COTTON-WAX.

35

fusion in the water-bath for several hours, then reduced to powder and placedin a bell over sulphuric acid. Its analysis yielded numbers corresponding inioo parts to—

I.

II.

III.

c

.. .. 80-35

80-29

80-38

H

• • • • I4'35

14'23

I 4'5 I

O ..

• • •• 5'3°

5’48

5 -ii

100*00

100*00

100*00

It would have been easy to devise a formula corresponding to these numbers;but as the quantity of material at Dr. Schunck’s disposal was not sufficient toenable him to make any experiments to determine the atomic weight of thesubstance, the accuracy of any such formula would have been a mere matter ofprobability. That its composition is very similar to that of other vegetablewaxes will be seen by comparing the above numbers with those obtained byDumas* in the analysis of cerosine, and by Lewyf in that of Carnauba wax,which were as follows :—

Cerosine. Carnauba Wax.

C.8i*oo .. .. 80*36

H. 14*16 .. .. 13*07

0 . 4-84 -• 657

100*00 100*00

Its composition differs also but little from that of the wax-like body derivedfrom the Ceroxylon andicola .

For the purpose of examining the product of decomposition which is obtainedfrom cotton-wax by the a&ion of dry caustic alkalies, Dr. Schunck took someof the substance, added caustic soda-lye, evaporated to dryness, and heatedthe dry residue rather strongly, then added water and evaporated again,repeating the process several times, until the product was found to be entirelysoluble in water. An excess of acid was then added ; the matter left undis-solved was filtered off, washed with water, and dissolved in a little boilingalcohol. The solution on cooling deposited white crystalline flocks, which,after being filtered off and dried, had the appearance of a white opaque massresembling stearic acid. This mass, when examined under the microscope,was found to consist of minute star-shaped aggregates of needles. Whenheated it was easily volatilised, yielding an oily sublimate which becamecrystalline on cooling. It dissolved easily in alkaline liquids, and the solutionsfrothed on being boiled. The solution in ammonia gave, with chloride of cal-cium, a white curdy precipitate. In boiling water it melted, forming trans-parent oily drops, which became solid and crystalline on cooling. In acapillary tube, it fused at 85° C. and solidified at 77 0 C. The quantity ofsubstance was just sufficient for one analysis.

In 100 parts it contained—

C. 79*86

H. 14*04

O. 6*io

100*00

* Annales de Chim. et de Phys., t. lxxv., p. 223.+ Journ. f. Prakt. Chemie, B. xxxvi., S. 74.