166 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



" According to its theoretical composition, caffein may be consi-* 

 dered as a compound of a cyanic acid, containing one half less oxygen 

 than the common acid, with aether analogous to cyanic tEther. An 

 ajther formed of a problematical cvanous acid would be composed of 

 Cgi I O + (C^ H^ + 0H-) =: C^'H- N^ O^ this formula is the same 

 as that of caffein." 



Now, among numerous other compounds, of which this compound 

 may be supposed to be compounded, and for all that I see^ with quite 

 as much probability as those above stated, are 

 .;»-- .-; "• One atom of bicarburetted hydrogen, 

 One atom of ammonia. 

 One atom of cyanogen. 

 One atom of water. R. P. 



EXPERIMENTS ON BEES' WAX AND VEGETABLE WAX. 



M. Oppermann states that the vegetable wax from the East Indies 

 is of a Yellowish white colour, transparent at the edges, more brittle 

 and greasy to the touch, but less compact than bees' wax. Its taste 

 is rancid when it lias been masticated for some time ; its sp. gr. 097; 

 at 124° Fahr. it melts, remains fluid at 1 12°, and .solidifies at 109°. 



It is soluble both in spirit and in aether; the former solution solidi- 

 fies in cooling, while the latter merely deposits light flocks. Japan 

 was yielded by analysis, 

 . . Carbon 70 9683 



Hydrogen 120728 



Oxygen 169589 



100-0000 

 Brazilian wax very closely resembles the foregoing : (heir colour, 

 consistence and odour are almost the same ; the Brazilian is however 

 distino-uished by the yellowish brown pellicle with which it is covered j 

 it fu.ses at 120°, and solidifies at 1 13°. The spirituous and aetherial 

 solutions resemble those of the Japan wax. Brazilian wax gave by 

 analysis. 



Carbon 72-8788 



Hydrogen 12'0297 



Oxygen 15-0915 .■ 



-t;ai 



100 0000 ,-,h iiKO 



Bleached and purified bees' wax is harder than the foregoing; but — 

 the vegetable wax, dissolved in four parts of oil, gives a compound 

 which is three times firmer than that obtaineu with the same quantities 

 of bees' wax and oil ; but the latter gives greater consistency to fat 

 than the former. 



Alcohol, even when hot, dissolves bees' wax with difficulty; the 

 solution solidifies by cooling, and yields a white granular transparent 

 mass. iEther when boiling forms a clear solution of bees' wax, which 

 becomes turbid by spontaneous evaporation ; it afterward.s thickens, 

 and the wax wh€n separated appears to have suflVred no change. 



