Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1877. 
Ozokerit  and  Cere  sin. 
75 
ON  GALICIAN  OZOKERIT  AND  CERESIN. 
By  Dr.  J.  Grabowsky. 
{Read  before  the  American  Chemical  Society,  Oct.  5,  1876.) 
Ozokerit  is  found  in  Galicia  (Austria)  principally  in  Borislaw,  near 
Drohobyez,  and  Dzwiniacz,  near  Stanistawow.  Both  places  are 
situated  at  the  northern  foot  of  the  Carpathian  mountains  ;  the  forma- 
tion is  miocene,  and  of  some  importance  on  account  of  its  petroleum 
springs.  The  production  of  "  earth-wax  "  (ozokerit)  was  estimated  to 
have  amounted  to  about  twenty  million  of  kilograms  in  1875,  upwards 
of  eighteen  million  of  kilograms  coming  from  Borislaw  alone.  Accord- 
ing to  F.  v.  Hauer,  the  largest  crystals  of  salts,  which  are  found  in 
connection  with  the  ozokerit,  as  well  as  the  saline  springs  in  the 
petroleum-bearing  strata,  prove  that  these  latter  belong  to  the  zone  of 
the  calcareous  neogene  formation.  They  contain  the  fluid  oil  as  well 
as  the  solid  "  earth-wax  "  partly  in  more  or  less  regular  beds,  partly  in 
fissures  and  pockets.  The  exploitation  is  effected  by  means  of  shafts 
and  tunnels,  the  former  being  from  40  to  80  meters  deep  and  about  1 
meter  square,  the  latter  being  generally  quite  short  on  account  of  the 
very  primitive  method  of  ventilation  and  the  great  amount  of  gases.. 
The  shafts  generally  pass,  first,  through  8  to  10  meters  of  gravel  mixed 
with  boulders,  then  through  blue  loam  and  plastic  clay,  which  contains 
numerous  layers  of  marl,  slate  and  sandstone.  In  this  clay,  usually  at 
a  depth  of  from  40  to  50  metres,  petroleum  springs  and  ozokerit  are 
found.  This  latter  forms  lumps  or  layers  from  1  to  3  feet  thick,  these 
lumps  sometimes  weighing  several  hundred  kilograms.  This  native 
ozokerit  is  transparent,  of  pure  honey-yellow  color,  possessing  the 
hardness  of  common  beeswax.  More  frequently,  however,  ozokerit 
is  found  in  thin  layers  and  small  pieces,  which  must  be  separated  from 
the  gangue  ;  the  smallest  pieces  are  only  obtained  by  a  process  of 
washing. 
Besides  pure,  good  "  earth-wax,"  some  varieties  occur  which  are 
especially  distinguished  by  hardness  and  color. 
The  best  "  earth-wax  "  should  have  a  pure  yellow  or  greenish  color, 
and  be  easy  to  knead  between  the  fingers ;  this,  after  having  been 
tried  (melted),  yields  a  "  prime  "  earth-wax,  which  is  generally  used 
for  the  manufacture  of  "  ceresin."  The  poorer  kinds  are  colored 
black,  and  either  very  soft  (containing  much  petroleum)  or  too 
hard,  resembling  asphaltum,  fusing  at  a  high  temperature.   After  trying, 
