68 



INSECT-WHITE-WAX OF CHINA. 



Ligtutrum 



iucidum. 



1853. as Ligustrum glabrum, but cites no authority. 1 De Candolle 

 has alluded to L. glabrum as var. /3 of L. Nepalense, Wall. 

 (Pi-odrom. viii. p. 294), and Thunberg has a L. glabrum among 

 the Plantce obscurce of his Flora Japonica? 



Tung-tsing, variously spelt Tong-gin, Toung-thsing, &c., is also 

 called Choui-toug-tsing (water- winter-green) ; it is probably the 

 Choui-la-chu (aquatic-wax-tree) of Grosier. 



Much attention, says Dr. Macgowan, quoting a Chinese 

 author, and assuming Ligustrum Iucidum to be the wax-tree, is 

 paid to the cultivation of this plant: extensive districts of 

 country are covered with it, and it forms an important branch of 

 agricultural industry. The trees, which are propagated either 

 by seeds or cuttings, are planted in rows and pruned periodically, 

 while the ground is well manured and kept free from weeds. 



3. Choui-kin (the Kin of moist places), Niu-la-chou (female 

 wax-tree), is thought by M. Julien to be allied to the Mou- 



Hiinscus Kin (arborescent Kin) identified by Ee'musat as Hibiscus 

 Syriacus. 



4. Tcha-la (" appliquer-cire ") Julien, is cultivated chiefly in 

 the country of Chou, a dependency of the province of Sze- 

 tchuen. Like the preceding, its botanical name is unknown. 



LOCALITIES. Insect-white-wax is collected in the provinces 

 of Sze-tchuen,Hou-kouang, Yun-nan and Fo-kien (Julien), also in 

 Che-kiang and Kiang-nan (Du Halde). Du Halde says that that 

 collected in the provinces of Sze-tchuen and Yun-nan, and in 

 the territories of Hen-tcheou and Yung-tcheou is of superior 

 quality. 



CHEMICAL PROPERTIES A.ND COMPOSITION. The chemical pro- 

 perties and composition of Chinese insect-wax have been elabo- 

 NowSirB. C. rately and ably investigated by Mr. B. C. Brodie. 3 According 

 to this chemist, the Chinese wax as it occurs in commerce is a 



1 Notices et Extraits des Manuscrits de la Bibliotheque du Itoi, Ac. t Paris 

 1827, voL xi., p. 274. 



8 Page 354, No. xxv. 



3 On the Chemical Nature of a Wax from China, by Benjamin Collins 

 Brodie, Esq., in the Philosophical Transactions for 1848, p. 159. 



Brodie. 



