G'hincse wax (C.0811,0804) is supposed to be the produce of a species of insect of the coccus family, and consists principally of cerotic acid, in combination with oxide of cerotyl.
Both yellow and white bees-wax occur in the Pharmacopoeia. The characters and tests, as given in that work, are—Of yellow wax: "Firm, breaking with a granular frac ture, yellow, having an agreeable honey-like odor; not unctuous to the touch, does not melt under 140°, yields nothing to cold rectified spirit, but is entirely soluble in oil of turpentine; boiling water in which it has been agitated, when cooled, is not rendered blue by iodine." Of white wa x : " Hard, nearly white, translucent; not unctuous to the touch, does net melt under 150°." The iodine test is used because wax is often adulter ated with starch. Wax was formerly much employed internally as an emollient medi chic, hi cases of suspected ulceration of the intestines. At present it is only used as an external agent, being an ingredient of many ointments and plasters.
The commercial value of bees-wax is very great; and if it were possible to ascertain the total of the quantity produced, it would cause great surpri Its surprise of uable material &rived a source apparently so -candles, modeling, medicinal cerates or ointments, besides many minorPurf uses Nearly 500 tons are annually imported into Great Britain, the value of which 80,010; the k and but so large is the quantity consumed in the ceremonies of th Greek Roman churches, that Missal alone consumes more than four times that amount, rt, and the vari ous Catholic countries probably ten times as much. NSECT WAX of China, or Pe-la, has lately been imported in small quantities, and used the manufacture of can dles by Messrs. Price & Co.' but it is far too costly costly r general use (see Wax INSECT). In China, this wax is very highly valued, and is so c3 f as to o be used only by the highest classes; it is white, and breaks with a crystalline fracture and pearly luster. Of vegeta ble u-ax, there are four distinct kinds known in commerce. The first in importance is
the JAPAN Wax, which is almost as whitea nd compact as refined bees-wax, which it closely resembles: it was first brought to Great t 3 very considerable importations have taken place. It in 1859, and since then, some l t is said to be obtained by boiling the seeds of a species of Rittis (R. succedanea ). It has only been used in making can dles. BRAZILIAN VECIETABLE Wax is also an article of regular importation, but only in small quantities; it is obtained from the leaves of rorypba cerifera, the carnaltuba palm of the Brazilians. It forms a glossy vartildi-]i1:^ co-.-crinf; and when the leaves are gathered, and begin to shrink from withering, it cracks and peels off, and is collected and melted into masses. It is hard and brittle, and of a dull yellow color. The candle makers have used it for mixing and improving other materials. In Brazil, candles are wholly made of or half the quantity of stearine is added. The VEGETABLE WAX of the Andes is also yielded by a palm (see WAX PALM). Although much used in Mexico, it has not yet become of commercial importance to Europe. It is chiefly used for can dles in the churches. 3IvierLE 'WAX, though rarely seen in Europe, is much used in the British colonies of North America and the United States, and at the cape of Good it is also in use in Brazil. It is procured by boiling the- berries of myrica cerifera in North America, and probably from other species in Brazil, and at the cape of Good Hope. It resembles bees-wax very ninth, except that it has a greenish yellow instead of a yellow color. It is only used for candle-making. See CA.1 DLRBERRY.
Of the manufactured compounds called wax, the following arc the chief—viz., sealing-wax (q.v.). MODELERS' Wax, used by artists for modeling small works. It consists of equal parts of bees-wax, druegists' lead-plaster—olive oil and yellow resin— and just sufficient whitino. added to produce the consistency of putty. GILDERS' Wax consists of four parts of bees-wax, well mixed by melting with one part each of verdi gris and sulphate of copper.