76 SUBSTITUTES FOR WAX. 



30 or 40 feet. The latter are more irregularly branched, with a more 

 straggling growth, and they produce the sort called by the Brazilians 

 Herva brava (wild Mate), while the larger-leaved species, such as the 

 Ilex (jigantea, yield a kind of tea called Herva mansa (mild Mate) ; such 

 trees have straighter trunks, with more regular and rounded heads. The 

 former sorts have a more bitter and stronger flavour, and want the 

 peculiar and more agreeable aroma of the Paraguay type. AVhen, how- 

 ever, the Herva brava is mixed with the Herva mansa in the proportion 

 of 1 in 3 or 1 in 4, it produces a kind of Mate which is hardly dis- 

 tinguishable from the genuine Paraguay Yerba ; and it thus forms a 

 considerable object of commerce. 



Still further to the southward of the Serra do Herval, in the moun- 

 tain districts of the Taypes or Canguassu, some species of Ilex abound 

 which are said to produce a tea as valuable as the best sorts of Herva 

 de Palmeira, or even vying with the Paraguay tea, being equal to them 

 in fragrance, flavour, and strength. This fact is worthy of notice when 

 we take into consideration the great difference in the latitude of these 

 districts. The quality of the tea of all these various kinds depends 

 greatly on the time of year in which the leaves are gathered, the best 

 season for the harvest being well known to the natives. 



Dr. Reisseck has lately published, in Martius's ' Flora Brasiliensis,' 

 a Monograph of the Brazilian species of Ilex. He evidently had not 

 Been any specimen of the true Ilex Paraguay ensis ; for his diagnosis 

 under that name refers to some of the smaller, more lanceolate, and 

 punctate-leaved species of the genus, and certainly not to the celebrated 

 true Paraguayan plant. 



SUBSTITUTES FOR WAX. * 



BY BARNARD S. PROCTOR. 



Some months ago, I published a short article drawing attention to 

 the adulteration of white wax : t the present paper follows as a natural 

 sequel to the former, and is designed to indicate the relative merits of 

 various substances which may be considered suitable for replacing wax 

 in one or other of its uses. With regard to the fitness or otherwise of 

 any of these substitutes to take the place of wax for medicinal purposes, 

 I shall say nothing, such a substitution being both unnecessary and 

 illegitimate. It is also unnecessary to say anything with regard to their 

 fitness for making candles, &c, that being unimportant to the chemist 



* From the ' Chemist and Druggist.' 

 t See Technologist, vol. iii. p. 332. 



