7  8  An  Artificial  Substitute  for  Beeswax.  {AmvJe°bu"'i7h7arrn' 
The  ceresin  is  exported  in  large  quantities  to  Russia,  where  it  is  sold 
as  beeswax  ;  for  this  purpose  it  is  melted  together  with  a  little  beeswax, 
in  order  to  impart  to  it  the  characteristic  odor.  Good  ceresin  is  hardly 
to  be  distinguished  from  beeswax  ;  the  best  methods  are  the  following  : 
1.  Ceresin  is  not  as  easily  kneaded  between  the  fingers,  and  becomes 
brittle  more  readily  than  beeswax.  This  test  is,  however,  doubtful,  if 
the  sample  consists  of  a  mixture  of  the  two. 
2.  Ceresin  is  scarcely  attacked  by  warm  concentrated  sulphuric  acid, 
whereas  beeswax  is  completely  destroyed  by  it.  Bv  this  test  the 
quantities  of  beeswax  and  ceresin  can  be  determined  in  a  mixture  of 
both. 
in  many  cases  ceresin  can  be  employed  in  the  place  of  beeswax. 
It  it  sold  at  from  32  to  40  dollars  per  100  kilograms  in  Vienna,  whereas 
the  price  of  the  commercial  earth-wax  varies  from  10  to  12  dollars  per 
100  kilograms. 
The  whole  exploitation  of  the  ozokerit,  on  account  of  the  want  of 
enterprising  men,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Jewish  population.  It  is  very 
imperfect,  and  necessarily  requires  many  changes  in  the  mining  laws. — 
Amer.  Chem.,  Oct.,  1876, 
ON  AN  ARTIFICIAL  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  BEESWAX.1 
By  Gustay  Hell. 
The  author  relates  that  a  short  time  ago  an  article  was  offered  for 
yellow  beeswax,  which,  on  account  of  the  moderate  price,  sold  largely, 
and  which  he  has  determined  to  be  entirely  factitious.  The  appear- 
ance of  this  false  wax  is  almost  identical  with  that  of  genuine  beeswax. 
In  color,  brittleness,  fracture  and  adhesiveness,  the  difference  is  very 
slight.  On  the  outer  surface  the  characteristic  honey-like  smell, 
although  faint,  was  distinctly  perceptible.  The  freshly-cut  surface, 
however,  has  not  the  same  lustre  as  in  genuine  wax,  and  the  freshly- 
fractured  surfaces  give  a  marked  pitchy  odor.  Melted  at  a  gentle  heat 
the  smell  of  honey  is  lost,  and  the  pitchy  odor  asserts  itself  in  an 
unmistakable  manner  ;  at  a  stronger  heat  it  becomes  intense,  and  persists 
for  a  long  time.  Having  ascertained  in  this  simple  manner  that  the 
article  in  question  was  one  containing  a  considerable  proportion  of  pitch, 
the  melting  point  and  specific  gravity  were  determined  in  the  usual 
way,  as  follows :  A  glass  flask,  with  a  wide  mouth,  was  three-fourths 
filled  with  water,  and  a  test  tube  containing  small  pieces  of  wax  and  a 
1 4<Pharm.  Post,"  July  1,  1876,  p.  218. 
