DETERMINATION  OF  TALLOW  OR  STEARIC  ACID  IN  WAX.  417 
solution  of  ammonia,  it  yields  crystals  which  are  fusible  above 
212°  F.  and  have  the  composition  C6H5OS,NH3  corresponding 
to  thiosinnamin  from  oil  of  mustard. 
On  the  Constitution  of  Solania. — M.  Otto  Gmelin  {Annal. 
der  Chemie  und  Pharm.  and  Jour.  dePharm.  July,  1859),  says, 
contrary  to  the  received  record,  that  solanin  does  not  contain 
nitrogen,  but  is  one  of  the  glucosides,  yields  by  the  action  of 
dilute  acid  solanidin  and  glucose,  as  observed  by  Zwenger  and 
Kind.  100  parts  of  solanin  yield  65.3  of  glucose.  The  result 
following  these  facts  is  that  solanin  is  not  an  organic  base  as 
heretofore  considered. 
DETERMINATION  OF  TALLOW  OR  STEARIC  ACID  IN  WAX. 
By  E.  Geith. 
The  author  considers  that  the  detection  of  the  adulteration  of 
wax  with  tallow  or  stearic  acid,  can  only  be  effected  by  an  agent 
capable  of  separating  the  adulterating  substances  from  the  wax. 
After  numerous  experiments,  he  found  in  carbonate  of  soda  a 
substance  possessing  this  power.  This  salt,  dissolved  in  water, 
and  employed  in  excess,  is  able  to  saponify  the  tallow,  and,  con- 
sequently, also  to  combine  with  the  stearic  acid.  The  wax, 
however,  is,  under  certain  conditions,  not  at  all,  or  only  very 
slightly  effected  by  it.  But  if  pure  white  or  yellow  wax  be 
boiled  in  a  porcelain  capsule,  with  an  equal  weight  of  carbonate 
of  soda,  and  six  times  its  weight  of  distilled  water,  and  at  the 
same  time  constantly  stirred  with  a  glass  rod,  until  the  bottom 
of  the  capsule  begins  to  be  coated  with  carbonate  of  soda,  a 
not  inconsiderable  part,  even  of  the  purest  wax,  will  become 
saponified.  Whilst  the  mass  is  still  hot,  about  six  times  its 
weight  of  alcohol,  of  eighty  per  cent.,  are  to  be  added,  and  the 
whole  rubbed  down  with  a  pestle,  adding  at  the  same  time, 
gradually,  about  sixteen  or  eighteen  parts  of  alcohol,  of  fifty 
per  cent.,  until  the  undissolved  parts  are  seen  floating  in  the 
liquid,  in  a  finely-divided  state.  The  mixture  is  then  to  be 
placed  on  a  filter.  On  the  addition  of  excess  of  an  acid  to  the 
filtered  liquid,  we  obtain  a  rather  abundant  white  or  yellow  pre- 
cipitate. This  clearly  proves  that  the  wax  contains  a  substance 
which  is  easily  saponified  by  carbonate  of  soda.    It  was  there- 
