Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site kitty.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rochester!rocksanne!sunybcs!kitty!larry From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) Newsgroups: net.bizarre Subject: Bizarre Chemicals in Our Daily Lives Message-ID: <312@kitty.UUCP> Date: Sun, 11-Aug-85 18:21:33 EDT Article-I.D.: kitty.312 Posted: Sun Aug 11 18:21:33 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 01:16:13 EDT Distribution: net Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY Lines: 43 BIZARRE CHEMICALS IN OUR DAILY LIVES Today's Topic: Ambergris When is the last time you have admired the fragrence of an expensive perfume? Did you ever wonder what ingredients went into that perfume? Perfumes generally consist of three categories of ingredients: 1. Fragrences which may be essential oils and/or synthetic organic materials. 2. Solvents/Dilutents which are typically alcohol-based and permit the fragrences to exist in a homogeneous solution. 3. Fixatives which retard the volatilization of the fragrences, and which further tend to *equalize* their rate of volatilization. If it were not for fixatives, then multi-component fragrences with different rates of volatilization would result in the perfume changing odor during use. One of the fixatives used in the MOST EXPENSIVE perfumes is ambergris. Ambergris is a waxy substance and is gray to black in color. It melts at about 60 deg C and almost completely volatizes with heat. It is insoluble in water, but is soluble in alcohol, ether, fats, and oils. Ambergris is a complex chemical mixture containing about 80% cholesterol, benzoic acid, fatty oils, ketones, and paraffin oils. Ambergris is a wholely natural product and is quite expensive due to its scarcity and the difficulties involved in obtaining it. What *is* ambergris, you ask? Ambergris is pure, unadulterated whale shit. That's right: WHALE SHIT! Ambergris is a concretion which forms in the intestine of the male sperm whale, and is found floating on the surface of the ocean or washed up on beaches. So next time you sniff some *expensive* perfume, don't forget, you are probably also smelling WHALE SHIT. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ | Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York | | UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry | | {rice,shell}!baylor!/ | | VOICE 716/741-9185 syr!buf!/ | | TELEX {via WUI} 69-71461 ansbak: ELGECOMCLR | | | | "Have you hugged your cat today?" | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++