160-3 
held to be serviceable in aphthous affections of the mucous surfaces, such as 
stomatitis, nursing sore mouth, ulcerated fauces, bowels and stomach; also in 
leucorrheea, etc., etc. 
Production and Chemistry.—V egetable wax is a compound substance furnished 
by many plants either naturally or from their juices through the agency of insects. 
The following table, including all those that are produced in a sufficient quantity 
to be available, will be of interest: 
NAME. SOURCE, MELTING PoInrT. 
Cent. Fahr. 
Cacao, Chocolate Butter, Theobroma cacao, L., 30°-33° 86—91.4° 
Koya Wax, Cinnamomum pedunculatum, N. ab E., 38°-40° 100.4°—104.0° 
Chinese Vegetable Tallow,  Sw/dingia sebifera, Matt., 37°-45° 98.6°-113.0° 
Myrica Wax, Myrica cerifera, L., 47°—49° 116.6°—1 20. 2° 
Japan Wax, Rhus succedeanea, L., 52°—-£3° 125.6°-127.4° 
Cow Tree Wax, Galactodendron utile, Humb., 58° 136.4° 
Bees’ Wax. Apis mellifica, etc., 62°-63° 143.6°-145.4° 
Chinese Wax, Coccus ceriferus, 79° 174.2° 
Ibota Wax, Lingustrum Ibota, Sieb., * 80°—82° 176°-179.6° 
Sela Wax, Fraxinus Chinensis, Roxb., 82.5° 180.5° 
Carramba Wax, Copernicia cerefera, Matt., 83.5°-84°  182.3°-183.2° 
Brazil Wax, Unknown, 97° 206.6° 
Palm Wax, Ceroxylon andicola, Humb., 100° 212.0° 
The production of myrica wax, or bayberry tallow, has been carried on to a 
somewhat large extent, mostly for the manufacture of candles and soap, generally 
as described by Toscan in a work entitled L’ Ami de la Nature. This describes 
the method employed in an early day.* Candles made from this wax, though 
quite brittle, are less greasy in warm weather, of fine appearance, slightly aro- 
matic, and smokeless after snuffing, rendering them much more pleasant to use 
than those made of either wax or tallow. Soap from this wax makes an aromatic 
and very softening shaving lather. and a fine body for surgeons’ soap plasters. 
Myrica wax, C,H,,O,+ is harder and more brittle than beeswax. Its specific 
gravity varies from 1.004 to 1.006, and its melting point from 47°-49° (116.6°- 
120,2° F.). Four-fifths of the wax is soluble in hot alcohol, leaving a residue not 
soluble; boiling ether dissolves more than one-quarter of its weight, of which, 
* «© Towards the end of autumn, when the berries are ripe, a man leaves his house, together with his family, to go 
to some island or bank near the seashore where the wax-trees grow in abundance. He carries with him vessels to boil 
the berries, and a hatchet to build a cottage where he may find shelter during his residence in this place, which is usually 
three or four weeks. While he cuts down trees his children gather the berries. A very fertile shrub will afford nearly 
seven pounds. When these are gathered the whole family employ themselves in procuring the wax. They throw a cer- 
tain quantity of the berries into the kettle, and then pour a sufficient quantity of water on them so as te cover them toa 
depth of about half a foot. They then boil the whole, stirring the grains about and rubbing them against the sides of the 
vessel in order that the wax may more easily come off. In a short time it floats on the water like fat, and is collected with | 
a spoon and strained through a coarse cloth to separate it from any impurities which might be mixed with it. When no 
more wax can be obtained they take the berries out with a skimmer and put others into the same water, but it must be 
entirely changed the second or third time, and in the meantime boiling water must be added as it evaporates, in order to _ 
avoid retarding the operation. When a considerable quantity of wax has been obtained by this means, it is laid on a cloth 
to drain off the water with which it is still mixed. It is then melted a second time, and it is then formed into masses, 
Four pounds of berries yield about one of wax; that which is first obtained is generally yellow ; but i in later bolting: it 3 es 
assumes a green color from the pellicle with which the kernel of Hie inde is covered.” 
t Levy, ve pecsuces lie der Chemie, vy, 41 3. : 
re é 
