^^Fer'iss?*'^™  }        Analysis  of  Fouquieria  Splendens.  87 
and  distinct  reactions  with  the  yellowish-green  petroleum  spirit  residue, 
and  with  the  crystalline  substance  separated  from  it. 
A  scheme  has  been  proposed  for  the  identification  of  various  waxes 
based  upon  quantitative  experiments/  The  examination  rendered 
division  into  two  groups  possible,  according  to  the  solubilities  of  the 
waxes  with  chloroform.  Again  their  action  with  ether,  and  acetate  of 
lead  solution  added  to  the  alcoholic  solutions,  allow  the  several  varieties 
of  waxes  to  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 
The  petroleum  spirit  residue  was  submitted  to  the  tests  proposed  in 
Hirschsohn's  scheme.  It  was  boiled  with  ten  times  its  volume  of 
chloroform  and  when  cool  the  liquid  became  cloudy.  By  this  test  the 
petroleum  spirit  residue  was  placed  in  the  group  with  Carnaiiba  and 
Bahia  wax.  An  ethereal  solution  of  the  petroleum  spirit  residue,  on 
adding  an  equal  volume  of  alcohol,  remained  clear.  According  to 
Hirschsohn^s  Scheme,^  an  ethereal  solution  of  Bahia  wax  similarly 
treated  remains  clear,  and  by  this  means  the  wax  is  distinguished  from 
Carnaiiba  wax,  which  it  is  said  to  resemble  in  mo."^  of  its  properties. 
The  wax  from  Copernicia  cerifera,  the  Carnaiiba  tree  of  Brazil,  and 
Carnaiiba  wax  obtained  from  the  leaves  of  Corypha  cerifera,  are 
related  very  closely  by  their  chemical  properties  and  possibly  are 
identical.^ 
Carnaiiba  wax  is  described  as  a  clear  yellow  wax  with  a  greenish  tinge, 
and  harder  than  bees'  wax.  It  contains  a  notable  percentage  of  free 
melissyl  alcohol  and  other  alcohols  very  difficult  to  separate.  Insoluble 
in  water,  it  is  dissolved  with  difficulty  by  alcohol  and  ether,  though 
readily  sohible  in  carbon  disulphide  and  oil  of  turpentine.  It  is  not 
acted  upon  by  linseed  oil ;  it  is  changed  yellow  by  nitric  acid ;  with 
sulphuric  acid  no  appreciable  effect.  The  melting  point  is  variously 
stated  from  82°  C.  to  85°  C.    The  specific  gravity  from  -998  to  -999. 
A  table  of  the  specific  gravity  of  the  different  kinds  of  waxes  pre- 
pared by  Dietrich^  shows  the  density  of  animal  wax  to  be  notably  low 
compared  with  vegetable  waxes.    Allen^  states  that  the  presence  of 
'  Contributions  to  the  Chemistry  of  several  varieties  of  wax,  by  E.  Hirsch- 
sohn,  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  Transactions,  vol.  x,  March,  1880. 
2  Log.  cit. 
^  Gmelin.  Handbook  of  Chemistry,  vol.  xviii.  Translated  by  H.  Watts, 
London. 
*  E.  Dietrich.  Specific  Gravity  of  Wax.  Journal  of  Chemical  Society, 
1882,  vol.,  xlii,  p.  1139. 
^  A.  H.  Allen.  Commercial  Organic  Analysis.  (Also  see  in  same  work 
tables  of  sp.  gr.  waxes.) 
