fome diftance round them, is covered with a very beautiful pellicle, which is white in general; fometimes it refracts the fun's rays, producing the prifmatic colours. formed, and which they could not "On feeing a body opened fome or that the ferous fluid had acted on "Dr. Cleghorn mentions a cir- 6 abfceffes had fometimes emptied themselves into the cavity of the thorax, fo that the lungs floated in purulent ferum, their external memb.ane, and likewife the pleura, being greatly thickened, and converted as it were into a white cruft, like melted tallow grown cold.' In a note he fays, I am now doubtful if this cruft was the pleura and exmentions a circumftance where⚫ternal coat of the lungs, changed fomething of this kind happened in a whale. He fays, that after this fith has been putrifying on the Fish may be alfo changed; and I recollect having feen in fome old author, whofe name I cannot recollect, a paffage in which he from a natural state by foaking in on thofe membranes, and com- fhore fome time, the people have aftance, formed by fluids deposited "I have heard from many people, obfervations which they had made where this fubftance had been "Much has been faid by many authors on the fubject of fecretion. It was at one time fuppofed that it depended on fome peculiar property 1 1 1 METHOD of preparing a SULPHUREOUS MEDICINAL WATER. [147] property of the living principle; and it was thought impoffible to form any fecretion but through the medium of fecreting organs. M. Fourcroy has, however, contradicted this by the experiments where he forms bile. "Spermaceti is an animal fubftance, fecreted in a particular fpecies of whale, and the fubftance which is formed in the foregoing experiments, as far as I can judge, agrees with it in every particular. "M. Fourcroy fays, that M. Poulletier de la Salle found a cryftallized inflammable fubftance fimilar to fpermaceti in biliary calculi. "May not the fuety matter in fteatomatous tumours arife from fomething of this kind? "By attending to the various fecretions of the body, by examining their compofition in the healthy and morbid ftates of the fyftem, may we not expect to derive great advantage, particularly when accurate experiments are applied towards the relief of disease? "Some excufe may perhaps feem neceffary for the little attention which had been paid to the accurate refults in the different experi. ments; particularly fo, as the analyfis of every part of the animal body, except the bones, is at prefent fo incomplete; but I hope that the time neceffary for my medical purfuits, and the want of a complete chemical apparatus, will not render the fimple facts I have here related lefs ufeful. "I have not attempted to account for the various phænomena which appear in the experiments, because the facts feem too few to admit of any general conclufion. "If the above experiments fhould appear to the fociety worthy of their attention, the application of my former experiments, and the refults of fome which I hope to make, on fome animals that are placed under different circumftances favourable to their decompofition, shall be the basis of a future paper." METHOD of preparing a SULPHUREOUS MEDICINAL WATER, by the [From the Fifth Volume of the TRANSACTIONS of the ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY.] CHEMISTS differ in opinion waters is fupported by the analyza concerning the procefs of nature in the formation of fulphureous waters. Whilft all agree that fulphur by itself is not foluble in water, fome confider 'fulphureous waters as impregnated by the fumes only of fulphur: others affert that thefe waters contain fulphur combined with an alkali; and each party thinks, and poffibly justly, that its opinion refpecting particular tion of them. Artificial fulphureous waters have often been prepared on the former of thefe princi ples; and they have been prepared on the two principles combined by M. Le Roy of Montpellier, who applied a ftrong and continued heat to water mixed with fmall quantities of fulphur and magrefia, until the fumes of the fulphur had firorgly impregnated the water. Ka "My "My method is founded on the fecond principle. Its fimplicity, and the probability that it is fimilar to that purfued by nature in the formation of fome of the moft powerful fulphureous waters, induced me to make trial of it. The fame confiderations may poffibly be deemed by gentlemen of the medical faculty a recommend ation of this artificial medicinal water for trial in the courfe of their practice. "The method is this: Mix fulphur and magnesia, in the proportion of four drachms of each, with one quart of cold water. Care must be taken that every particle of the fulphur and magnefia be made fo wet as that none fall float. Pour this mixture into a veffel in which it may be conveniently fhaken feveral times every day during the fpace of three weeks. Let it then fettle for two days, and rack off the liquor. This, first racked off from the fulphur and magnesia, will be of the colour of water, and free from any bad fmell. If a like quantity of water be poured into the veffel in which the magnefia and fulphur remain, and be frequently fhaken, it will in a fortnight be found to be as ftrongly impregnated as the former; and in like manner may many fucceffive impregnated liquors be obtained; but they will differ from the first in having a yellow tinge and emit ting a foetid odour. However, in their component parts and medicinal properties, all thefe impregnated liquors feem to me, from the trials I have made of them, perfectly to agree. Thefe liquors almoft inftantly change the colour of filver. They are moft effectually decompofed by powdered nutgalls and alum, the alum being added a few minutes after the nutgall. In this procefs a very copious pre cipitation enfues. "Flowers of fulphur and magnefia are to be mixed with water in the proportion of four drachms of each to a quart of water. They fhould previously be ground toge ther in a glass mortar, for the purpofe of breaking all the small lumps of fulphur which would otherwise float on the water. They should then be gradually wetted with the water, and worked up with it by the hand. When fo mixed, as that none of the fulphur floats, the whole is to be poured into a clofe veffel, in which it may conveniently be fhaken two or three times every day for three weeks. After that time it is to fettle for two days, and then the liquid to be racked off fine. The fame ingredients will impregnate the like quantity of water two or three times, to an equal degree of ftrength, in a space of time fomewhat fhorter than the first. "N. B. I have not found that the fineft, light, white, magnesia, fucceeds as well as a darker and heavier fort. "The liquid thus racked off contains in folution what may be named a magnefiac liver of fulphur. "Some powdered nutgalls being mixed with this liquid, and afterwards fome alum, the water is by their ftyptic quality rendered incapable of holding the magnefiac li ver of fulphur in folution: the lat ter is therefore precipitated, but not decompofed. "One ounce of this folution of magnefiac liver of fulphur, mixt with a quart of pure water free from any ftyptic or acid mixture, makes a medicinal fulphureous water fit for ufe. If an acid be added to it, it decompofes the liver of fulphur, uniting |