WAT

WAT

( 486 )

partly changed to the red fulphat, or that inwhich the iron is in its higher ftate of oxyge-nation. It is not poffible therefore to procurewith any accuracy fmail quantities of fulphatof iron from any mineral water by evaporation,or any other known way, fo that the only me-thod feems to be, to obtain the whole of theoxyd of iron feparate from every other ingre-dient, to bring it to a known ftate of oxygena-tion, and then to eftimate its equivalent quantityof green or cryftallized fulphat.

The methods in which this may be done willbe fuggefted by comparing the bell analyfes ofiron. PrufRat of potafh feems on the whol ■ tobe preferable where this fait is properly prepared.Muriat of iron has not yet been found. If un-combined with the fulphat, it might be dis-covered by not depofiting its oxyd during eva-poration, and by being foluble in alcohol; andeven if both falts of iron were prefent, and noearthy muriat, it might be detedted by evapo-ration, by treatment with alcohol, which wouldthen diflolve both falts of iron (the green ful-phat being converted by the boiling into the red,which is foluble in alcohol) and by fulphat offilver added to the alcoholic folution. But whereother muriats foluble in alcohol alfo exifted, itwould require a complicated procefs to dete£tmuriat of iron combined with the fulphat.

In giving the refults of the analyfis of amineral water, the prefent Hate of chemicalknowledge demands that the particulars of theprocefs (at leafl the outlines) fhould be given,together with the data from which the infer-ences of quantities are eftimated. It is alfoeflential for the operator to preferve fome uni-form method of drying his falts and precipitates,and the temperatures at which this is performedfhould never be omitted. A greater attentionto this point would enable us often to reconcilethe ftatements of chemifts of known fidelity,which now differ widely, and might lead tomany important difcovevies in the complicatedand difficult fubjedl of chemical affinity.

WATER OF THE SEA.

The analyfis of fea-water and the chemicalufes to which it is applied, will be found underthe articles Muriat, p. 124, and Sulphat,p. 388, of this volume.

WATER OF CRYSTALLIZATION is thatportion of water which mofl falts retain whenin their cryftallized form. The relative quantityof this water to the faline part varies extremely.In fome it is not more than 2 or 3 per cent, inothers it forms more than half the cryftal. In

the former cafe the falts are hard and decrepi-tate when brifldy heated; in the latter theyliquefy. The quantity of this water often variesin the fame fait much more than would be ex-pected from the fimilarity in form and appear-ance, which will partly account for the greatdifference which we find in the eftimation oftheir contents, as given by different chemicalwriters.

WAX. La Cire. Fr. Wachs. Germ.

There are two or three fubftances which re-ferable each other fo clofely as to have receivedthe name of Wax . The firft, and by far theraoft important is Bees Wax , which is con-fumed in fuch vaft quantities for giving light,and is alfo ufed for a variety of other purpofes.Another kind of wax is the myrtle wax, whichis extrafted pretty largely in Louifiana and fomeother parts of America , from the Myrica Ceri-fera. Another fubftance very fimilar to wax isthe Pe La of the Chinefe, the product of aninfect, the exact fpecies of which is not known ;and the white matter which yields the LaccicAcid has alfo a ftrong refemblance to wax.

The properties which all thefe fubftanceshave in common are, fufibility at a moderateheat; when kindled, burning with much flame;infolubility in water, folubility in alkalies, andalfo in alcohol and ether. In thefe two latterproperties all the fpccies of wax differ from theconcrete oils, with which in other refpedlsthey have a very ftrong refemblance.

Bees Wax is the fubftance , excreted fromthe body of the bee, of which thefe infcdls con-ftru£l their cells, both thofe for containinghoney and for the lodgment of their young. Itis collected for the ufe of man wherever beesare kept. A young hive will yield at the endof the feafon about a pound of wax ; and an oldhive about twice as much. The colour of waxwhen frefh from the bee is nearly white, but itfoen grows confiderably yellow in the hive, orif very old is of a dark brown. The origin ofthe wax we {ball mention afterwards. Thefineft wax is found to be made in dry, heathy,or hilly countries, but it is decidedly inferior inparts full of vineyards. The loaves of commonbees wax are made immediately from the honey-comb, by a flight preparation. The combs arefirft emptied of all the honey that can be col-lected by the prefs, and are then either foakedfor fome days in clear water to extradl all theremaining honey, or in fome parts they arebroken down and fpread on a fheet in the neigh-bourhood of the hives, and in time the beesfuck out all the honey that is left, and reduce