Bees' Wax. .The substance which forms the cells of bees; obtained by melting the comb in water after the honey has been removed, straining the liquid mass, remelting the defecated portion, and casting into cakes. Bees' wax, when pure, has neither taste nor smell; it melts at about 157° Fahr., and is of a specific gravity of .966. It burns without smoke or disagreeable odor. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in all proportions in the fixed and volatile oils, bisulphide of carbon, and benzine. Its complete solution in these substances demonstrates its freedom from fecula, sulphur, sawdust, or bone dust, which have been found in the wax of commerce, sometimes amounting to 60 per cent, of the whole weight. The abundance and low price of paraffine have made this substance one of the principal articles used in the falsification of wax, and perhaps of all others it is the least objectionable, being without marked physiological effect upon the system.

1578. To Bleach Wax

1578.    To Bleach Wax. Pure white wax is obtained from the ordinary bees' wax by exposure to the influence of the sun and weather. The wax is sliced into thin flakes, and laid on sacking or coarse cloth, stretched on frames, resting on posts to raise them from the ground. The wax is turned over frequently, and occasionally sprinkled with soft water, if there be not dew and rain sufficient to moisten it. The wax should be bleached in about 4 weeks. If, on breaking the flakes, the wax still appears yellow inside, it is necessary to melt it again, and flake and expose it a second time, or even oftener, before it becomes thoroughly bleached. The time required being mainly dependent on the state of the weather. There is a preliminary process, by which, it is claimed, much time is saved in the subsequent bleaching; this consists in passing melted wax and steam through long pipes, so as to expose the wax as much as possible to the action of the steam; thence into a pan heated by a steam bath, where it is stirred thoroughly with water and then allowed to settle. The whole operation is repeated a second and third time, and the wax as then in a condition to be more readily bleached.

1579. To Bleach Wax

1579.    To Bleach Wax. Wax cannot be bleached with chemicals; if any other agent but sunshine is employed, part of its properties will be destroyed, and it is genuine wax no longer. Chlorine will whiten, but at the same time greatly injure it. The chlorine is retained, and forms, on combustion, muriatic acid.

1580. French Method of Bleaching Bees' Wax

1580.    French Method of Bleaching Bees' Wax. The wax is melted in copper vessels, and, after complete liquefaction, is agitated with 8 ounces of pulverized cream of tartar for each 100 pounds. After some minutes' agitation it is allowed to deposit its impurities, and is drawn into a wooden vessel and allowed to deposit a further amount of foreign substance - dirt, sand, bees, etc. - and, while still liquid, is drawn upon a little roller partly immersed in water, to which a regular rotation is given - thus producing thin sheets or ribbons of wax, which may be detached from the roller, being now ready for the process of bleaching. This is accomplished by the exposure of the yellow scales and ribbons, upon cloths, to the direct rays of the sun and the dew, for several days, during which time the wax completely loses its color. It is, however, in practice impossible to bleach the wax at a single operation, as the effect takes place only on the surface, and, as the ribbons have a certain thickness, it is necessary to melt them anew, and having repeated the operation of granulating, it is submitted to a second exposure. The wax thus bleached is melted, and cast into discs of 1 to 2 ounces weight, and forms the cera alba of the Pharmacopoeia.