26 0N Tl * E PECULA OF GREEN PLANTS. 



When a vegetable product contains? nitrogen, fulphur, 

 phofphorus, benzoic acid; fat, yellow bitter, iron in abund- 

 ance, no doubt can remain of its belonging to the clafs of 

 animalifed fubftances. 



Of Wax. 



Wax is a vegeta- X II. Wax is the work of vegetation, and not of the bees. 

 tie matter. l . . , , & ' 



It is, I think, in deriving nourishment from the gluten which 



accompanies it in the duft of the ftamina that they make the 

 reparation. This duft yields ammonia in abundance, which 

 has led me to believe that it contains gluten ; and now that I 

 have di (covered wax in certain fecula, I am of opinion, that 

 if this duft was treated with nitric acid, wax would be ob- 

 tained. 



It" may be had The fecula of the fm all houfeleek yielded a quantity that 



from fecula. furprifed me. This wax is white, dry, brittle and without 

 fmell ; it cannot be confounded with the febaceous products 

 obtained from other fecula, fuch as thofe of hemlock and 

 folanum. MefTrs. Fernandez and Chabaneau examined it to 

 fatisfy themfelves; they chewed it, and were convinced that 

 this product was a perfect wax. 



The fecula of green cabbage alfo yielded it, but in much 

 lefs quantity. The wax appears to me to be the varnifh 

 fpread over the plants by vegetation, doubtlefs to preferve 



It covers plants} them from the effecls of wet, which might injure them. It 

 is this varnifh which divides the rain and the dew into the 

 filvery pearls upon the leaves of cabbages, poppies and fo 

 many other plants which afford this agreeable fpeclacle in our 

 gardens. It is alfo the wax which the curious gardener who 

 gathers a plum, a fig, or a grape is careful not to rub off 

 with his fingers. 



At Paris, an orange on removing the paper in which it has 

 been wrapped from its leaving Portugal, will be found covered 

 with a farinaceous coating, which may be taken off with the 

 blade of a knife, and then brought to a candle and melted 

 to afcertain its nature. 



The fecula of opium alfo contains a fat which from its 

 firm confiftence, nearly refembles wax, and which has been 

 known to many opiologifts. 



and fi!k» Finally, raw filk is alfo covered with a coating of wax 



■which is carried off, with the colour, by alcohol, and is 

 feparated from that fluid by cooling. 



Of 



