AMBERGRIS

solid substance formed in the intestine of the sperm whale (Physeter catodon). It is used chiefly as a spice in the East, and in the West it is used to fix the scent of fine perfumes. Ambergris is thought to form as a protective substance against the intestinal irritation caused by the indigestible horny portions of the squid and cuttlefish on which the whale feeds. It is not definitely known whether the process is normal or pathological. Ambergris, when fresh, is soft in consistency, black in colour, and has a disagreeable odour. When exposed to sun, air, and sea water, however, it hardens, its colour fades to a light gray or yellow, and it develops a subtle and pleasant fragrance. Ambergris has been washed ashore on the coasts of many countries, especially China, Japan, Africa, the Americas, and tropical islands such as the Bahamas. It has also been found in the bodies of captured whales or floating free on the sea. Pieces are usually small, but one find weighed about 418 kg (922 pounds). Ambergris has been known since antiquity and was highly valued as a perfume, a medicine, and as a spice for food and wines. Chemically, the substance is known to contain alkaloids, acids, and a fatty substance called ambrein. Ambergris is commonly used in the form of a tincture, being ground in a mortar and placed in dilute solution with alcohol. When introduced into fine perfumes, ambergris adds to the scent of essential flower oils its own suave and long-lasting bouquet. Ambergris has declined somewhat in value because synthetics have largely replaced it as a fixative in the perfume industry.