562 
NOTES  ON  JAPAN  WAX. 
been  sold  at  70s.  per  cwt. ;  but  the  present  price  is  too  high  to 
allow  of  the  greater  portion  being  disposed  of. 
This  wax  is  said  to  be  obtained  from  the  fruits  of  the  Rhus 
succedaneum  of  Linn.,  as  a  substance  answering  in  general  char- 
acters to  it  is  stated  by  Kaempfer  and  Thunberg  to  be  obtained 
from  that  plant.  Thunberg  says  : — «  Oleum  hujus  seminum  con- 
tusorum  et  post  coctionem  adhuc  calentium  prelo  submissorum 
expressum,  candelis  conficiendis  inservit  et  sebi  concistentiam  ac- 
quirit."  Kaempfer  makes  a  similar  statement,  and  has  a  figure 
of  the  plant.  Good  specimens  of  the  fruit  of  the  plant  said  to 
yield  Japan  Wax  have  been  imported  with  the  wax  itself.  Upon 
examination  this  fruit  appears  exactly  to  resemble  that  of  Rhus 
succedaneum,  L.,  as  given  above,  by  Kaempfer.  Nevertheless, 
we  are  informed  by  Mr.  Sowerby  that  upon  sowing  some  of  these 
fruits  at  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Regents  Park,  the  seed- 
ling plants  which  were  obtained  had  serrated  leaflets,  whereas 
the  Rhus  succedaneum,  as  described  and  figured  by  Kaempfer  as 
above,  are  said  to  be  entire.  Roxburgh  also  says  they  are  en- 
tire. Japan  wax  has  also  been  described  by  Martiny  as  follows : 
«  Cera  Japonica,  Japanese  Wax,  Tree-  Wax,  incorrectly  Cera 
Americana,  American  Wax  Under  these  names  there  has  of 
late  times  appeared  in  commerce  a  species  of  wax,  the  origin  of 
which  is  at  present  unknown.  It  has  been  supposed  by  Landerer 
not  to  be  of  vegetable,  but  of  animal  origin,  and,  possibly  identi- 
cal with  stearine  (Fettwachs)  or  adipocire  (Leichenseife.) 
"  To  determine  this,  H.  Miiller  instituted  some  experiments, 
the  result  of  which  was  that  the  wax  in  question  was  found  to  be 
identical  neither  with  stearine  nor  with  beeswax  ;  it  is  softer  at 
the  same  temperature,  and  fuses  at  4-  45°  C.  (=113°  F.) ; 
moreover,  it  solidifies  upon  slow  cooling,  under  similar  circum- 
stances, perceptibly  more  slowly  ;  it  has  not  the  odor  and  taste- 
lessness  of  common  wax,  but,  on  the  contrary,  always  smells  and 
tastes  like  rancid  tallow ;  it  is  far  more  soluble  in  alcohol  than 
beeswax ;  it  is  saponified  by  caustic  alkalies,  and  a  taper  made 
with  it  burns  with  as  bright  a  light  as  a  similar  one  of  beeswax. 
"  It  is  supposed  that  Japanese  Wax  is  derived  from  Rhus 
succedanea,  L.,  a  tree  belonging  to  the  Natural  Order  Anaear- 
diacece,  a  native  of  Japan.  Candles  are  made  in  Japan  from 
the  oil  of  the  seeds  of  this  tree.    According  to  Nees  von  Esen- 
