650 AGENTS Ot ANIMAL ORIGIN 



Properties. — A yellowish to brownish-yellow solid, 

 having an agreeable, honey-like odor, and faint, balsamic 

 taste.. Spec. gr. 0.955-0.967. It is brittle when cold; by the 

 heat of the hand it becomes plastic. Insoluble in alcohol ; 

 sparingly soluble in cold alcohol, but completely soluble in 

 ether, chloroform, fixed and volatile oils. 



Constituents. — 1, myricin or myrical palmitate (CsoH^, 

 Cii;H3i02), a spermaceti-like substance ; 2, cerin or cerotio 

 acid (CjiHsjOj), an imperfectly saponifiable waxy body ; 3, 

 hydrocarbons {G^^^^ and Ca^Hj^); 4, an alcohol (CjjHjjO) ; 5, 

 ceryl alcohol (CjjHssO). 



Cera Alba." White Wax. (U. S. & B. P.) 



Synonym.— Give blanche, Fr.; weisses wachs, G. 



Yellow wax, bleached by exposure to air, light and 

 moisture. 



Properties. — A yellowish-white solid, somewhat trans- 

 lucent in thin layers, having a slightly rancid odor, and an 

 insipid taste. Spec. gr. 0.965-0.975. Solubility and com- 

 position the same as those of yellow wax. 



Uses. — Yellow and white wax are used as bases for 

 plasters, ointments and cerates, since they do not decompose 

 nor melt at the temperature of the body. 



Cetaceum. Spermaceti. (U. S. & B. P.) 



A peculiar, concrete, fatty substance, obtained from (the 

 sperm v/hale) Physeter macrocephalus Linne (class Mam- 

 malia ; order Cetacea). 



Habitat. — Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



Properties. — White, somewhat translucent, slightly 

 -unctuous masses of a scaly-crystalline fracture and a pearly 

 lustre ; odorless, and having a bland, mild taste. It becomes 

 yellow and rancid by exposure to the air. Spec. gr. about 

 0.945. Insoluble in water, nearly so in cold alcohol ; soluble 

 in ether, chlornfo'-m, carbon disulphide. fix^d and volatile 

 oils. 



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