BORAX

This salt is found native in some of the lakes of Thibet and Persia, and is imported from India under the name of tincai, which after purification forms the refined borax of commerce. Of lale years borax has been obtained by combining native boracic uciil with soda. Borax forms nexedral prisms, slightly efflorescent, and requiring20of cold and G of boiling water for solution. When heated, water of crystallization is driven off, and the iy salt fuses into what is called gla o/ borax. Crystallized borax consists of 68 boracic acid + 32 soda -f- 90 water. It has upon some tests an alkaline reaction, and has hence been called sub-borate of soda. Borax is chiefly used by workers in metals as a flux: it is also emit medicine. [s. 169]