850 



FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



the same are found within the limits for pure yellow wax. Recently, Helfeuberger, 

 in the examination of numerous samples of wax tested also chemically hleached wax, 

 which bleaching took place by means of sulphurous acid. In this sample of wax the 

 specific gravity was 0.966, the acid number 20.2, the ether number 76.7, the saponifi- 

 cation number 96.9, and the ratio 3.79. Two samples designated as " pure wax " 

 were purchased in open market and on analysis they yielded the following numbers, 

 showing that they were highly adulterated. 



ANALYSIS OF WHITE BEESWAX. 



I stated two years ago that bleached beeswax would show occasionally higher acid 

 and saponification numbers than have been accepted for white wax, alike whether 

 bleaching had been done chemically or in the natural way. I made the statement in 

 order to warn chemists against hastily concluding that because a wax gave these 

 figures somewhat high that it was necessarily adulterated, inasmuch as I had 

 obtained similar figures in analyzing undoubtedly pure wax. I did not intend to 

 convey the idea that a bleached wax must necessarily show higher numbers, but that 

 this was occasionally the case. My views were not corroborated by some investiga- 

 tions published in the Helfenberger Annalen (1888), and Dr. Rottger obtained num- 

 bers from chemically bleached wax not agreeing with mine, whence Dr. Rottger 

 doubted my having worked with pure wax. I have not since had occasion to pursue 

 this investigation farther, but I have recently read a very interesting article,! by 

 A. & P. Buisine, confirming my statements, as they also found higher numbers in 

 bleached wax. 



To repeat, analytical chemists should not condemn a white wax showing up to 20 

 or 30 acid number and as high as 100 saponification number on that account. All 

 samples of bleached wax do not necessarily show these high numbers, but this is of 

 frequect occurrence. 



WHITE WAX. t 



In a paper read before the Versammlung bayerischer Vertreter der ange'wandten 

 Chemie, R. Kayser stated that from the results of numerous investigations he had 

 come to the conclusion that the bleaching of wax by the various processes made no 

 material difference in its composition. The acid number varies only between 19.1 and 

 20.4, the ether number between 74 and 76.5, the ratio between 3.61 and 3.81. He con- 

 firmed the results arrived at by Rottger. The detection of the commoner adultera- 

 tions of white wax with Japan wax, paraffin, ceresin, tallow, stearic acid, etc., 

 is easily and certainly arrived at by this method. Medicns states that wax coming 

 from southern countries was very frequently adulterated with vegetable wax. Rott- 

 ger remarks that lately very little pure wax was to be had. Borgmann ascribes this 

 to the fact that among bee-keepers the use of artificial comb was becoming general. 



G.Bnchner, Chem. Zeit., 1888, 12, 1276; ibid., 1890, 101, 1707. 



tChem. Zeit., 1890,14, 319. 



tR. Kayser, Chem. Zeit., 1890, 42, 686. 



$ Chem. Zeit., 1889, 13, 1375. 



