Am.  Jonr.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1882. 
J        The  History  of  Citrine  Ointment.  619 
a  most  complicated  formulse  being  given  to  it;  among  the  ingredients 
may  be  mentioned  white  coral,  limpet  shells,  tragacanth,  quartz,  white 
marble  and  white  lead,  made  upon  a  basis  of  hog's  lard,  suet  and  hen's 
grease.  How  such  substances  could  be  made  into  a  presentable  oint- 
ment is  difficult  to  imagine  when  we  remember  how  little  apparatus 
was  at  the  command  of  the  pharmacists  of  that  day.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  used  in  many  skin  diseases  and  for  freckles. 
In  the  London  Pharmacopoeia  of  1668  the  formula  remains  the 
same  while  in  those  of  1678  and  1682  several  of  the  ingredients  are 
omitted,  sugar  of  lead  replaces  carbonate,  and  rosewater,  frankincense, 
and  citron  bark  are  added.  The  Edinburgh  Pharmacopoeia  of  1722 
orders  under  the  same  name  an  ointment  of  an  entirely  different  nature, 
the  formula  being: 
R    Hydrargyri,        ....    unciam  unam. 
Spiritus  nitri,  .  .  .  q.s. 
Ut  fiat  solution  em,  cui  adde  paulatim 
Axungise  porcinse  liquifactse,  libram  unam. 
Misce.    Fiat  unguentum. 
It  was  not  till  long  after  this  that  a  citrine  ointment  containing 
mercury  was  admitted  to  the  London  Pharmacopoeia,  perhaps  from  the 
fact  that  ^ith  a  formula  such  as  the  above  very  varying  results  were 
naturally  obtained;  indeed,  we  find  no  mention  whatever  of  it  in  the 
London  Pharmacopoeia  of  1724,  while  in  that  o;  1746  it  is  similar  to 
resin  ointment  with  the  addition  of  1  oz.  of  yellow  wax  to  each  8  ozs. 
Quincy,  in  the  "London  Dispensatory''  of  1730,  gives  a  similar 
formula,  viz.: 
Yellow  resin,  .  .  .  .  1^  lb. 
Sheep's  suet,        .  .  .  .  .4  ozs. 
Turpentine,  ....  2  ozs. 
To  be  melted  together  and  strained.  No  doubt  the  pharmacist 
thought  this  a  vast  improvement  on  the  former  ointment  so  difficult  to 
prepare ;  but  he  was  not  long  to  remain  in  this  state  of  case  as  regards 
citrine  ointment,  for  in  the  London  Pharmacopoeia  of  1787  a  new 
formula  was  given  to  it  which  bade  fair  to  cause  him  more  trouble 
than  the  last. 
Some  say  it  was  introduced  in  imitation  of  the  well-known  "  golden 
eye  salve,"  but  others  state  that  it  was  of  French  origin,  luiving  l)cen 
used  in  Paris  for  the  cure  of  the  itch.  If  the  former  Avere  the  case,  it 
was  not  satisfactory,  "golden  eye  salve"  being  an  ointment  of  yellow 
oxide  of  mercury. 
