AraMa0rcrh.^895!:m■}     Beeswax,  Petrolatum  Molle,  etc.  141 
relative  positions  of  the  superimposed  plates ;  in  fact,  three  plates 
of  varying  thickness  will  be  all  that  are  necessary  to  keep.  As  stated 
before,  mica  costs  next  to  nothing  ;  if,  therefore,  the  first  piece  does 
not  suit,  throw  it  away  and  try  another.  .  Select  the  clearest  pieces. 
The  mica  plates  may  be  cut  and  mounted  to  suit.  Personally,  I 
prefer  strips  about  1  y2  inches  wide,  and  somewhat  longer  than  the 
stage  from  front  to  back,  so  as  to  be  easily  slipped  in  under  the 
slide,  and  as  easily  removed. 
NOTES  ON  BEESWAX,  PETROLATUM  MOLLE  AND 
ROCK  CANDY  SYRUP. 
By  Lyman  F.  Kebi/er. 
About  a  year  ago1  I  presented  some  notes  on  the  examination  of 
beeswax.  Since  then  I  have  examined  a  goodly  number  of  sam- 
ples of  this  article,  and  not  until  recently  have  spurious  goods  come 
into  my  hands.  This  section  of  the  country  appears  to  be  especially 
favored  with  highly  adulterated  beeswax,2  some  containing  as  high 
as  80  per  cent,  of  paraffin,  some  composed  of  black  earthy  matter 
moulded  into  cakes  and  cleverly  coated  with  yellow  wax,  other 
samples  containing  chrome-yellow,  mineral  matter,  rosin,  etc.  Prob- 
ably some  sections  do  not  report  the  results  of  their  examinations. 
It  has  frequently  been  asserted  that  beeswax  is  weighted  with 
mineral  matter  such  as  gypsum,  kaolin,  yellow  ochre,  heavy  spar 
and  various  other  adulterants.  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  days  of  such  gross  sophistications  were  past,  but  the  examina- 
tion of  four  samples  recently  convinced  me  that  this  opprobrious 
business  had  been  awakened  from  the  slumber  room  of  time,  if  it 
has  been  asleep.  These  four  samples  were  composed  of  rosin, 
chrome  yellow,  yellow  ochre,  haematite,  mineral  wax  and  a  little 
beeswax.  A  fifth  sample  was  composed  of  about  equal  parts  of 
mineral  wax  and  beeswax.  The  following  table  contains  the  analy- 
tical data  of  the  adulterated  beeswax.  Number  1  is  a  beeswax  of 
known  purity  for  comparison  : 
1  1893,  Am.  J.  Pharm.,  65,  585. 
2  1874,  Am.  J.  Pharm.,  4G,  510;  1875,  Proc.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  23,  232 
and  499. 
