Trails. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 48 Dec. 4, 



passion strong in money-making, which giv^es us wooden nutmegs, 

 wooden hams, shoddy-cloth, glucose-candy, chicory-coffee, oleomarga- 

 rine-butter, mineral sperm-oil made from petroleum, and beeswax 

 made without bees. 



After this paper was written, the following translation from a pam- 

 phlet, published by the First Hungarian Galician Railway Company, 

 in 1879, came to my notice. The writer's name is not published. 



" Mineral wax, in the condition in which it is taken from the shafts, 

 is not well adapted for exportation, since it occurs with much earthy 

 matter ; and, at any rate, an expensive packing in sacks would be 

 necessary. It is therefore first freed from all foreign substances by 

 melting, and cooled in conical cakes of about 25 kilos, weight, and these 

 cakes are exported. There are now, m Borislau, 25 melting works, 

 which, in 1877, with one steam and 60 fire kettles, produced 95,000 

 metric centners (9,500,000 lbs.). 



The melted earth-wax is sent from Borislau to almost all European 

 countries, to be farther refined. Outside of Austro-Hungary, we may 

 specially mention Germany, England, Italy, France, Belgium and 

 Russia, as large purchasers of this article of commerce. 



Products and their Applications. 



The products of mineral wax are : 



(a.) Ceresine, also called ozocerotine or refined ozokerite, a product 

 which possesses a striking resemblance to ordinarily refined beeswax. 

 It replaces this in almost all its uses, and, by its cheapness, is em- 

 ployed for many purposes for which beeswax is too dear. It is much 

 used for wax candles, tor waxing floors and for dressing linen and 

 colored papers. Wax-crayons must be mentioned among these pro- 

 ducts. The house of Offenheim & Ziffer, in Elbeteinitz, makes them 

 of many colors. These crayons are especially adapted to marking 

 wood, stone and iron ; also, for marking linen and paper, as well as 

 for writing and drawing. The writings and drawings made with 

 these crayons, can be effaced neither by water, by acids, nor by rubbing. 



Concerning the technical process for the production of ceresine, it 

 should be safd that, when the industry was new (the production of 

 ceresine has been known only about eight years, since 1874), it was con- 

 trolled by patents, which are kept secret. This much is known, that 

 the color and odor are removed by fuming sulphuric acid. 



From mineral wax of good quality about 70 per cent, of white cere- 

 sine is obtained. The yellow ceresine is tinted by the addition of col- 

 oring matter (annatto). 



{b.) Paraffins, a firm, white, translucent substance, without odor. 

 It is used, chiefly, in the manufacture of candles, and also as a protec- 



