Proceedings of Public Societies, SS5 
upon a glass to the action of light, it be- 
181 S.] 
Alcohol dissolves no portion of the wax 
lanless heat be applied. 
Two fluid ounces of boiling alcohol, 
specific gravity S26, dissolve about ten 
grains of the wax, of which eight are de¬ 
posited as tiie solution cools, the remain¬ 
ing two may be afterwards precipitated 
by the addition of water. 
Sulphuric ether, specific gravity 7563, 
dissolves a very minute portion of the 
wax, temperature 60®. 
Two fluid ounces of boiling sulphuric 
ether dissolve 30 grains of the wax, of 
which 26 are deposited by cooling; the 
remaining four may be obtained by al¬ 
lowing, the ether to evaporate. 
The fixed oils very readily dissolve the 
wax at 212°, and form with it com¬ 
pounds of an intermediate consistence 
very analogous to those obtained with 
common bees’-wax. 
Some combinations of the vegetable 
wax with olive oil were perfectly soluble 
in ether, and sparingly soluble in boiling 
alcohol. 
One hundred grains of ttie wax were 
boiled for half an hour in a solution of 
caustic potash, specific gravity 1090. 
The solution acquired a pale rose color, 
but appeared to exert no further action 
on the vv^ax, which, after having been 
washed with warm water, retained its fu¬ 
sibility and other properties. No com¬ 
bination similar to a soap was produced. 
The effects produced by boiling the 
wax in solutions of pure soda, and of tlie 
subcarbonates of soda, and of potash, 
were analogous to those of the caustic 
potash. 
When the wax is boiled in nitric acid, 
specific gravity 1.-45, there is some escape 
of nitrous gas, and the color of the wux 
is gradually changed to a deep yellow. 
When the wax is removed from the 
acid, and washed with water, it is found 
to have become more brittle and hard, 
but still retains much of its peculiar odor, 
la this state it remains insoluble in. the 
alkalies; but tijey now change its color 
to a very bright brown, which is destroy¬ 
ed by dilute muriatic acid, and the ori¬ 
ginal color restored. Neither tlie fusi¬ 
bility nor the infiamtnability of the wax 
are impaired by this process. 
Nitre acid, diluted with eight parts 
water, produces the same change in the 
color of the wax as the concentrated 
acid. 
Mr. Brande was not successful in his 
attempt to bleach the wax in its original 
State; he found, by exposing it spread 
came jn the course of three weeks of a 
pale straw color; oti the surface tieariv 
white. The same change was produced 
-by steeping the wax in thin plates in an 
aqueous solution of oxymuriatic gas; but 
it did not render it perfectly white. Muri¬ 
atic acid has little action on the wax * 
w’hen boiled upon it for some hours, it 
destroys much of its color. 
Sidphuiic acid changes the color to a 
pale brown ; and, when water is added, 
the wax becomes of a deep rose color; 
the inflammabiiisy and the fusibility are 
slightly impaired by this process. 
When heat is applied, die wax is de¬ 
composed with the usual phenomena ; 
sulplniieous acid is developed, and char¬ 
coal deposited. 
Acetic acid lias very little action on 
the wax when cold: when boilerl in tins 
acid, a minute portion is dissolved, and 
again deposited as the solution cools ; bv 
long-continued boiling iti it, the wax is 
rendered nearly white; bur, if then wash¬ 
ed with water and fused, it resumes its 
former color. W'fien fused in oxyimiri- 
atic gas, it is rapidly decotoposed, aim', 
parting with l.'ydrngeu and oxygen, mu¬ 
riatic acid and water are formed, aii-i 
charcoal deposited. The results of the 
destructive distillation of the vegetabie 
wax are very analogous to thoae of bees'- 
wax. 
An acid liquor, mixed with a volatile 
oil, are the first products; these are suc¬ 
ceeded by a large proportion of bntyra- 
ceous oil, and a very small quantity of 
cliarcnai, afiurding traces ol‘lime remains 
in the retort. During the proces'^, a ht- 
tie carburet ted hydrogen gas is given olF. 
—Mr, Hrande does not give ifie relative 
proportions of the diircrent products, as 
they will vary according to tlie rapidiiv 
with which tiie distillation is conducted. 
From the preceding experiments it ap¬ 
pears, that, althougf) the vegeta'ole was 
possesses the cliurac.teristic properties of 
bees’-wax, it differs from that sTtbst-ance in 
many of its chemical habitudes. It also 
difl’ers from the other varieties of wax : 
namely, the wax of the n/yrica ceriferuy 
of lac, and of w hite lac. 
Perhaps gthe most important part of 
the present enquiry is that which relates 
to the combustion of this wax in the form 
of candles. The trials which h.ave been 
made'to ascertain its fitness for this pur¬ 
pose are very satiigactory. 'Fhe addi¬ 
tion, it appears, of from one-f igiith to- 
Oiie”tenlhq)urt of uiluvv is sufficient to. 
