e 
808 
posing and favouring the combina- 
_ tion of the atmospheric oxygen with 
oil or wax. I know not whether 
any person had the idea before me, 
but it was given me by the obserya- 
tion of what passes in the decompo- 
sition of soap by an acid: the oil 
is always concrete, and more oxyge- 
nated than it was before. It 
would be interesting for the theory 
of chemistry to make soap, if pos- 
sible, in a close apparatus, in which 
the air might be examined after the 
experiment, or in the different gases 
which contain no oxygen, 
In decomposing the soap of my- 
Tica, a white wax is obtained, but 
in a particular state which does not 
admit of its being employed for our 
purposes. 
Litharge, or semi-vitreous Khe 
of lead, dissolves very well in melted 
Louisiana wax ; it forms a very hard 
mass, but the consistence of which 
may be diminished at pleasure, by 
the addition of a small quantity of 
oil. If, as there is reason to sup- 
pose, the wax of the myrica retains 
a portion of the astringent principle 
' obtained by the decoétion of the 
berries, the physicians will, perhaps, 
discover useful properties in topical 
applications composed of this wax. 
Upon a retrospect of the preced- 
ing facts, it will appear that the 
myrica may be rendered extremely 
useful to the arts. The wax which 
it. yields is in sufficient quantity to 
compensate amply the care and ex- 
pence of cultivation, since a tree in 
full bearing produces six or seven 
pounds of berries, from which may 
be extra¢ted a fourth of that weight 
of wax. This wax'is of a quality 
superior to that of bees’ wax. 
The astringent principle of the 
myrica, extracted on a large scale, 
might be very useful either in medi- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 
cine or the arts: it might, in some 
measure, be substituted instead of 
the gallnuts, in dyeing-houses, in 
the manufacture of hats, and eyen in 
tanning certain kinds of leather.— 
The colouring principle appears suf, 
ficiently solid to deserve some atten- 
tion ; and, if it be true that a beau- 
tiful lake bine been made from it in 
Louisiana, why cannot we likewise 
succeed in rendering it useful for 
painting ; and seia this. wax be- 
comes so common as to be sold at a 
low price, of what advantage will it 
not be for making soap ?, 
The art’ for bleaching this wax 
requires a more perfect investiga- 
tion for operating on a large scale, 
and with @conomy. Two agents 
offer themselyes to manufaéturers : 
sulphuric acid and oxygenated mu- 
riatic acid, But, as, the wax does 
not sink in these liquids, means 
must be employed for increasing the 
contaét, either by putting the wax 
in shavings, and sprinkling it with 
oxygenated muriatic acid, or by en- 
closing it in the same envelop in 
casks through which oxygenated 
muriatic gas may be passed. 
I shall propose a third, which 
promises a more expeditious effect. 
The, wax, divided into very small 
pieces, is laid in strata in a cask, 
together with miuriate of lime: 
they are thus disposed layer by 
layer, and left some time in contact, 
in a dry state. The salt is after- 
wards decomposed with water aci- 
dulated with sulphuric acid, taking 
care to pour on the water at differ’ 
ent intervals, till no mere muriatic 
gas be perceptibly disengaged ; then 
a, considerable quantity of water 
must be added, and the mixture 
must be stirred with a stick. In 
_ Standing, the insoluble sulphur of 
lime is precipitated, and the bleached 
wax 
