4 
Several  Official  Ointments 
r  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(.       Jan.,  1886. 
unnecessarily  high.  As  all  the  acids  of  the  fatty  series,  it  is  quite 
unalterable  under  ordinary  conditions,  and  resists  the  influence  of 
decomposing  agents  with  considerable  force.  Melted  lard  and  warm 
oils  abundantly  dissolve  stearic  acid,  but  on  cooling  it  rapid lv  sepa- 
rates in  crystals.  The  writer  has,  however,  employed  it  with  much 
success  in  various  connections. 
The  remarkable  hydrocarbons  at  the  upper  end  of  the  paraffin 
series  are  rapidly  attaining  a  merited  popularity.  The  firmest  of 
these  substances,  commercially  termed  paraffin  wax,  has  long  been 
favorably  known  for  numerous  uses.  The  more  fusible  and  unctuous 
body  now  officially  recognized  under  the  name  of  petrolatum,  is  find- 
ing even  more  valuable  applications  in  medicine  and  pharmacy.  The 
market  also  affords  an  oily  body  of  the  same  class  which  will  doubt- 
less rank  popularly  very  high  in  due  time. 
Paraffin  wax  is  colorless  and  odorless.  Petrolatum  has  heretofore 
been  furnished  of  a  variable  yellow  shade,  and  more  or  less  odorous. 
It  can  now  be  obtained  perfectly  colorless,  like  paraffin  wax,  and 
wholly  or  quite  free  from  odor.  The  commercial  variety  termed 
vaselin  appears  to  be  superior  in  these  respects.  The  official  term 
petrolatum  seems  to  be  appropriate  and  convenient,  The  writer 
would  suggest  that  the  so-called  paraffin  wax  be  called  petrolatum 
wax,  and  the  oily  body  petrolatum  oil.  Of  course,  these  three  sub- 
stances are  not  single  and  definite,  being  merely  separated  within 
convenient  limits  of  fusibility.  Each  one  of  them  is  probably  a  mix- 
ture of  several  definite  hydrocarbons,  separable,  however,  by  fractional 
distillation. 
It  is  well  known  that  when  carbolic  acid  is  dissolved  in  ordinary 
fats  or  oils,  it  loses  its  causticity  and  more  decided  irritant  qualities, 
while  retaining  al]  its  valuable  medicinal  properties.  But  when  dis- 
solved in  petrolatum  it  retains  an  undiminished  harshness,  even  in 
extreme  degrees  of  dilution.  The  writer  found  that  a  small  propor- 
tion of  lard,  when  added  to  the  mixture,  blunted  the  virulence  of  the 
carbolic  acid  completely.  When  stearic  acid  is  melted  with  petrolatum, 
a  more  lasting  and  intimate  union  results  than  with  ordinary  fats. 
Stearic  acid  and  phenol  appear  to  merge  in  all  proportions.  The 
mixture  on  cooling  resumes  a  crystalline  form,  retaining  a  permanent 
character.  If  the  cooling  mixture  is  well  stirred  during  congelation 
a  granular  or  powdered  form  is  obtained  which  may  possibly  prove 
useful  for  certain  purposes.    On  fusing  carbolic  acid,  stearic  acid  and 
