AMBERGREASE, or GRAY-AMBER, in Natural History, is a solid, opaque, ash-coloured, fatty, inflammable substance, variegated like marble, remarkably light, rugged, and uneven in its surface, and has a fragrant odour when heated. It does not effervesce with acids: it melts freely over the fire into a kind of yellow rosin; and is hardly soluble in spirit of wine.
It is found swimming upon the sea, or the sea coast, or in the sand near the sea coast; especially in the Atlantic ocean, on the sea coast of Brazil, and that of Madagascar; on the coast of Africa, of the East Indies, China, Japan, and the Molucca islands: but most of the ambergris which is brought to England comes from the Bahama islands, from Providence, &c. where it is found on the coast. It is also sometimes found in the abdomen of whales by the whale fishermen, always in lumps of various shapes and sizes, weighing from half an ounce to a hundred and more pounds. The piece which the Dutch East India Company bought from the king of Tydore, weighed 182 pounds. An American fisherman from Antigua found some years ago, about fifty-two leagues south-east from the Windward islands, a piece of ambergris in a whale which weighed about a hundred and thirty pounds, and sold for 300l. sterling.
There have been many different opinions concerning the origin of this substance.
It has been supposed to be a fossil bitumen or naphtha, exuding out of the bowels of the earth in a fluid form, and distilling into the sea, where it hardens and floats on the surface. But having been frequently found in the bellies of whales, it has by others been considered as entirely an animal production.
Clusius asserted it to be a phlegmatic recreement, or indurated indurated indigestible part of the food, collected and found in the stomach of the whale, in the same manner as the BEZOARS are found in the stomachs of other animals.
In an account communicated by Paul Dudley, Esq. in the 23d volume of the Philosophical Transactions, the ambergris found in whales is represented as a kind of animal product, like musk and castoreum, &c. secreted and collected in a particular bag or bladder, which is furnished with an excretory duct or canal, the spout of which runs tapering into and through the length of the penis; and that this bag, which just lies over the testicles, is almost full of a deep orange-coloured liquor, not quite so thick as oil, of the same smell as the balls of ambergris, which float and swim loose in it; which colour and liquor may also be found in the canal of the penis; and that therefore ambergris is never to be found in any female, but in the male only. But these circumstances are not only destitute of truth, but also contrary to the laws of the animal economy: For, in the first place, ambergris is frequently found in females as well as males; although that found in females is never in such large pieces, nor of so good a quality, as what is found in males. Secondly, No person who has the least knowledge in anatomy or physiology, will ever believe that organized bodies, such as the beaks of the sepia, which are so constantly found in ambergris taken out of the whale, can have been absorbed from the intestines by the lacteals or lymphatics, and collected with the ambergris in the precluded bag above mentioned.
Kaempfer, who has given us so many other faithful accounts in natural history, seems to come nearer the truth with regard to the origin of ambergris, when he says, that it is the dung of the whale; and that the Japanese for this reason call it kusura no faw, i.e. whale's dung. This account, however, though founded on observation, has never obtained credit; but has been considered rather as a fabulous story, with which the Japanese imposed upon him, who had himself no direct observation to prove the fact.
This matter, therefore, remained a subject of great doubt; and it was generally thought to be more probable, that ambergris, after having been swallowed and somehow or other changed in the stomach and bowels of the whale, was found among its excrements.
But the most satisfactory account of the real origin of ambergris, is that given by Dr Swediaur in the 73d volume of the Philosophical Transactions, art. 15.
We are told by all writers on ambergris, that sometimes claws and beaks of birds, feathers of birds, parts of vegetables, shells, fish, and bones of fish, are found in the middle of it, or variously mixed with it. Of a very large quantity of pieces, however, which the Doctor examined, he found none that contained any such thing; though he allows that such substances may sometimes be found in it: but in all the pieces of any considerable size, whether found on the sea or in the whale, he constantly found a considerable quantity of black spots, which, after the most careful examination, appeared to be the beaks of the Sepia Octopodia; and these beaks, he thinks, might be the substances which have hitherto been always mistaken for claws or beaks of birds, or shells.
The presence of these beaks in ambergris proves evidently, that all ambergris containing them is in its origin, or must have been once, of a very soft or liquid nature, as otherwise those beaks could not so constantly be intermixed with it throughout its whole substance.
That ambergris is found either upon the sea and sea-coast, or in the bowels of whales, is a matter of fact universally credited. But it has never been examined into and determined whether the ambergris found upon the sea and sea-coast, is the same as that found in the whale, or whether they are different from one another; whether that found on the sea or sea-coast has some properties, or constituent parts, which that found in the whale has not; and lastly, whether that found in the whale is superior or inferior in its qualities and value to the former.
It is likewise a matter of consequence to know, whether ambergris is found in all kinds of whales, or only in a particular species of them; whether it is constantly and always to be met with in those animals; and, if so, in what part of their body it is to be found?
All these questions we find very satisfactorily discussed by Dr Swediaur.
According to the best information that he could obtain from several of the most intelligent persons employed in the spermaceti whale fishery, and in procuring and selling ambergris, it appears, that this substance is sometimes found in the belly of the whale, but in that particular species only which is called the spermaceti whale, and which, from its description and delineation, appears to be the Physeter Macrocephalus Linnei.
The New England fishermen, according to their account, have long known that ambergris is to be found in the spermaceti whale; and they are so convinced of this fact, that whenever they hear of a place where ambergris is found, they always conclude that the seas in that part are frequented by that species of whale.
The persons who are employed in the spermaceti whale fishery, confine their views to the physeter macrocephalus. They look for ambergris in all the spermaceti whales they catch, but it seldom happens that they find any. Whenever they hook a spermaceti whale, they observe, that it constantly not only vomits up whatever it has in its stomach, but also generally discharges its feces at the same time; and if this latter circumstance takes place, they are generally disappointed in finding ambergris in its belly. But whenever they discover a spermaceti whale, male or female, which seems torpid and sickly, they are always pretty sure to find ambergris, as the whale in this state seldom voids its feces upon being hooked. They likewise generally meet with it in the dead spermaceti whales, which they sometimes find floating on the sea. It is observed also, that the whale in which they find ambergris often has a morbid protuberance, or, as they express it, a kind of gathering in the lower part of its belly, in which, if cut open, ambergris is found. It is observed, that all those whales in whose bowels ambergris is found, seem not only torpid and sick, but are also constantly leaner than others; so that, if we may judge from the constant union of these two circumstances, it would seem that a larger collection of ambergris in the belly of the whale is a source of disease, and probably sometimes the cause of its death. As soon as they Ambergris, hook a whale of this description, torpid, sickly, emaciated, or one that does not dung on being hooked, they immediately either cut up the above-mentioned protuberance, if there be any, or they rip open its bowels from the orifice of the anus, and find the ambergris sometimes in one sometimes in different lamps, of generally from three to twelve and more inches in diameter, and from one pound to twenty or thirty pounds in weight, at the distance of two, but most frequently of about six or seven feet from the anus, and never higher up in the intestinal canal; which, according to their description, is in all probability the intestinum caecum, hitherto mistaken for a peculiar bag made by nature for the secretion and collection of this singular substance. That the part they cut open to come at the ambergris is no other than the intestinal canal is certain, because they constantly begin their incision at the anus, and find the cavity everywhere filled with the faeces of the whale, which from their colour and smell it is impossible for them to mistake. The ambergris found in the intestinal canal is not so hard as that which is found on the sea or sea-coast, but soon grows hard in the air: when first taken out, it has nearly the same colour, and the same disagreeable smell, though not so strong, as the more liquid dung of the whale has; but on exposing it to the air, it by degrees not only grows grayish, and its surface is covered with a grayish dust, like old chocolate, but it also loses its disagreeable smell, and, when kept for a certain length of time, acquires the peculiar odour which is so agreeable to most people.
The gentlemen the Doctor conversed with confessed, that if they knew not from experience that ambergris thus found will in time acquire the above-mentioned qualities, they would by no means be able to distinguish ambergris from hard indurated faeces. This is so true, that whenever a whale voids its faeces upon being hooked, they look carefully to see if they cannot discover among the more liquid excrements (of which the whale discharges several barrels) some pieces floating on the sea of a more compact substance than the rest. These they take up and wash, knowing them to be ambergris.
In considering whether there be any material difference between the ambergris found upon the sea or sea-coast, and that found in the bowels or among the dung of the whale, the Doctor refutes the opinion, that all ambergris found in whales is of an inferior quality, and therefore much less in price. Ambergris, he observes, is only valued for its purity, lightness, compactness, colour, and smell. There are pieces of ambergris found on different coasts, which are of a very inferior quality; whereas there are often found in whales pieces of it of the first value; nay, several pieces found in the same whale, according to the above mentioned qualities, are more or less valuable. All ambergris found in whales has at first, when taken out of the intestines, very near the same smell as the liquid excrements of that animal have; it has then also nearly the same blackish colour: they find it in the whale sometimes quite hard, sometimes rather soft, but never so liquid as the natural faeces of that animal. And it is a matter of fact, that after being taken out and kept in the air, all ambergris grows not only harder and whiter, but also loses by degrees its smell, and assumes such an agreeable one, as that in general has which is found swimming upon the sea; therefore the goodness of ambergris seems rather to depend on its age. By being accumulated after a certain length of time in the intestinal canal, it seems even then to become of a whiter colour, and less ponderous, and to acquire its agreeable smell. The only reason why ambergris found floating on the sea generally possesses the above-mentioned qualities in a superior degree is, because it is commonly older, and has been longer exposed to the air. It is more frequently found in males than females; the pieces found in females are in general smaller, and those found in males seem constantly to be larger and of a better quality; and therefore the high price in proportion to the size is not merely imaginary for the rarity's sake, but in some respects well founded, because such large pieces appear to be of a greater age, and possess the above-mentioned qualities in general in a higher degree of perfection than smaller pieces.
It is known, that the sepia octopodia, or cuttle-fish, is the constant and natural food of the spermaceti whale, or physeter macrocephalus. Of this the fishers are so well persuaded, that whenever they discover any recent relics of it swimming on the sea, they conclude that a whale of this kind is, or has been, in that part. Another circumstance which corroborates the fact is, that the spermaceti whale, on being hooked, generally vomits up some remains of the sepia. Hence it is easy to account for the many beaks, or pieces of beaks, of the sepia, found in all ambergris. The beak of the sepia is a black horny substance, and therefore passes undigested through the stomach into the intestinal canal, where it is mixed with the faeces; after which it is either evacuated with them, or if these latter be preternaturally retained, forms concretions with them, which render the animal sick and torpid, and produce an obstipation, which ends either in an abscess of the abdomen, as has been frequently observed, or becomes fatal to the animal; whence, in both the cases, on the bursting of its belly, that hardened substance known under the name of ambergris, is found swimming on the sea or thrown upon the coast.
From the preceding account, and his having constantly found the above mentioned beaks of the sepia in all pieces of ambergris of any considerable size, Dr Swediaur concludes, with great probability, that all ambergris is generated in the bowels of the physeter macrocephalus or spermaceti whale; and there mixed with the beaks of the sepia octopodia, which is the principal food of that whale. He therefore defines ambergris to be the preternaturally hardened dung or faeces of the physeter macrocephalus, mixed with some indigestible relics of its food.
The opinion of Dr Swediaur, with regard to the origin of ambergris, has been confirmed by the information of Captain J. Coffin, master of a ship employed in the southern whale fishery, given to a committee of privy council in the year 1791. According to Mr Coffin's information, American ships had sometimes found small quantities of ambergris; but none, that he knew of, had ever been found by British ships. The quantity which he had brought home amounted to 362 ounces; and it was taken from the body of a female spermaceti whale on the coast of Guinea, which was Ambergris was lean, sickly, and old; and yielded but a small proportion of oil. While the people were employed in cutting up the blubber, ambergris was discovered coming from the fundament of the whale, and a piece of it was seen floating on the surface of the sea. More was observed in the same passage, and the rest was found in a bag a little below the passage and communicating with it. Mr Coffin supposes, that the spermaceti whale feeds almost wholly on the sepia or squid; for when the whale is dying, a quantity of this fish, sometimes whole, sometimes in pieces, is thrown up. The bills of the squid were found, some on the outside adhering to it, and some mixed with it. The spermaceti whale, when struck, generally voids her excrement, and if she does not, Mr Coffin conjectures, that she has no ambergris; for he supposes, that the production of it is the cause or the effect of some disorder; and that it is most likely to be found in a sickly fish. The ambergris of the whale taken by Mr Coffin was mostly sold at 19s. 9d. per ounce; and a small part of it, when it was scarce, at 25s. It was bought partly for home consumption, and partly for exportation to Turkey, Germany, and France. (Phil. Trans. vol. lxxxi.)
The use of ambergris in Europe is now nearly confined to perfumery, though it has formerly been recommended in medicine by several eminent physicians. Hence the Essentia Ambre Hofmanni, Tinctura Regia Cod. Parisini, Trochisci de Ambra Ph. Wurtemberg, &c.
If we wish to see any medicinal effects from this substance, the Doctor observes, we must certainly not expect them from two or three grains, but give rather as many scruples of it for a dose; though even then, he thinks, there would not be reason to expect much effect from it, as he had himself taken of pure unadulterated ambergris in powder 30 grains at once without observing the least sensible effect from it. A sailor, however, who had the curiosity to try the effect of recent ambergris upon himself, took half an ounce of it melted upon the fire, and found it a good purgative; which proves that it is not quite an inert substance.
In Asia and part of Africa ambergris is not only used as a medicine and a perfume; but considerable use is also made of it in cookery, by adding it to several dishes as a spice. A great quantity of it is also constantly bought by the pilgrims who travel to Mecca; probably to offer it there, and make use of it in fumigations, in the same manner as frankincense is used in Catholic countries. The Turks make use of it as an aphrodisiac. Our perfumers add it to scented pillars, candles, halls, bottles, gloves, and hairpowder; and its essence is mixed with pomatums; for the face and hands, either alone or mixed with musk, &c. though its smell is to some persons extremely offensive.
Ambergris may be known to be genuine by its fragrant scent when a hot needle or pin is thrust into it, and its melting like fat of an uniform consistence; whereas the counterfeit will not yield such a smell, nor prove of such a fat texture. One thing, however, is very remarkable, that this drug, which is the most sweet of all the perfumes, should be capable of being resembled in smell by a preparation of one of the most odious of all stinks. Mr Homberg found that a vessel in which he had made a long digestion of human faeces, acquired a very strong and perfect smell of ambergris, insomuch that any one would have thought a great quantity of essence of ambergris had been made in it. The perfume was so strong and offensive, that the vessel was forced to be removed out of the laboratory.