324 
Liquid  Petrolatum. 
I  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I       July,  1914. 
The  requirements  of  the  several  pharmacopoeias  differ  somewhat, 
and  the  specific  gravity  as  given  is  as  follows : 
For  pharmaceutical  purposes,  liquid  petrolatum  may  be  divided 
into  two  grades,  the  lighter  or  more  limpid  oil,  used  extensively  as  a 
vehicle  for  oil  sprays,  and  the  heavier,  more  viscid  oil  generally 
recognized  in  European  pharmacopoeias  and  used  as  an  ingredient 
of  ointments  and  more  recently  as  a  remedy  in  the  treatment  of 
intestinal  stasis. 
Under  petrolatum  liquidum  the  U.  S.  P.  recognizes  a  mixture  of 
hydrocarbons,  chiefly  of  the  methane  series,  which  occurs  as  a  color- 
less or  very  slightly  yellowish,  oily,  transparent  liquid  without  odor  or 
taste  and  having  a  specific  gravity  of  about  0.870  to  0.940  at  25 0  C. 
For  the  U.  S.  P.  IX,  it  is  proposed  to  change  this  requirement  some- 
what so  as  to  have  it  apply  to  a  transparent  liquid  free  from  fluores- 
cence, without  odor  or  taste  and  having  a  specific  gravity  of  from 
0.845  to  °-94P  at  25 0  C. 
Such  a  requirement  would  include  all  of  the  available  paraffin 
oils,  irrespective  of  origin.  The  now  commonly  available  commercial 
liquid  petrolatum,  used  for  pharmaceutical  purposes,  is  practically 
colorless  and  all  of  the  better  grades  are  free  from  odor  or  taste. 
The  specific  gravity  varies  from  0.855  to  0.895.  The  lighter  oils, 
having  a  specific  gravity  of  from  0.860  to  0.870,  are  usually  preferred 
in  the  making  of  oil  sprays  or  solutions  of  substances  to  be  used  as 
U.  S.  P.  VIII,  1905   
Ph.  Brit.  IV,  1895   
B.  P.  C.  II,  191 1,  usually  
Ph.  Germ.  V,  1910,  at  least  . . 
Ph.  Ross,  VI,  1910   
Ph.  Hung.  Ill,  1909   
Ph.  Ital.  Ill,  1909   
Ph.  Fr.  V,  1908,  about   
Ph.  Serb.  II,  1908,  about 
Ph.  Svec.  IX,  1908   
Ph.  Helv.  IV,  1907   
Ph.  Dan.  VII,  1907,  at  least  . . 
Ph.  Austr.  VIII,  1906,  at  least 
Ph.  Belg.  Ill,  1906,  not  below  . 
Ph.  Japon.  Ill,  1906   
Ph.  Ndl.  IV,  1905,  not  below 
Ph.  Hisp.  VII,  1905   
0.870  to  0.940  at  25 0 
0.885  to  0.890  at  1 5. 50 
0.875  or  lower  at  150 
0.885  at  15° 
0.880  to  0.885  at  15° 
0.88  to  0.89  at  1 50 
0.875  to  0.890  at  150 
0.875  at  150 
0.880  at  15° 
0.88  to  0.90  at  150 
0.880  to  0.885  at  15° 
0.880  at  15° 
0.880  at  15° 
0.880  at  1 5° 
0.875  to  0.945  at  150 
0.860  at  1 5° 
0.840  at  150 
