Experiment VII
A way of Whiting Wax Cheaply and in Great Quantity may be a thing of good Oeconomical Uſe, and we have elſewhere ſet down the Practice of Trades-men that Blanch it; But here Treating of Whiteneſs only in Order to the Philoſophy of Colours, I ſhall not Examine which of the Slow wayes may be beſt Employ’d, to free Wax from the Yellow Melleous parts, but ſhall rather ſet down a Quick way of making it White, though but in very Small Quantities. Take then a little Yellow Wax, ſcraped or thinly ſliced, and putting it into a Bolts-head or ſome other Convenient Glaſs, pour to it a pretty deal of Spirit of Wine, and placing the Veſſel in Warm Sand, Encreaſe the Heat by degrees, till the Spirit of Wine begin to Simper or to Boyl a little; and continuing that degree of Fire, if you have put Liquor enough, you will quickly have the Wax diſſolv’d, then taking it off the fire, you may either ſuffer it to Cool as haſtily as with Safety to the Glaſs you can, or Pour it whilſt ’tis yet Hot into a Filtre of Paper, and either in the Glaſs where it Cools, or in the Filtre, you will ſoon find the Wax and Menſtruum together reduc’d into a White Subſtance, almoſt like Butter, which by letting the Spirit Exhale will ſhrink into a much Leſſer Bulk, but ſtill retaining its Whiteneſs. And that which is pretty in the working of this Magiſtery of Wax, is, that the Yellowneſs vaniſhes, neither appearing in the Spirit of Wine that paſſes Limpid through the Filtre, nor in the Butter of Wax, if I may ſo call it, that, as I ſaid, is White.