390 Mr. B. C. Brodie on the Chemical Nature 



After a further interval of several days the substance was 

 again analysed. 



I. 0*4434 grm of the substance gave 0*464- CO„ and 0*115 

 HO. 



JI. 0*309 grm. of the substance gave 0323 C0 2 and 0*08 

 HO, which give in 100 parts, — 



I. II. 



Carbon . . . 28*54 28*51 



Hydrogen . . 2*79 2*88 



Chlorine . . . 68*67 68*61 



100*00 100*00 



Notwithstanding that between these and the last analyses 

 the action of the chlorine had been prolonged for a consider- 

 able time, the formula shows a difference of only one equiva- 

 lent of chlorine. 



The formula C M -i pi 32 requires 



C^ . . . . 28*76 

 H 32 . . . . 2*84 

 Cl 22 .... 68*40 



100*00 



These analyses determine with certainty the ratio of the 

 hydrogen to the carbon in the cerotene, and leave no doubt 

 as to the nature of the hydrocarbon. M. Lewy attempted to 

 take the density of the vapour of paraffine from bees'-wax. He 

 found, however, that this could not be effected, as the sub- 

 stance was altered, in process of conversion into vapour, with 

 the formation of a small quantity of hydrocarbon gas ; the 

 paraffine however remaining white, and the analysis showing 

 no variation in composition*. It has been also remarked by 

 others that if bees'-wax be repeatedly distilled, the solid hy- 

 drocarbon disappears from the distillate. These observations 

 point to the source of the oil in the distillation of the Chinese 

 wax, viz. the transformation of the cerotene itself into isomeric 

 hydrocarbons. In fact, I found, if the cerotene be distilled 



and redistilled in a closed tube of the form 



annexed, that by effecting the distillation in r^^\\ 

 this manner under pressure, after about two 1 1 



distillations the distillate becomes liquid and \ J 



the solid matter entirely disappears. The 

 experiment after about six distillations was put an end to by 

 the bursting of the heated end of the tube, when a large quan- 

 tity of combustible vapour was given off. The oil which had 

 * Ann. de Chimie, Series HI. vol. v. p. 398. 



