112 
Chmese  White  Wax. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm'. 
t      Mar.,  1881. 
amorphous,  and  readily  soluble  in  water.  The  chloroplatinate  is  a 
yellow,  amorphous,  flocculent  precipitate.  The  gold  salt  is  a  beautiful 
yellow,  amorphous  precipitate,  but  slightly  soluble  in  water  and  in 
dilute  acids. 
The  diapocinchonia  is  formed  from  the  apocinchonia  by  the  long- 
continued  action  of  hydrochloric  acid,  and  differs  from  cinchonicia,. 
apocinchonicia,  and  from  the  naturally  occurring  dicinchonia. 
(To  be  concluded  in  the  next  number.) 
Chinese  White  Wax. — From  an  article  in  the  British  Mail 
on  the  white  wax  industry  of  China,  it  seems  that  the  average  annual 
value  of  this  peculiar  crop  amounts  to  about  £650,000.  From  Han- 
kow alone  upwards  of  £81,000  Avorth  of  this  wax  was  exported  in 
1879.  The  Chinese  white  wax  is  a  deposit  found  on  twigs  of  Jjigus- 
trum  litcidum,  and  caused  by  the  puncture  of  an  insect.  It  is  said  that 
in  Keenchang  district  the  plant  thrives  in  great  abundance,  and  in  the- 
spring  of  the  year  the  twigs  are  covered  with  countless  swarms  of  flies 
having  the  appearance  of  a  Vjrown  film.  The  branches  soon  became 
covered  with  a  white  soap-like  incrustation,  which  increases  in  volume 
till  the  commencement  of  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  the  sprays  are  cut 
oif  and  immersed  in  water  which  is  kept  boiling.  The  viscid  sub- 
stance rises  to  the  surface,  and  is  skimmed  off,  melted  and  allowed  to 
cool  in  deep  pans.  It  was  accidentally  discovered  that,  by  transport- 
ing the  insects  from  their  native  districts  to  the  more  vigorous  one  of 
Keating-fu,  in  the  north  of  the  province,  their  power  of  discharging- 
wax  was  largely  augmented — a  property  which  was  promptly  and 
extensively  availed  of  by  the  Sze-chuen  traders.  The  period  between 
evening  and  morning  is  chosen  for  conveyance,  because  many  hours  of 
sunlight  would  precipitate  the  hatching.  This  should  take  place  only 
after  the  females  have  been  attached  to  the  trees.  Arrived  at  their  des- 
tination, six  or  more  of  the  mothers — which  are  enormously  prolific — 
are  tied,  wrapped  in  a  palm  leaf,  to  a  branch  of  the  ligustrum.  A  few 
days  later  the  young  flies  are  swarming  on  the  twigs,  where  they  fulfill 
their  mission  by  the  month  of  August ;  then  they  perish  in  the  caul- 
drons, where  the  results  are  immediately  collected.  It  is  stated  that 
this  peculiar  industry  requires  the  exercise  of  great  care  and  fore- 
thought.— Pharm.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Oct.  16,  1880,  from  the  Garden- 
ers' Chronicle,  Oct.  2,  1880. 
