Am  Jour.  Pharm.) 
April,  1920.) 
Base  for    Mustard  Oil. 
235 
T.  Olive  Oil 
2.  Turpentine 
3.  Ether  I 
4.  Absolute  Alcohol  / 
5.  QS%  Alcohol  \        1    1      11^-  1 
^           A .    1   ,  r  Marked  and  lasting  hyperemia. 
6.  50%  Alcohol  J  &  -7 
Practically  no  hyperemia. 
Very  little  hyperemia. 
7.  Mucilage  of  Acacia 
8.  Simple  Syrup 
Most  intense  and  persistent  hyperemia. 
The  purpose  of  this  note  is  to  suggest  an  aqueous  vehicle  which 
is  of  more  convenient  consistency  than  mucilage  of  acacia  or  simple 
syrup.  The  vehicle  which  I  wish  to  suggest  is  an  aqueous  3  per 
cent,  tragacanth  paste. 
This  vehicle  is  made  by  soaking  3  parts  of  ribbon  tragacanth 
and  97  parts  of  water  together,  with  occasional  agitation,  for  24 
hours,  or  until  the  ribbons  are  completely  expanded.  The  paste 
is  then  squeezed  through  a  piece  of  cheese  cloth  to  remove  obvious 
solid  particles,  if  necessary.  The  paste,  so  made,  is  of  ointment- 
like consistency  and  can  be  readily  spread  or  rubbed  on  the  skin. 
The  mustard  oil  can  be  readily  incorporated  with  this  vehicle 
by  whipping  it  in  with  an  egg  beater  (preferably  of  the  covered 
type  to  prevent  loss  of  oil  and  also  annoyance  to  the  operator).  A 
covered  emulsifier  is  also  well  adapted  to  the  incorporation  of  the 
oil. 
The  mustard  oil  strength  of  the  application  is  a  matter  for  indi- 
vidual preference,  based  upon  the  effect  desired  and  the  length  of 
time  it  is  desired  to  allow  the  application  to  act.  The  average 
commercial  mustard' oil  application,  made  with  an  oleaginous  base, 
usually  contains  about  3  per  cent,  of  mustard  oil.  Most  pharma- 
ceutical manufacturing  companies  list  such  a  product.  Therfore, 
a  mustard  oil  application  made  with  an  oleaginous  base  and  con- 
taining 3  per  cent,  of  mustard  oil  was  taken  as  a  standard  for  the 
strength  of  mustard  oil  application,  with  which  the  trade  is  familiar, 
and  this  application  was  compared  with  mustard  oil  applications 
made  with  3  per  cent,  tragacanth  paste  and  containing  various  pro- 
portions of  mustard  oil,  in  determining  the  relative  irritation  effi- 
ciencies of  the  two  types  of  bases. 
The  standard  application  with  oleaginous  base  was  made  with 
a  base  consisting  of  15  per  cent,  of  paraffin  and  85  per  cent,  of  yel- 
low petrolatum. 
