26,000 dollars; on which account the late Frederic professed himself to belong to the trade of amber-turners.
Those parts of the earth which produce this bitumen, are generally covered with a soft slaty stone, and abound with vitriol. Its most remarkable properties are, that it attracts other bodies to its surface, such as paper, hair, wool, &c. and that it presents a luminous appearance in the dark. In its native form, under ground, it resembles various substances, such as pears, almonds, peas, &c.; but, when broken, leaves, insects, and other small objects, frequently appear inclosed: hence it has been supposed, that amber was originally in a fluid state, or that from its exposure to the sun, it became softened, so as to be susceptible of those impressions. As these insects are never found in its centre, but always near its surface, the latter seems the more probable conjecture. Animals of all kinds, are extremely fond of it, and pieces are frequently discovered in their excrements. Several centuries before the Christian æra, it was in high esteem as a medicine; and Plato, Aristotle, and other writers, have commended its virtues: among the Romans it was valued as a gem, and in the reign of Nero, brought in immense quantities to the capital, where it was highly prized by the fashionable ladies, who decorated themselves with trinkets made of that substance; a custom which is still prevalent at Munster in Westphalia, and other catholic countries, where it is converted into amulets, crosses, &c.
As a medicine, amber is at present but in little repute, though it is still given in fluor albus, hysteric affections, and in those diseases which proceed from debility. Formerly it was used in a variety of preparations, but of late, an aromatic balsam, a powder, and an essential oil, are the only forms in which it is employed.
Lastly, this bituminous matter constitutes the basis of several kinds of varnish. It is used for the coating of various toys, for staining the papier maché, and for the varnishing of carriages; for which last purpose, however, it is more profitable to dissolve the gum copal. The following is a simple and efficacious recipe for making the amber varnish.
Melt the amber slowly in a crucible, till it becomes black; then reduce it to a fine powder, and boil it in lintseed oil, or in a mixture of this and the oil of turpentine.—See Varnish.
AMBERGRISE, or Grey Amber, is a solid, opake, bituminous substance, of a greyish or ash colour, usually intermixed with yellow and blackish veins. This concrete is found floating on the sea, or thrown on the shores, and is produced in the greatest quantity by the Indian Ocean. It has been sometimes also discovered by fishermen in the bellies of whales, in lumps of various sizes, from half an ounce to one hundred pounds in weight. Hence it is supposed to be an animal production. Clusius, however, asserts that it is an indurated and indigested part of the food collected by these fish, and forms a similar concretion with that of the bezoar found in the stomach of other animals. When pure, it softens between the fingers; melts into an oil, in a moderate degree of heat, and, in a stronger one, proves highly volatile. Slightly
