196 
Italian  Yellow  Waxes. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       April,  1892. 
the  vapor  of  bromine  acts  on  phenol  or  carbolic  acid  a  deep  blue 
color  appears  in  place  of  the  brown  color  turning  to  green,  which 
is  due  to  pure  creasote.  (3)  Guaiacol.  Although  it  is  not  proven 
that  guaiacol  is  the  only  remedial  agent  contained  in  beech  wood 
creasote,  it  is  present  in  large  quantity  and  should  only  traces  be 
found,  it  can  easily  be  supposed  that  the  guaiacol  has  been  sepa- 
rated. In  mixing  5  cc.  creasote  with  50  cc.  of  a  20  per  cent,  alco- 
holic solution  of  potassium  hydrate,  the  liquid  assumes,  in  from  ten 
to  thirty  minutes,  a  crystalline  state  due  to  a  combination  of  creasol 
and  guaiacol  with  potassium.  The  crystalline  mass  is  pressed 
between  filter  paper  until  perfectly  dry  and  put  into  a  test  tube 
with  5  cc.  sulphuric  acid  diluted  to  1-10.  The  mixture  is  heated 
for  a  moment  when  the  creasol  and  guaiacol  rise  to  the  top  of  the 
liquid.  The  aqueous  liquid  is  then  sufficiently  diluted  to  allow  the 
oils  to  sink  to  the  bottom  when  it  is  decanted,  and  is  replaced  by  4 
cc.  of  concentrated  ammonia.  This  forms  a  hard  crystalline  com- 
pound with  guaiacol  while  the  creasol  after  some  time  forms  a  semi- 
solid crystalline  mass.  On  treating  the  mass  with  benzin  every- 
thing goes  into  solution  but  the  ammonia  compound  of  guaiacol. 
Creasote  should  have  a  specific  gravity  of  ro8o,  should  remain 
limpid  with  dilute  sodium  hydrate  and  should  not  redden  blue 
litmus  paper. 
Synthetic  paracresylol  is  recommended  by  Choay  {Rep.  de  Phar. 
Jan.  10,  1892)  in  place  of  the  numerous  compounds  and  mixtures 
of  impure  cresylols  which  have  recently  been  introduced.  It  is 
insoluble  in  water,  but  dissolves  in  alcohol,  glycerin,  and  in  soap 
solutions.  One  part  of  soap  will  form  with  2  parts  of  paracre- 
sylol a  perfect  solution  in  water.  Such  solutions  are  neutral  and 
contain  the  active  agent  in  the  free  state,  so  that  it  may  be  com- 
pletely removed  by  agitation  with  ether. 
ITALIAN  YELLOW  WAXES.1 
By  Stefano  Camilla. 
The  investigation  was  conducted  in  the  laboratory  of  Prof. 
Guareschi,  at  Turin.    After  detailing  the  recorded  results  of  others 
in  the  analysis  and  the  examination  of  beeswax,  the  author  describes 
1  Sulla  cera  gialla  delle  api.  Contributo  alio  studio  della  cera  gialla  italiana. 
Tesi  de  Laurea  in  Chimica  e  Farmacia. — Abstract  prepared  by  Jos.  W,  England, 
Ph.G. 
