MENTHOL 505 



Oil of peppermint, 100 ; peppermint, 10 ; alcohol to make 1000. 

 Made by maceration and filtration. (U. S. P.) 



Dose.— H. & C, 3 ii.iv. (8.-15.) ; D. mxv.-xxx. (1.-2.). 



Aqua Menthce Piperitce. Peppermint Water. (U. S. & B. P. ) 



Oil of peppermint, 2 ; precipitated calcium phosphate, 4 ; water to 

 make 1000. Made by trituration and filtration. (U. S. P.) 

 Dose. — Used as vehicle in canine practice . 



Menthol. Menthol. C,„Hi,OH. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — Mint or peppermint-camphor. 



A stearopten (having the character of a secondary 

 alcohol) obtained from the official oil of peppermint (from 

 Mentha piperita Smith), or from Japanese or Chinese oil of 

 peppermint (from Mentha avensis Linne, var. piperascens 

 Holmes, and Mentha Canadensis Linne, var. glabrata 

 Holmes ; nat. ord. Labiatse). 



Derivation. — Made from the oil of peppermint by frac- 

 tional distillation ; freezing of the higher boiling point pro- 

 duct, and crystallization. 



Properties. — Colorless, acicular or prismatic crystals, 

 having a strong and pure odor of i)eppermint, and a warm, 

 aromatic taste, followed by a sensation of cold when air is 

 drawn in the mouth. Slightly soluble in water; freely 

 soluble in alcohol* ether, chloroform, carbon disulphide or 

 glacial acetic acid. When it is triturated with about an equal 

 weight of camphor, thymol, or chloral hydrate, the mixture 

 becomes liquid. Menthol may be dissolved by heat in oleic 

 acid, fats or liquid vaseline. 



I)ose.—li., gr.vii.-xv. (,5-1.); D., gr.ss,-ii. (.03-.12). 



ACTION AND USES OF PEPPERMINT AND MENTHOL. 



Peppermint and oil of peppermint owe their medicinal 

 virtues chiefly to the menthol they contain. They resemble 

 the other volatile oils in most respects, but are more anges-. 

 thetic and antiseptic than some. Menthol is used mostly 

 externally, and is extremely valuable in relieving itching 

 and neuralgia pain. It may be employed with alcohol or 



