Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1903. 
External  Preparations. 
275 
name  of  "CEsypus,"  to  Oscar  Liebreich  is  due  the  credit  of  pre- 
senting a  pure  hyd  rated  form  of  it  under  the  name  of  lanolin,  official 
as  adeps  lanse  hydrosus,  U.  S. 
THERAPEUTIC  GROUPING. 
The  at  first  more  or  less  empiric  use  of  these  two  fats — the  soft 
paraffin  and  lanolin — of  exactly  opposite  qualities  as  regards  their 
water  miscibility  and  property  to  penetrate  the  skin,  led  eventually 
to  the  grouping  of  the  ointments  and  similar  preparations  from  a 
therapeutic  standpoint,  according  to  the  vehicle  employed,  substan- 
tially as  follows : 
(1)  Epidermatic:  Non-penetrative,  or  non-absorptive.  Protective^ 
antiseptic.    Vehicle:  Soft  paraffin,  vaselin  or  petrolatum,  U.  S. 
(2)  Enderrnatic :  Semi-penetrative  or  semi-absorptive.  Emol- 
lient, nutritive,  astringent,  etc.  Vehicle:  Animal  or  vegetable  fats, 
oils  and  waxes.    Lard,  suet,  oils  ot  almond,  olive,  etc. 
(3)  Diadermatic :  Penetrative  or  absorptive.  Systemic  or  consti- 
tutional.   Vehicle:  Lanolin  or  hydrated  wool-fat. 
While  this  classification  is  a  generalization,  its  approximate  cor- 
rectness is  apparent  from  the  fact  that  a  vehicle  consisting  of  equal 
parts  of  petrolatum  and  lanolin,  the  respective  types  of  the  two 
extreme  groups,  has  the  general  properties  of  the  intermediate 
endermatic  group.  Since  this  vehicle  does  not  become  rancid  or 
react  with  chemicals,  as  do  the  animal  or  vegetable  fats  and  oils,  it 
serves  excellently  for  endermatic  uses. 
SUPPOSITORIES. 
In  no  class  of  preparations  has  the  failure  to  consider  the  general 
therapeusis  been  so  apparent  as  in  the  suppositories.  Since  their 
first  introduction  into  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  in  1870,  the  vehicle 
has  been  uniformly  cacao-fat  or  theobroma  oil. 
While  three  different  forms  of  suppositories  are  recognized,  no 
distinction  is  made  as  to  the  vehicle  employed,  although  the  neces- 
sity for  such  selection  is  generally  conceded.  For  rectal  supposi- 
tories fats  undoubtedly  are  the  best  yehicle,  not  only  because  of  the 
alkalinity  of  the  secretions,  but  also  because  more  or  less  penetra- 
tive or  absorptive  effects  are  desired.  Cacao-fat  serves  this  purpose 
probably  better  than  any  other  fat.  While  soap  is  sometimes  used, 
its  effects  are  simply  those  of  an  irritant  or  solvent,  as  in  the  official 
