1 



132 EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS 



Ing dccompofed folved in the potafh ; this may be precipitated from it by an 

 the a wax a nearly ac '^* That part of the wax which rifes to the furface is con- 

 unchanged, verted into a faponaceous matter ; it has loft its inflammabi- 

 lity and fufibility, and forms an opake folution with water. 

 From this folution it is precipitated by an acid in the form of 

 white flakes, which when collected, will be found to refem- 

 ble very nearly the wax before its union with the potafti. 

 Pure ammonia g # p ure ammon i a exhibits with the myrtle wax phenomena 

 potafh, but in many refpe&s, fimilar to thofe produced by the fixed alcalis. 

 more feebly. When its a6tion is promoted by heat, an opake folution is 

 produced ; the wax is deprived of its colour ; the greateft 

 part of it feparates from the fluid, and is converted into a 

 fubftance partly foluble in warm water, though lefs fo than 

 that refulting from the action of potafh upon myrtle wax. 

 The three prin- 7. The mineral acids exeixife little aftion upon this fub- 

 adds aftTpon ^ ance at tne ordinary temperature of the atmofphere ; the 

 it; though not fulphuric diflblves it fparingly, and acquires a brown tinge. 



with any notable With the a flift ance f a moderate heat this acid diflblves about 

 force. 



—£ of its weight, and is converted into a thick, dark-brown 



mafs; by cooling it becomes nearly concrete, but no fepara- 

 tion of the wax takes place. The nitric and muriatic acids, 

 even when heated, feem to poflefs little attra&ion for the 

 myrtle wax. After the wax had been kept for fome time in 

 a ftate of fufion in contact with the nitric acid, its green hue 

 was converted into a pale yellow, but the acid remained co~ 

 lourlefs, nor did any part of the wax appear to be diflblved in 

 it : the wax by long digeftion in muriatic acid became of a 

 bright orange colour. 

 Deduaion : Thefe experiments will enable us, at leaft with a confide- 



that myrtle wax raD ] e degree of probability, to aflign the place which the ve- 

 oxtgenated geable myrtle wax muft hold in a natural arrangement of 

 fixed oil. chemical fubflances. Its inflammability, fufibility, its infolu- 



bility in water, and the action which takes place between it 

 and the alcalis, point out its affinity to the fixed oils, while 

 its texture and confidence, and more particularly its habitudes 

 with alcohol and ether, indicate a refemblance to the refins. 

 We may therefore confider the myrtle wax as a fixed vege- 

 table oil, rendered concrete by the addition of a quantity of 

 oxigen ; it feems to hold the fame relation to the fixed, that 

 refins do to the eflfential oils of vegetables. 



But 



