

ON MYRTLE WAX, BEES WAX, &C. 133 



But though the myrtle wax be itfelfof vegetable origin, But it refemble* 



there are fome animal fubftances which more nearly r$jfep*W e bee» and alfo 



it in its chemical properties than any product of the vegetable fpermacetij and 



kingdom. The principal of thefe is the wax elaborated by "Jjjjjfc^ 



the bee, to which the peculiar fubftance now under confide- trie acid upon 



ration bears a ftron£ refemblance, both in its physical and mu / c " ,ar fi J r f » 

 . fo ' . r J andthecryftal- 



chemical properties. Myrtle wax alfo in many particulars ij ne matter of 



refembles fpermaceti ; the fubftance called Adipocire, pro- biliary calculi; 



duced by tlie action of nitric acid upon the mufcular fibre ; 



and the cryftalline matter of biliary calculi. I (hall in a very 



coucife manner, inftitute a comparifon between myrtle wax 



and each of thefe fubftances. 



Bees Wax. 



This fubftance, in its phvfical properties, differs from my r- Comparifon with 

 tie wax in being more unctuous, and poffefling a greater de- bees wa ** M y r ' 

 gree of tenacity : its colour and fmell are alfo different. Bees unctuous j tena- 

 wax is likewife confiderably lefs fufible; Dr. Pearfon * and ^ 10US > different 

 Mr. Nicholfon f fix its melting point at 142°; whereas Mr. f me u . more f u- 

 Fourcroy % places it lower in the fcale at 1 17° ; on this fub- Able, more fo- 

 ject the refults of my experiments coincide exactly with thofe^^ 1 "^^. 

 of the Englim chemifts. There is alfo a difference of opinion more affedted by 

 among chemifts reflecting the action which takes place be- P * 3 * » 3n< j. 

 tween this fubftance and alcohol ; Fourcroy §, Chaptal |j, and by ammonia. 

 Nicholfon *"*, alTert that it is infoluble in this fluid, while 

 Pearfon maintains the contrary ; on this queftion my expe- 

 rience agrees with that of Dr. Pearfon. The proportion of 

 bees wax which the alcohol is capable of diffolving, feems 

 however to be fomewhat lefs than that of the myrtle wax. As 

 in the former cafe, the greateft part of the wax feparates as 

 the fluid cools ; while the remainder may be precipitated by 

 the addition of water. Bees wax is fparingly diffolved by 

 boiling ether, lefs readily, and in confiderably lefs proportion 



* Pe.arfon's Obfervations and Experiments on White Lac. 

 Phil. Tranf. 1794. 



f Nicholfoif s Journal, Quarto, vol. i. p. 70. 

 % Fourcroy Syftemedes ConnaifT. Chimiques, x. 343* 

 § Ibid, and Thomfon's Fourcroy, Vol. iii. p. 387. 

 jl ChaptaPs Elements, Vol. III. p. 164. 



^*» (Nicholfon's Elements, p. 502.) 

 than 



