A DI POC I RE, is a term formed of adeps, fat, and cera, wax, and denotes a sub stance, the nature and origin of which are thus explained. The changes which ani mal matter undergoes in its progress to ward_s total decomposition have been, for many obvious reasons, but little attended to. But an opportunity of this kind was offered at Paris in 1786 and 1787, %Own the old burial ground of the Innocens was laid out tbr building upon, in conse quence of which, the suiface soil, and the animal remains contained therein, were removed. This cemetry haring been for ages appropriated to the reception of the dead, in one of the most populous districts of Paris, was eminently well calculated to exhibit the various process es of animal decomposition; another fa. vourable circumstance was, that it con tained several of those large pits (fosses communes) in which the bodies of the poor are deposited by hundreds. These pits are cavities 30 feet deep, with an area of 20 feet square, in which the shells con taining the bodies are closely packed in rows over each other, without any inter inediate earth, and with only a slight su perficial covering of soil, not more than a foot thick : each pit contained from 1200 to 1500 bodies, and may be considered:Is a miss of animal matter of the dimensions above mentioned. M. M. Pourcrov and Thourct were present at the opening of several of these receptacles; and it is from a memoir by the former of these, that the principal part of this article is composed. The first pit that was exam ined had been filled and closedup fifteen years before ; on opening sonic of the coffins (forthe wood was still quite sound, only tinged of a yellow colour) the bodies were found within shrunk, so as to leave a considerable vacant space in the upper part of the coffin, and flattened, as if they had been subject to a strong compression ; the linen which covered them adhered Arinly, and upon being removed, present ed to view only irreg-ular masses of a soft, ductile, greyish-white matter, appa rently intermediate between fat and wax ; the bones were enveloped. in this, and were found to be very brittle. The bo dies, thus changed, being but little offen sive to the smell, a great number were dug up and minutely examined: in some this alteration had, as .yet, only partially taken place, the remains of muscular fi bres being still visible ; but wliere the conversion had been complete, the bones throughout the whole body were found co vered with this grey substance, generally soft arid ductile, sometimes dry, but always readily separating into porous cavernous fragments, without the slightest trace of muscles, membranes, vessels, tendons, or nerves: the ligaments of the articulations had been in like manner changed ; the connexion between the bones was destroy ed, and these last had become so yielding, that the grave-cliggers, in order to reniove the bodies more conveniently, rolled each upon itself from head to heels, without any difficalty. According. to the testi rnony of these men, to whom the facts just mentioned had been long familiar, this conversion of animal matter is never observed in those bodie; that are interred singly., but always takes place in the foss es communes: to effect this change, nearly three years are required. The soapy matter of latest forniation is soft, very ductile, light, and spongy, and con tains water ; in 30 or 40 years it becomes much drier, more brittle, and assumes the appearance of dense lamime, and where the surrounding earth has been drier than usual, it is sometimes semi transparent, of a granulated texture, brittle, and bears a considerable resem blance to wax. Animal matter, having once passed into this stage of decomp9iii tion, appears to resist for a long time any further alteration: some of these pits that had been closed above 40 years were, upon examination, found to be little else than a solid mass of soapy matter; nor is it yet ascertained, how long in common circumstances it would contin ue unchang ed, the burial ground of the lnnticens be ing so small, in comparison to the popula tion of the district, as to require each pit in 30 or 40 years to be emptied of its contents, in order to receive a new suc cession of bodies: it appears, however, that the ulterior changes depend in a great measure on the quantity of moisture draining through the mass. From the history of this singular substance, we proceed to an exanunation of its chemical properties. It was first, however, puri fied by gently heating in an earthen ves sel, till it became of a pasty consistence, and then rubbed through a fine hair sieve, by which means the hair, small bones, and remains of the muscular fibre, were separated with tolerable exactness.
In this state, being exposed i n an earthen vessel to the naked fire, it readily became soft, but did not 'iota,' without consider able difficulty, rather frying as a piece of soap would do, and disengaging at the same time ammonlacal vapours. Four pounds being- put into a glass retort, and submitted to slow distillation in a water bath, afforded in the space of three weeks eight ounces of a clear watery fluid, with a fictid odour, turning syrup of violets green, and manifestly containing ammonia in solution ; the soapy matter remaining in the retort had acquired a greater con sistence, was become less fusible, of a deeper brown colour, and, upon cooling., was evidently drier than before, though riot admitting of being broken. Eight ounces of soapy matter, white and puri fied, were mixed with an equal weight of powdered quick lime; on the addition of a little water, the mass heated, swelled, and disengaged a very strongly arnmoni :teal vapour, accompanied by a peculiar putrescent smell; a sufficiency of water being then added, to bring the whole to the state of an emulsion, it wa.s heated to ebullition, much arnmoniacal vapour es caping at the same time ; the li quor being thrown on a filter, passed perfectly clear and colourless, and appeared to be only lime-water, with a very small quantity- of soap in solution : the matter remaining on the filter, being well washed, was beat en up with water, but shewed no tenden cy to unite with it, subsiding. after a time in the form of a white MUSS ; this, by- dry ing for a few days in the open air, became grey, and much reduced in volume: it was then mixed with diluted muriatic acid, which immediately decomposed it, and a number of white clots rose to the surface of the liquor. This last being obtained cl ear by filtration,yielded crystals of muriat of lime, and a slight trace of phosphoric salt; the white clots being washed and dried, and afterwards melted in a water bath, cooled into a dry, com bustible, oily matter, brittle, waxy, crys tallizable, and perfectly insoluble in wa ter, to which the name of rdipocire has been appropriated. From this series of experiments with lime, it appears that the soapy matter is a true ainmoniacal soap, with a base of adipocire, to which lime has a stronger affinity than ammo nia; but which last composition is again in its turn decomposed by all the acids, leavingthe adipocire it) a state of purity. Potash and soda produce effects perfectly analogous to these of lime. To the fore going experiments of Fourcroy, a few facts have since been added by Dr. Gib .bes. The receptacle at Oxford for those bodies, which have been used by the tina. tomical professor there. for his demonstra lions,' is a hole dug in the ground to the depth of thirteen or fourteen feet, and a little stream is turned through it, in or der to remove all offensive smell: the flesh contained in this was found, on ex amination, to be quite white, and for the most part changed into the soapy matter above mentioned. From this hint, pieces oflean beef were enclosed in a perforated box, and placed in running water, and at the end of a month were found converted into a mass of fatty matter; this change v.-as observed to take place much sooner, and more completely, in running- than in stagnant water: in order to get rid of the fceti smell, nitrous acid was had recourse to, which immediately had the desired effect; a waxy smell was perceived, and by melting the matter it was obtained nearly pure; the yellow colour, which had been given to it by the nitrous acid, was wholly discharg-ed by the oxy-muriatic acid. similar conversion of mnscuhu. fibre takes place by maceration in very diluted nitrous acid. Dr. Gibbes has not mentioned whether the fatty matter pro duced by runningwater is pure adipocire, or ammoniacal soap : it appears proba ble, however, that it is in the forrner state; where nitrous acid is the men struum employed, it is obviously impossi ble that the adipocire should be combined with an alkali.
MAT nf a Mine, the hole or aperture whereby it is entered and dug, and by which the water and ores are carried away; it is distinguished from the air shaft. The adit is usually made on the side of a hill, towards the bottom, about four or six feet high, and eight wide, in form of an arch ; sometimes cut into the rock, and sometimes supported with tim ber, so conducted, as that the sole or bottom of the adit may- answer to the bot tom of the shaft, only somewhat lower, that the water may have a sufficient cur rent to pass away without the use of the pump.