petrolatum

(pe-tro-la'tum) (U.S.) Parafiinum moUe (Br.), vaseline, cosmoliue, petroleum jelly, paraffin jelly; a yellowish mixture of the softer members of the paraffin or methane series of hydrocarbons," obtained from petroleum as an intermediate product in its distillation employed as a soothing application to burns and abrasions of the skin, and as a base for ointments, p. al'bum (U.S.), white petrolatum, white vaseline, of the same composition as petrolatum except that care is taken in its preparation to keep it colorle , employed for the same purposes as yellow vaseline, p. liq'uidum (U.S.), paraffinum liquidum (Br.), liquid petrolatum, liquid paraffin, liquid vaseline, paraffin oil; made by distilling ofE the more volatile portion of petroleum, purifying, and removing the solid paraffins from the residue; employed as a vehicle for drugs to be applied by a vaporizer to the mucous membranes, p. sapona'tum, a name formerly designating in the National Formulary a cla of preparations now called petroxolinum.