110 FIXED OIL, ETC. 



as possil)le, as glycerin loses weight even in a vacuum. Compare 

 also Griessmeier and Clausnitzer.^ 



^ 129. IFax.—Cettjl alcohol {^ 14) melts at 48° to 49°, and at 54° 

 is miscible with spirit of specific gravity 0*8 12 in all proportions. 

 Cerotyl (dcuhol melts between 79° and 81°, melissyl alcoJtol at 85°. 

 The latter is scarcely solul)le in cold alcohol, benzene, petroleum 

 spirit, or chloroform, but dissolves on boiling. 



König and Kiesow found a substance in meadow-haj'' which they 

 considered to be cerotene, or a 'paraffin' of the composition CooH^.,-" 



Hirschsohn has endeavoured to find distinctive characteristics 

 for certain vegetable waxes that find application in the arts,^ Avith 

 the following results : 



Wax from Myrira qncrcifoUa. — Soluble in 10 parts of boiling- 

 chloroform ; the solution remained clear on cooling. Completely 

 soluble in ether. 95 per cent, spirit dissolved 16"16 per cent, at 

 the ordinary temperature ; petroleum spirit 53 to 62 per cent. 

 The alcoholic solution gave a precipitate with alcoholic ferric 

 chloride (1 in 10), Avhich did not dissolve on warming. 



Wax from another sp. of Myrica yielded 19'88 \)QY cent, to 

 alcohol, 68-70 per cent, to petroleum-spirit. Ferric chloride 

 coloured the alcoholic solution black. 



Wax from Myriai ccrlfera yielded 7 "16 per cent, to alcohol and 

 41 '62 per cent, to petroleum spirit. Ferric chloride coloui'ed 

 the alcoholic solution brownish. 



Wax from Rhus succedanea (Japan wax) resembled the three 

 foregoing Avaxes in l^eing completely soluble in chloroform, but 

 was only partially soluble in ether. Alcohol dissolved 14 per 

 cent., petroleum spirit 6 9 "8 per cent. Boiling with 10 parts of 10 

 per cent, alcoholic potash saponified it ;] the soap was completely 

 soluble in 100 parts of water, whilst that from beeswax was only 

 partially dissolved. 



IF ax from ylkuriics Jacrifera. — The solution in chloroform 

 became turbid on cooling ; the addition of an alcoholic solution of 

 acetate of lead to a similar solution of the wax caused a cloudiness 

 on standing. Boiling alcohol left a i)ulverulent substance un- 

 dissolved. 



1 Ber. d. d. chem. (Jcs. xi. 292, 1878 (Journ. Chem. Soc. xxxiv, 449), and 

 Zeitschr. f. anal. Chemie, xx. f)8, 1881 (Journ. Chcm. Soc. xl. 470). 



^ Ber. (1. d. chein. (ies. vi. 500, 1874. For vegetable wax see also Ludwig, 

 Archiv Pharm. [:j], i. 19.3. 



3 Pharm. Journ. and Trans. [:3], x. 749. 



