AMBERGRIS, a substance of animal origin, found principally in warm climates, floating on the sea, or thrown on the coasts. The best comes from Madagascar, Surinam, and Java. It has been found in the intestinal canal of the Physcter macrocephalus, mixed with the remains of several marine animals which have served it for food. On this account it has been supposed to be a morbid product, analogous to biliary Ambergris of good quality is solid, opaque, of a bright gray colour, which is darkest externally, and intermixed with yellow or reddish stri. When it is heated or rubbed. it exhales an odour which is agreeable to most persons. It is sufficiently soft to be flattened between the fingers. Its fracture is fine-grained, with traces of lamellar structure. The heat of the hand is sufficient to soften it. Its specific gravity varies from 0'908 to When ambergris is heated with boiling alcohol of the specific gravity 0'833, until it is saturated, a. peculiar substance, called Ambrein, is obtained as the solution cools, grouped in mammillated, small, colourless crystals. The solution, by evaporation, yields a further
portion of ambrein, which may be rendered pure, by being redissolied in alcohol, and then crystallised.
Ambrein, thus obtained, is brilliant, white, and insipid ; it has an agreeable Odour, which appears, however, to be adventitious, because it is diminished by repeated crystallisations ; by fusion or a long continued gentle heat it acquires a resinous odour. Nitric acid con verts it into a peculiar acid, called Ambreic ACid. The caustic alkalies do not form soap with it.
According to Jueh and Bouillon-Lagrange, benzoic acid exists in distilled ambergris ; by the analysis of John, ambergris appears to bo composed of ambrein an extractive matter soluble in alcohol, and probably containing benzoic acid, 0'025 ; watery extract with benzoic acid and common salt, ; with not accounted for.
Ambergris is used as a perfume ; and as the alcoholic solution is the most odorous preparation of it, it is generally employed in that form.