Mineral Substances of Organic Origin, No,IIL Ozocerite, 391 



water, it is also volatilized in small quantity, and floats like 

 wax on the water which collects in the receiver. Heated 

 over a lamp in a platinum spoon, it takes fire, and burns with 

 a pale blue, surmounted by a white flame, having little smoke, 

 and leaving no residue. 



It undergoes no apparent change when boiled in concen- 

 trated nitric, muriatic, or sulphuric acid. Alcohol, even ab- 

 solute and boiling, dissolves it very sparingly. The solution 

 is rendered milky by water; and by spontaneous evaporation, 

 deposits the dissolved portion in white flocks, ^ther, in the 

 cold, dissolves about four-fifths of the whole, giving a solution 

 which, like the substance itself, is brown by transmitted light, 

 and by reflected light exhibits the greenish opalescence, ob- 

 servable in the ozocerite of Moldavia. The solution, by spon- 

 taneous evaporation, deposits the dissolved portion in brown 

 flocks, which, at 102° Fahr., melt into a yellow brown liquid. 

 The mass, on cooling, presents the external characters of the 

 original substance, but has less consistence and density. Its 

 specific gravity is 0*885, and it melts at 102° Fahr. A further 

 small portion of the brown undissolved matter is taken up by 

 boiling aether and alcohol. Obtained by evaporation from 

 these solutions, this second portion is colourless, or of a pale 

 yellow ; has the appearance and consistency of wax, and melts 

 at 136° Fahr., — about 16 degrees lower than the fusing point of 

 bees*-wax. The remaining portion, which is almost insoluble 

 in boiling alcohol and aether, has a dark brown colour, and 

 the consistence of soft wax ; its density is 0*965 ; it melts at 

 163° Fahr., and boils at a temperature above 500° Fahr. The 

 vapour has a peculiar and slightly bituminous odour. It con- 

 stitutes about one-sixth of the mineral mass. 



As it occurs in nature, therefore, this substance contains at 

 least three several compounds, agreeing in their indifference to 

 acids, but differing in physical properties and in their rela- 

 tions, especially to aether. The following table exhibits a 

 comparative view of the properties of the mixed mineral, 

 — of its three constituent parts — of the specimens of fossil 

 wax from Moldavia, examined by Schrotter and Malaguti — 

 and of the substance obtained from it by the latter on distil- 

 lation. 



