BORAX, Bi-borate of soda, Buru9, Tuukar, . ARAB. Pijer, . . JAW., afstsr. Kuddia-khar, . . Bliss. Sod biboras, . . LAT. Pung-sha,Pang-sha, CHIN. Patteri, . . . MALAY.
Yueh-shih, Pwan-sha, „ Chaularaya, . Nr.r.
Irwang p'ung-sha, Tunkar, . . . rms.
Boras, . . . PUT. Tunkana, . . . SAME.
Borate de soudo, . Fa. lAnsipuseara, . . Smolt.
Tunkun-khar, . GUJ. Vengaram, . . TAIL Borace, . . IT. Velligaram, . . Tam..
Sohaga, . . . HIND. Tsale , Tin.
The greater part of the crude borax or tincal met with in commerce, was formerly obtained from lakes in Tibet, the waters of which yield a yellowish-white mass, containing from 30 to 50 per cent. of real borax. That was refined chiefly at Venice and Amsterdam. Recently, a lake with waters similarly impregnated has been discovered at California. But, for a long time past, in Europe, the borax of commerce has been obtained by treating with carbonate of sodium, the boric acid obtained from the volcanic district of Tuscany, where jets of vapour issue from tho ground. Natural borax is obtainable in large quantities in the valley of Pugs, in Ladakh, from Lake Jigatzi in Tibet, 20 miles in circumference; also in the course of the Sanpu river, and from the Chaim lake beyond the Kylas hills. It is collected on the borders of the Tibetan lakes as the water dries up, then smeared with fat to prevent loss by evapora tion, and transported across the Himalaya on the backs of sheep and goats, then refined at Umritsur and Lahore by washing with lime water. The salt and borax fields of Gnari, called Lha-lhaka or Lhali-lhaka, are to the north of Bongbwa Tal.
Borax is procurable at Itudok in Changtan at ten minas per mound, of such quality that only about a quarter is lost in refining. That obtained at Pugs, in the territory of the nutharaja of Kashmir, loses one half. Tho Rudok borax is conveyed on sheep to Rampur on the Sutlej, at. the rate of two miles a day, so that the price on the plains of raw borax rises to 7 rupees the inaund, and of re fined borax to 25 rupees.-31. and JI. l'r. 1872-3. It is largely imported into Digarchi, whence it. is distributed to other parts of Tibet and to India, via Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. It is used in the arts to clean metals before soldering, to form a glaze on earthenware, and in the preparation of varnishes. It is employed as a chemical flux, and in experiments with the blow-pipe, and in the moist way as a solvent for gum-lac. It is much used by the goldsmith, tinkers (Cannar, TAw.), and tinmen (Tagara-velecarer, TAU.), to facilitate the fusion of their metals. With it and lime juice, the vaishnava Hindus prepare the irred Tiruchurnum, with which they mark their fore heads perpendicularly. Borax is readily purified by simple solution and crystallization. It is sometimes adulterated with alum and common salt ; but ammonia gives a white precipitate (alumina) if the former, and nitrate of silver•a white precipitate if the latter, be present. Price of raw borax, 4d. per lb. ; of refined borax, 6d. per lb.—Beng. Phar. ; Ains. Mat. Med. ; Cal. Cat. Er. 1862 ; Powell, Handbook.