on a V/ax-like Substance from Madras. ggg 
It is well known that bees wax burns without affording 
almost any smoke or smell, and produces a steady light. I 
did not find that white lac, united with oil of olive, formed a 
wax little inferior to bees wax, which is said to be the case 
with the p£-Ia of the Chinese. By this union I made white 
lac whiter and as soft as bees wax ; but it still afforded smoke, 
a resinous smell, and an unsteady light, as before. 
W^ater extracted nothing from pure bees wax. 
Nitrous acid, in the cold, only rendered it white ; but, on 
boiling, the lac wholly dissolved, and like the white lac, on 
cooling, it separated, and was rendered white. 
Oil of turpentine, and 
Sulphuric cether formed compounds with bees wax similar 
to those with white lac. The solution of bees wax in sul- 
phuric asther, on evaporation left a white powdery substance, 
which on melting was found to be common yellow wax. 
Alcohol, the specific gravity of which to water was as 835 to 
1000, dissolved bees wax with much more difficulty, and in 
much smaller proportion, than white lac. By digestion in this 
menstruum, of the temperature of 130° to 140°, it appeared that 
bees wax was totally soluble ; but the same wax by repeated 
digestions became more and more difficultly soluble ; and yet 
it did not appear that the last portion of wax was different in 
its other properties from wax which had not been digested. 
On evaporation of this solution to dryness, a white sub- 
stance in a powdery form remained, which being melted was 
yellow wax. 
Bees wax, on decomposition by fire, in close vessels, with 
the hydro-pneumatic apparatus affixed, yielded resembling or 
nearly similar substances to those obtained on the analysis of 
