petrolatum (pet-ro-la'tum)

Syn.: paraf- Unurn molle [Br. Ph.], vaselina, ceratum (or unguentum) petrolei adeps min>- eralis, sajcolinum, oleum petrae. Petroleum ointment; a substitute for the proprietary vaselin or cosmolin. Of the U. S. Ph., viii, (p. molle and p. spi um, U. S. Ph., 1890) a mixture of hydrocarbons, chiefly of the methane series, obtained by distilling off the lighter and more volatile portions from petroleum and purifying the residue, p. album. This is similar to petrolatum, but is lighter in color, owing to further purification [U. S. Ph.]. p. liquidum. This corresponds very nearly with petrolatum, except that it is a liquid owing to the retention of some of the lighter and more volatile portions [U. S. Ph.], p. saponatum liquidum. P. saponified with ammonium oleate [N. F.]. p. saponatum spi um. A preparation resembling the liquid saponified p., but of a semisolid structure. E entially similar preparations are sold under various trade names [N. F.]. [U. S. Ph.] [Lat]