WAX, or Bees’ Wax, in Natural History, a firm and solid substance, moderately heavy, and of a fine yellow colour, formed by the bees from the pollen of flowers.

The best sort is that of a lively yellow colour, and an agreeable smell, somewhat like that of honey. When new, it is toughish, yet easy to break; but by age it becomes harder and more brittle, loses its fine colour, and in a great measure its smell.

It appears that wax and the pollen have for their basis a fat oil, which passes to the state of resin by its combination with oxygen. If the nitric or muriatic acid be digested upon fixed oil for several months, it passes to a state resembling wax. Wax, by repeated distillations, affords an oil which possesses all the properties of volatile oils. It is reduced into water and carbonic acid by combustion. The colouring matter of wax is insoluble in water and in alcohol.

Fixed alkalies dissolve wax, and render it soluble in water. It is this saponaceous solution which forms the punic wax. It may be used as the basis of several colours, and may be made into an excellent paste for washing the hands. Ammoniac likewise dissolves it; and as this solvent is evaporable, it ought to be preferred when it is proposed to use the wax as a varnish.

From the common yellow wax, by bleaching, is formed white wax, sometimes called, very improperly, virgin-wax. The greater the surface is in proportion to the quantity, the sooner and more perfectly this operation is performed. The usual way is to melt the wax in hot water. When melted, they press it through a strainer of tolerably fine linen, and pour it into round and very shallow moulds. When hardened by cooling, it is taken out and exposed to the sun and air, sprinkling it now and then with water, and often turning it: by this means it soon becomes white. The best sort is of a clear and almost transparent whiteness, dry, hard, brittle, and of an agreeable smell, like that of the yellow wax, but much weaker.

The common yellow wax is of very great use both in medicine and in many of the arts and manufactures. It has sometimes been given internally in dysenteries and erosions of the intestines; but its great use is in the making of ointments and plasters, and the greater part of those of the shops owe their consistence to it. The white wax is also an ingredient in some of the cerates and ointments of the shops; and it is used in making candles, and in many of the nicer arts and manufactures where wax is required.

Sealing- Wax , or Spanish Wax, is a composition of gum-lac, melted and prepared with resins, and coloured with some suitable pigment. There are two kinds of sealing-wax in use; the one hard, intended for sealing letters, and other such purposes; the other soft, designed for receiving the impressions of seals of office to charters, patents, and such written instruments. The best hard red sealing-wax is made by mixing two parts of shell-lac, well powdered, and resin and vermilion, powdered, of each one part, and melting this combined powder over a gentle fire; and when the ingredients seem thoroughly incorporated, working the wax into sticks. Seed-lac may be substituted for the shell-lac; and instead of resin, boiled Venice turpentine may be used. A coarser hard red sealing-wax may be made by mixing two parts of resin and of shell-lac, or vermilion and red lead, mixed in the proportion of one part of the vermilion to two of the red lead, of each one part, and proceeding as in the former preparation. For a cheaper kind, the vermilion may be omitted, and the shell-lac also for very coarse uses. Wax of other colours is made by substituting other colouring matters for vermilion, as verditer for blue, ivory black for black wax. For uncoloured soft sealing-wax, take of bees’ wax one pound, of turpentine three ounces, and of olive oil one ounce; place them in a proper vessel over the fire, and let them boil for some time; and the wax will then be fit to be formed into rolls or cakes for use. For red, black, green, blue, yellow, and purple soft sealing-wax, add to the preceding composition an ounce or more of any ingredients directed above for colouring the hard sealing-wax, and stir the mass till the colouring ingredients be incorporated with the wax.