Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/122

 A M B

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In times of Plague, thofe who wort in Amber at Ko- ningsberg are faid to be never infected ; whence it is held a Prefervativc.— It is erteem'd a Lithonthriptick Diure- tick, and Promoter of the Menfes.

Some diftinguim Amber with regard to its Colours, into yellow, white, brown, and black.— But the two latter are fuppofed of a different Nature and Denomination ; the one cali'd Jet, the other Ambergreafe. See Ambergrease.

The white is mod valued for Medicinal Ufes, as being belt digeflcd, of the moft odoriferous Smell, and containing the greater! Quantity of Volatile Salt. — The yellow is moil: prized by thole who wotk it into Beads, and other Toys, by realon of its tranfparency.

Kerkrig pretends to be Mailer of the Secret of making Coffins of Amber, without defttoying its Tranfparency. "Pis probable he took the Hint from the Ethiopians, who bury their Dead in Glades. An Ethiopian, tho black, makes a fine Figure in a Venice Cryftal ; much more would he do in a Cover or yellow Amber.

The Amber gathcr'd on the Pruffian Coafts, yields that Prince a handiome Revenue. — Authors make mention of other Places where it is found, as on the Banks of the Po ; thcCoafts of Marfeilles ; and divers Parts of AJza, Africa,mi even America : But Hartman, who has wrote the Hiltory of the Prujjian Amber, Succini Pruf/ict Hifioria, &c. tteats all thele Accounts as Fables, and denies Amber to be found any where but in the Northern Countries of Europe, via. in 'Poland, Silefia, and 'Bohemia, rarely ; Jutland, Hoi- ftein, Denmark, oftener; mote frequently ftill'on the Coafts of Samcgitia, Cotirland, Livonia, and Pomerania ; but moll of all, in Pruffia, in the Country called Sambia, from Neve T/Jf to Urantx, Urug.

The Word is originally Arabick, Ambar, or Anbar, which fignifies the fame thing.

Spirit of Ameer, is an acid Liquor, procur'd from Am- ber, by pulverizing and drftilling it by a Sand-heat, with or without the Addition of Tobacco-pipes, Bticks, Sand, £?c.

It is chieHy ufed externally in Rheumatick Pains and Aches ; and internally, in inveterate Gleets, ££?c.

Oil of Amber, is a fine, tranfparent, ponderous, yellow Oil ; procured after the Spirit, by increafing the degree of Fire. — This, by Rectification, becomes a good Antihylletic, and Emmenagogue ; being very fubtile and penetrative. _ Volatile Sail of Amber. — The principal Chymical Produc- tion of this Subitance, is a peculiar white, tranfparenr, acid Salt ; which rifes after the Oil, and fixes in the Neck of the Retort, ES?£.

It is a good Cephalic, and Detergent : Dr. Sidney fays, it extremely attenuates, cuts, and penetrates the moft re- mote and minute Receffes j and thus fcours, as it were, the whole nervous Syftem. Its chief tendency, he adds, is to Secretion ; and what it carries along with it, is by Urine. It alfo contributes, with AJexipharmicks, to promote a Dia- phorelis ; and is fcarce ever omitted in Ptefcription for chro- nick Cafes, as Epilepfies, Palfies, ££jc.

The great Confumption of this Medicine, and the fmall Proportion that Amber yields of it,occafions it to be frequent- ly adulterated with Sal Ammoniac, Nitre, Cream of Tartar, Salt of Coral, ifc.

'Tincture of Ameer, is procured by Digeftion in Spirit of Wine with a Sand-heat. See Tincture, and Digestion.

It is prefcribed with the fame Intentions as the Salt of Amber.

Slack Amber. See Jet.

Liquid Amber, is a kind of native Balfam, or Refin, like Turpentine ; clear, reddifh or yellowifh ; of a plcafant Smell, almoft like Ambergreafe. See Resin.

It flows liquid, from an Incifion made in the Bark of a fine large Tree in New Spain ; but hardens as it gtows older into a folid form, and is brought to us in Barrels.

It is reputed an excellent Balfam ; mollifies, confolidates, and is good againft the Sciatica, Weaknefs of the Nerves, ££/£. See Balm.

Amber-grease, Ambergris, Ambra Grisia, Amba- ktjm, a fragrant Drug, that melts almoft like Wax ; common- ly of a greyifh or a/h-colour, ufed both as a Petfume and a Cordial.

It is found on the Sea-Coafts, in feveral Countries ; as, along the Southern and Eaftern Parts of Africa, Madagascar, the Maldives, fome Parts of the Mediterranean ; and in the Weft Indies, about the Hlands of 'Bermudas, &c. It is of divers Colours, whitilh, biownifh, ftreak'd with yellow, blackifh, S2>c.

There is a great Vatiety of Opinions among Naturalifts with regard to its Otigin and Production : To rehearfe 'em all, would make a Volume. — The principal may be reduced to thefe which follow.

i°, Some take it for the Exctement of a Bird, which be- ing melted by the Heat of the Sun, and walli'd off the Shotc by the Waves ; is fwallow'd by Whales ; who return it back in the Condition we find it. Or, as Barbofa re-

AMB

lates, from the Moorifb Inhabitants of the Maldives • trie Excrements abovemention'd are altur'd and refin'd by 'lyina on the Rocks, expofed to the Sun, Moon, and Air - from whence they are afterwards walli'd off by the rifio" Sea They add, that the Whales frequently fwallow pieces" hereof- that thole Pieces we meet withal or a black Colour, took that" Hue in the Stomach of thole Animals ; that the brown arc fuch as have floated long on the Water ; and the white, fuch as have only been a fhort time there, which they value the moft. Ramti/io, Tom. I. fol. 515.

i", Others fpeak of it as the Excrement of a Cetaceous Fifti ; becaufe fometimes found in the Interlines; and fome- times in the Faces thcmfelves, of fuch Animals. — fuflus Klobius, in his Hulory of Amber, defcribes the Animal 3 which he fays is a Whale, and called the 'trunk : Adding, that the Spcrma Ceti is taken out of the Head of the fame Creature.— Others, with the Perfians, fuppofe the Fiih that yields the Ambergreafe, a Sea-Calf j others, with the Afri- cans^, a peculiar Species of Fifli, named Ambracan ; others a Crocodile, by reafon its Flefli is perfumed, S?c.

But, to both thefe Hypothefes it is objefled, That we have no Inftance of any Excrement capable of melting like Wax. Add, that if it were the Excrement of a Whale, it mould rather be found in fuch Places where thofe Animals abound, as about Greenland, Sic. than about the Maldivy I Hands, Scffala, Melinda, Cape Comorin, &c. where no Whales are found.

3°, Others take ir for a kind of Wax, or Gum, which di- ftils from Trees, and drops into the Sea, where it congeals, and becomes Ambergreafe.

4°, Others, and particularly many of the Orientals, ima- gine it fprings out of the bottom of the Sea, as Naphtha does out of fome Fountains. — They add, that the only Springs hereof are in the Sea of Ormus, between the Ara- bian and Perfian Gulphs. Edriffi, who is of this Opinion, in the firit Climate of his Geography, mentions pieces of

Ambergreafe, on thofe Coafts, weighing a full Quintal.

Paludanus and Linfchoot fpeak of it as a fort ofPitch, gra~ dually working up from the bottom of the Sea, and harden- ing in the Sun.

5°, Othets take it for a Sea-Mufhroom, tore up from the bottom by the Violence of Tempefts ; it being obferv'd, that Ambergreafe is never found but after Storms.

6°, Others alien it a Vegetable Production, iffuing out of the Root of a Tree, whole Roots always fhoot towatd the Sea, and difcharge themfelvcs into the lame. — This Ac- count we have in the Philofophical TranfaBions, from one of the Dutch Factors at Batavia : And the fame is con' firmed by Mr. Boyle. Oftafles and Odors.

7°, Others fuppofe it a fpongious kind of Earth, which the working of the Sea wafhes'from off the Rocks, where, being lighter than Water, it floats.— Others are of Opinion that it is a bituminous Matter ; that it is at firit liquid, and runs into the Sea, and that it is there condenfed and re- duced into a Mafs.

8°, Laftly, others maintain, that Ambergreafe is made from the Honey-Combs which fall into the Sea from the Rocks, where the Bees had formed their Nefts — This Opi- nion has fomething of Experience on its fide, and begins now to be generally allow'd ; feveral Perfons having feen Pieces that were half Ambergreafe, and half plain Honey- Comb: and others, again, havingfoundlarge Pieces of Am- bergreafe, which when broke, Honey-Comb, and Honey too, were found in the middle.

The Pieces frequently feem compofed of divers Strata, laid one over another ; with Stones and other Bodies in- clofed therein ; and the Strata are fometimes full of little Shells, which feem a Species of Concha Anatifera: Whence it may be conjeflur'd, that the Ambergreafe has originally been in a fluid State ; or at leaft, that it has been melted; and in that State has form'd it felf afreih, and invelop'd fuch Bodies as happen'd to be in its way.

It is of confiderable ufe among Perfumers, who melt it over a gentle Fire, and make Extrafls, Effences, and Tinc- tures of it.— It would be of more ufe in Phyfick too, were not its Smell fo rank and offenfive, and on that account apt to occafion Vapours.

We have various Inftances in Authors, of huge Pieces of this Matter : The largeft that has been known in Europe, was brought by the Dutch Eaft-India Company, towatd the Clofe of the laft Century ; and kept in their Houfe for fome Years. It was almoft round 5 meafured two Foot in Dia- meter, and weigh'd an hundred eighty two Pounds. The great Duke of Tufcany offer'd fifty thoufand Crowns for ir.

Amber-seed, or Musk-feed, is a Seed fomewhar like the Millet, of a bitteri/h Tafte, and brought dry to us from Martinico and Egypt. — The Egyptians ufe it internally, as a Cordial, to fortify the Heart, Stomach, and Head, and to provoke Luft. — It gives a grateful Scent to the Breath, after eating ; but is not ptoper for thofe who are inclinable to Vapouts.

AMBI-