AMBERGRIS, iim'be'r-gri:s (Fr. a sabre gris, gray amber; Ar. 'anbar) . Also spelled a mbcrg rise and a mbergrease. A fatty secretion formed in the bowels of sonic sperm whales (q.v.), and valued as a material fur perfume. It is taken from whales directly, but more is found floating in waters (especially of the tropics) frequented by these cetaceans, or cast upon the beaches in lumps of all sizes up to a mass exeeeding 200 pounds in weight. It is lighter than water, gray marbled with blackish in color, opaque and waxy in consistency, softens readily under heat, melting into resinous liquid at 145° F.. and develops on exposure to the air a sweet, "earthy" odor in place of its disagreeable smell when first taken from a whale. Chemically. it is soluble in oils, but resists acids: and it dis solves readily in hot alcohol, yielding a substance termed ambrein. As this is closely related chem ically to known biliary secretions, it is further evidence that ambergris is of this nature, perhaps induced by, and partaking of, the squids upon which the sperm whale largely feeds, remains of whose beaks are frequently found mixed with it. Like other bezoars and substances of mys
terious origin, ambergris was formerly regarded as an etlicaeions medicine, but its virtues were imaginary, and it is no longer used in pharmacy, nor as a flavor in cookery, except among a few barbarians of the East. It has a high commer cial value, however, as a material for the man ufacture of various perfumes, and the price is increasing. owing to the increasing rarity of the .sperm whale, and a growing demand. Hence it is adulterated and imitated; a test of its genu ineness is described as 'its solubility in hot alco hol. its fragrant odor, and its uniform fatty con sistence on btsing penetrated by a hot wire."