SOAP 577 



Habitat— S. United States and other semi-tropical 

 countries ; cultivated. 



Properties. — A pale yellow, oily liquid, without odor, and 

 having a bland, nut-like taste. Spec. gr. 0.920-0.950. Very 

 sparingly soluble in alcohol, but readily soluble in ether, 

 chloroform, or carbon disulphide. 



Constituents. — 1, olein ; 2, palmitin ; 3, coloring matt.er. 



Dose. — Same as that of olive oil. 



Action and Uses. — Olive oil is in common use as an 

 emollient in burns and skin irritation. It assists in the per- 

 formance of massage for sprains and bruises. Cotton seed 

 oil has superseded it in liniments, as a matter of economy. 

 Administered internally, sweet oil (with an equal part of 

 castor oil) is a useful laxative for dogs. Linseed oil is more 

 frequently given to the larger animals. An enema of ^ pint, 

 or more, of olive oil is serviceable in softening hard faecal 

 masses in dogs, and should be followed by the use of warm 

 soap suds. 



Sweet oil is a food, but is rarely used as such. Like 

 other bland oils, it improves the nutrition of the bronchial 

 mucous membrane in subacute or chronic bronchitis, and is 

 of considerable benefit in these disorders, but inferior to cod 

 liver oil or linseed oil. Olive oil is an efficient demulcent in 

 inflamed conditions of the alimentary tract, and in poisoning 

 by irritants. Large quantities form soap-like masses,— with 

 the alkaline intestinal juices, — which have been mistaken 

 for gall stones. Cotton seed oil is of equal therapeutic 

 value with sweet oil. 



Sapo. Soap. 



Synonym. — Sapo duris, B.P.; hard soap, white castile 

 soap, E.; savon, Fr.; seife, G. 



Derivation. — Soap is made by boiling olive oil with a 

 solution of caustic soda, C3H5(Ci8H3302)3 (olein) + 3 NaOH = 

 3 NaCi8H3302 (sodium oleate or soap) + 03X15(011)3 (glycerin). 



Properties. — A white, or whitish solid, hard, yet easily 

 cut when fresh ; having a faint, peculiar odor free from 



