*98 
which is known by the name of cerate, is 
much employed by surgeons. 
The volatile oils also dissolve it when heat- 
ed. This is well known, at least, to be the case 
with oil of turpentine. A part of the wax 
precipitates usually as the solution cools, but 
of a much softer consistence than usual, and 
therefore containing oil. 
The fixed alkalies combine with it, and 
form a compound which possesses all the pro- 
perties of common soap. When boiled with 
a solution of fixed alkalies in water, the liquid 
becomes turbid, and after some time the soap 
separates and swims on the surface. It is 
precipitated from the alkali by acids in the 
state of flakes, which are the wax very little 
altered in its properties. Punic wax, which 
the antients employed in painting in encaustic, 
is a soap composed of 20 parts of wax and 
one of soda. Its composition was ascertained 
by Mr. Lorgna. 
When boiled with liquid ammonia, it forms 
a kind of soapy emulsion. As the mixture 
cools, the greatest part of the compound rises 
to the surface in the state of white flakes. 
This soap is scarcely soluble in water. 
The acids have but little action on wax; 
even oxymuriatic acid, which acts so vio- 
lently on most bodies, produces no other 
change on it than that of rendering it white. 
This property which wax possesses, of resist- 
ing the action of acids, renders it very useful 
as a lute, to confine acids properly in vessels, 
or to prevent them from injuring a common 
cork. 
Mr. Lavoisier, by means of the apparatus 
which he employed in the analysis of alcohol 
and oils, contrived to burn wax in oxygen gas. 
The quantity of wax consumed was 21.9 
grains. The oxygen gas employed in consum- 
ing that quantity amounted to 66.55 grains. 
Consequently the substances consumed 
amounted to 88.45 grains. After the com- 
bustion, there were found in the glass vessel 
62.58 grains of carbonic acid, and a quantity 
of water which was supposed to amount 
to 25.87 grains. These were the only pro- 
ducts. 
Now 62.58 grains of carbonic acid gas 
contain 
44.56 of oxygen, and 18.02 of carbon; and 
25.87 grains of 
water contain 
11.99 of oxygen, and 3.88 of hydrogen 
66.55 21.90 
Consequently 21.9 parts of wax are com- 
posed of 18.02 of carbon and 3.88 of hydro- 
gen. And 100 parts of Wax are composed 
•f 
82.28 carbon 
17.72 hydrogen 
100.00 
"But this analysis can only be considered as 
an approximation to the truth ; the quantity 
of water being only estimated, and that of 
the gas being liable to uncertainty. There 
can be no doubt, from the litttle action of 
acids on wax, that it contains oxygen as an 
ingredient. We must therefore consider it 
as a triple compound of carbon, hydrogen, 
and oxygen; but the proportions are un- 
known. 
WAX. 
If wax is distilled with a heat greater than 
212°, there comes over a little water, some 
acid, a little very fluid and odorous oil : the 
oil, as the distillation advances, becomes 
thicker and thicker, till at last it is of the 
consistency of butter, and for this reason has 
been called butter of wax. There remains 
in the retort a small quantity of coal, which 
is not easily reduced to ashes. When the 
butter of wax is repeatedly distilled, it becomes 
very fluid, and assumes the properties of vo- 
latile oil. 
Wax possesses all the essential properties 
of fixed oil. We must therefore consider it 
as a fixed oil rendered concrete. Now that 
species of fixed oils, distinguished by the epi- 
thet fat, have the property of becoming con- 
crete, and assuming the appearance of w'ax 
when exposed long to the air ; in consequence, 
it is supposed, of the absorption of oxygen. 
Hence probably the difference between wax 
and fixed oils consists in the oxygen which it 
contains as a component part. The wax at 
its first formation was in all probability in the 
state of a fixed oil ; but by the absorption of 
oxygen it gradually concreted into wax. 
Wax, then, may be considered as a fixed oil 
saturated with oxygen. 
It is natural to suppose, if this theory is jush 
that fixed oil will occur in plants in various 
states of hardness: and this accordingly is 
the case. Somfetimes it is of the consistency 
of butter, and this is denominated a butter'; 
thus we have the butter of cacao, the butter 
of coco, the butter of galam. Sometimes it 
is of a greater consistency, and then is deno- 
minated tallow; thus we have- the tallow of 
the croton, extracted by boiling water from 
the fruit of the croton sebifera. When its 
consistency is as great as possible, it then 
takes the appellation of wax. Thus we have 
the myrtle wax of America extracted from 
the berries of the mvrica cerifera, and the 
pela of the Chinese. The species of wax, then, 
which exist in the vegetable kingdom, may 
E ossibly be as numerous as the fixed oils. 
,et us take a view of some of the most re- 
markable. 
Bees’-wax is the species whose properties 
have been described in the former part of this 
article. It is supposed that the bees collect 
it from plants ; but it has been very well as- 
certained, that in many cases at least they 
manufacture it from honey, and even from 
sugar: for bees confined and fed solely upon 
these substances produce wax. Its consist- 
ency is said to be less when the bees are con- 
fined to sugar than when they are allowed 
honey. 
The myrtle wax of North America is ob- 
tained from the mvrica cerifera. We are in- 
debted to Dr. Bostock and Mr. Cadet for a 
very exact account of its properties and ex- 
traction. The myrica cerifera is a shrub 
which grows abundantly in Louisiana and 
other parts of North America. It produces 
a berry about the size of a pepper-corn. 
A very fertile shrub yields nearly seven 
pounds. The berries are picked off, thrown 
into a kettle, and covered with water to the 
depth of about half a foot. The kettle is then 
boiled, and the berries stirred and squeezed 
against the sides of the vessel. The wax 
which they contain is melted but and swims 
on the surface. It is skimmed off, passed 
through a cloth, dried,, melted again, and cast 
2 
into cakes. From th« observations of Cadet 
we learn that the wax forms the outer cover- 
ing of the berries. The wax thus obtained is 
of a pale green colour. Its specific gravity 
is 1.0150. It melts at the temperature o: 
109°; when strongly heated it burns with: 
white flame, produces little smoke, and durini 
the combustion emits an agreeable aromatic 
odour. Water does not act upon it. Alcohol, 
when hot, dissolves -^th of its weight but 
lets most of it fall again on cooling. 
Wax Crayons. The art of painting jr 
wax crayons is a late discovery, and whet 
skilfully practised, is capable of producing the 
most pleasing effect. It is, however, rather? 
to be considered as an adjunct to the art o( 
water-colours, than as a distinct branch of the 
art of design or painting, as w ill appear from! 
the nature of the materials employed in it. 
Instead of the substances used in conjunction 
with the respective colours, to form the body 
of common crayons, such as plaister of Paris, 
pipe-clay, calcined alabaster, &c. all the co- 
lours used on this new mode of painting are 
to be incorporated with w*ax. This mixture 
gives them the superior advantage of being 
particularly calculated for the execution of 
minute works in crayons, as they are not liable 
to moulder aw 7 ay, or to be rubbed off from 
the paper; but works thus executed require 
the assistance of various washes in water-co- 
lours to improve and perfect their effect, as, 
from the nature of wax, the frequent w ork- 
ings over of these crayons would produce aii 
excessive smoothness, or glassiness, which 
would prevent the colours from at i aching or 
taking proper hold of the surface of the worlt 
in. the heightenings and last finishings, and 
would disappoint the artist in his endeavours 
to produce the greatest requisite strength of 
effect. 
It is to be observed, -therefore, that waiter- 
colours are to be used in beginning your pic- 
ture, and in finishing it. When the crayons, 
are judiciously worked over the water-colours,, 
they will produce the appearance of an ele- 
gantly finished stippled engraving, coloured^ 
in the plate; the grain of the paper catching 4 
the crayons in dots, (when gradually laid on. 
with a light hand) in a wonderfully pleasing, 
manner. 
W e shall comprize the instructions requisite - 
for the student’s practice under the following 
heads, namely : 
1 . The kind of wax to be used in makings! 
the crayons ; 
2. Idle colours fit to be incorporated with- 
it; 
3. The choice of proper paper ;• 
4. lire method of using the crayons. 
Wax. The wax proper to be used in mak- 
ing crayons, must be bleached bees’-wax, 
entirely free from adulteration. It must like- 
wise be of the hardest kind, of which the Rus- 
sian wax is the best, although in colour not 
quite so fine as either the American or Eng- ' 
lish wax ; but its hardness gives a firmness to 
the crayons, and prevents a greasiness which 
softer w ax would create. 
Colours. The colours proper for mixing 
into crayons, are the following, viz. for yel- 
lows, king’s yellow or yellow oker; for blues, 
Antwerp or Prussian ; for reds, carmine, lake, 
and Chinese vermilion; for browns, timber* 
burnt and miburnt; for blacks, lamp- black 
