In the distillation of petroleum there remain in the still as a residue large quantities of a substance which when purified is colorless and, according to the nature of the petroleum, at ordinary temperatures has either the consistence of lard, melting under the heat of the hand, or forms an oily liquid. In perfumery vaselin can be used like fat or oil, over which it has the advantage in that it always remains odorless and free from acid; hence it is very appropriate for the manufacture of pomades. The market affords numerous varieties of this substance, under different names: vaselin (oil and solid), albolene (oil and solid), cosmolin, etc., etc. SPERMACETI is a substance found in the skull cavities of several whales and dolphins. In its properties it stands midway between beeswax, paraffin, and firm fats. In the living animal spermaceti is fluid, but after its death it congeals to a white crystalline mass of a fatty lustre, which melts at 40° C. (104° F.), and is frequently used for fine candles as well as for other articles. WAX (Cera alba), the well-known product of the bee; in perfumery only bleached (white) wax is employed. In recent years Japanese wax has appeared in commerce; this is of vegetable origin, but in its properties resembles beeswax. SUBNITRATE OF BISMUTH, bismuth white, pearl white, bismuthi subnitras, blanc de bismuth, blanc de perles, the basic nitrate of bismuth, the chief ingredient of many skin cosmetics, is prepared by dissolving metallic bismuth in moderately strong nitric acid, and pouring the solution into a large quantity of water, whereupon the subnitrate is precipitated. The precipitated powder is collected on a funnel and washed with pure water until the wash water no longer changes blue tincture of litmus to red. The bismuth white is dried and preserved in well-closed vessels, since in the air it gradually assumes a yellowish color; for any sulphuretted hydrogen present in the air is greedily absorbed by this salt, and the resulting combination with sulphur has a black color. OXIDE OF TIN is obtained by treating metallic tin with fuming nitric acid, adding the solution to a large quantity of water, and washing the product, which forms a white insoluble powder used cosmetically for polishing the finger nails. * * * * *