Semisolid Vehicles :

- Sumit Goel.

SECTION 3 -HOMOEOPATHIC VEHICLES AND BASES

Vehicles used in homoeopathy, which are in the semisolid state at room temperature, are i. Paraffin: Hard Paraffin : Soft Paraffin - Yellow soft paraffin - White soft paraffin : Liquid Paraffin ii. Beeswax: Yellow beeswax : White beeswax iii. Lanolin iv. Spermaceti v. Prepared lard vi. Isinglass vii. Soap: Hard soap : Soft soap : Curd soap viii. Starch

PARAFFIN HARD

SYNONYM - Paraffinum durum; Paraffin wax

CHEMICAL NATURE

* Paraffin hard is a mixture of solid hydrocarbons consisting mainly of n-paraffins and to a lesser extent of their isomers, obtained from petroleum or from shale oil.

PREPARATION

* It may be obtained by distillation from petroleum, the hard paraffin being separated from the appropriate fractions by pressing or processes, sweated or refined by clay or acid. It may also be obtained, in a similar manner from the oil produced in the destructive distillation of shale.

PROPERTIES

* Colorless or white, more or less translucent mass with a crystalline structure

* Slightly greasy to touch

* Odorless even when freshly cut; tasteless

* Burns with a luminous flame

* Melting range: 50 to 57oC

* Freely soluble in chloroform, ether, volatile oils or most warmed fixed oils; slightly soluble in dehydrated alcohol; insoluble in water

UTILITY

* It is used, mainly to increase the consistency of ointments.

* It is a ingredient of paraffin ointment, simple ointment and Wool Alcohol ointment.

PARAFFIN SOFT

It is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It is available in two varieties.

* YELLOW SOFT PARAFFIN

* WHITE SOFT PARAFFIN

YELLOW SOFT PARAFFIN

SYNONYM - Petrolatum; Amber Petrolatum; Yellow Petrolatum; Petroleum Jelly; Paraffin Jelly; Paraffinum molle flavum

CHEMICAL NATURE

* It is a purified mixture of semi-solid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It may contain a suitable stabilizer.

PREPARATION

* The 'residuum' as they are termed technically, obtained by the distillation of petroleum, are purified by melting, usually treating with sulphuric acid and then percolating through recently burned bone black or adsorptive clays; this removes the odor and modifies the colour. Selective solvents are also sometimes employed to extract impurities.

PROPERTIES

* Pale yellow or yellow, translucent, soft mass, unctuous to touch and retaining these characters on storage and when melted and allowed to cool without stirring; transparent in thin layers

* Not more than slightly fluorescent by daylight, even when melted

* Tasteless; odorless, when rubbed on the skin

* Specific gravity: 0.815 to 0.880

* Melting point: 38 - 56oC

* Insoluble in water; almost insoluble in cold or hot alcohol or in cold dehydrated alcohol; freely soluble in benzene, carbon disulphide, chloroform or turpentine oil; soluble in ether, solvent hexane or in most fixed and volatile oils, the degree of solubility in these solvents varying with composition of the petrolatum

UTILITY

* It is used as a base for ointments. It is highly occlusive and a good emollient.

WHITE SOFT PARAFFIN

SYNONYM - White Petrolatum; White Petroleum Jelly; Paraffinum molle album

CHEMICAL NATURE

* A purified mixture of semi-solid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum and wholly or nearly decolourized. It may contain a suitable stabilizer.

PREPARATION

* It is prepared in the same manner as Yellow soft paraffin, the purification treatment being continued until the product is practically free from yellow colour.

PROPERTIES

* A white translucent mass, unctuous to touch

* Transparent in thin layers, even after cooling at 0oC

* Tasteless and odorless, when rubbed on the skin

* Not more than slightly fluorescent by daylight even when melted

* Specific gravity: 0.815 to 0.880

* Melting point: 38 - 56oC

* Insoluble in water; almost insoluble in cold or hot alcohol or in cold dehydrated alcohol; freely soluble in benzene, carbon disulphide, chloroform or turpentine oil; soluble in ether, solvent hexane or in most fixed and volatile oils, the degree of solubility in these solvents varying with composition of the petrolatum

UTILITY

* The utility of white petrolatum is similar to yellow petrolatum, but is often preferred because of its freedom from colour. It is employed as a protective, a base for ointments and cerates and forms the basis for burn dressings.

LIQUID PARAFFIN

SYNONYM - Mineral oil; Liquid Petrolatum; White mineral oil; Heavy Liquid Petrolatum

CHEMICAL NATURE

* It is a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It may contain a suitable stabilizer.

PREPARATION

* After removing the lighter hydrocarbons from petroleum by distillation, residue is again subjected to distillation at a temperature between 330o and 390o and the distillate treated first with sulphuric acid, then with sodium hydroxide and afterwards decolorized by filtering through bone black, animal charcoal or fuller's earth. The purified product is again chilled to remove paraffin and redistilled at a temperature above 330o. In some instances, sulphuric acid treatment is omitted.

PROPERTIES

* Colorless, transparent, oily liquid

* Free or nearly free from fluorescence

* Tasteless and odorless when cold and develops not more than a faint odour of petroleum when heated

* Specific gravity: 0.860 to 0.905

* Insoluble in water and alcohol; miscible with most fixed oils, but not with castor oil; soluble in volatile oils

UTILITY

* It is used in the preparation of eye ointment.

BEESWAX

* YELLOW BEESWAX

* WHITE BEESWAX

YELLOW BEESWAX

SYNONYM - Cera flava

SOURCE

* Beeswax is obtained by melting and purifying the wax obtained from the honeycomb or the hive bee of Apis mellifica and other species of Apis (family - Apidae; order - Hymenoptera) and is used by the insect to form the cell of the honeycomb. The wax is utilized by the worker bee for preparation of honeycomb as well as for capping the honey cells.

PREPARATION

* Wax forms about 1/8th part of the honeycomb. After removal of honey, the honeycomb mainly consists of wax. This is put in water and water is heated. Remains of honey dissolve in water and other impurities settle below. On cooling, melted wax gets solidified and floats on the surface of water and is separated. For further purification, wax is melted and kept in a long cylindrical vessel. In this condition, the remaining impurities settle below and wax is removed. This is yellow beeswax.

CONSTITUENTS

* It consists of 70 Pecent myricil palmitate, 15 Pecent free cerotic acid and ceryl alcohol.



PROPERTIES

* Yellow or grayish brown solid

* Odor pleasant, of honey

* Somewhat brittle when cold but becoming plastic when warm

* Breaks with a granular fracture

* Insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in cold alcohol, soluble in chloroform, ether, fixed oils and volatile oils

* Specific gravity: 0.958 to 0.970

* Melting point: 62 - 65oC

UTILITY

* It is used in the preparation of cerates and ointments. It is used for hardening of soft ointment.

WHITE BEESWAX

SYNONYM - Cera alba

PREPARATION

* White beeswax is obtained by the action of charcoal, potassium permanganate, chromic acid or chlorine on yellow beeswax. Melted yellow beeswax is placed in revolving cylinders, when strips similar to ribbon are obtained. These are placed on cloth in thin layers in sunlight; periodically rotated; moistened by sprinkling water and kept till the outer layer becomes white. This is white beeswax.

UTILITY

* It is used as a component of cerates and ointments.

LANOLIN

SYNONYM - Wool fat, Adeps lanae

SOURCE

* It is purified anhydrous fat-like substance prepared from the wool of sheep, Ovis aries (family - Bovidae).

PREPARATION

* Wool fat is secreted in the glands of the skin of sheep and passes into the wool. Wool is cut and washed with detergents such as soap, alkali or sulphonated alcohols. As a result, an emulsion of wool fat known as wool grease and water takes place. The emulsion is cracked with sulphuric acid; wool grease forms the upper layer and fatty acids separated from the lower layer. Purification may be effected by repeated treatment with water in centrifuge or by treatment with sodium peroxide or other bleaching agents.

CONSTITUENTS

* It contains esters of cholesterol and isocholesterol with lanoceric, lanopalmitic, myristic and oleic acids. Contains not more than 200 parts million of butylated hydroxyanilose or butylated hydroxytoluene.

PROPERTIES

* Pale yellow, tenacious unctuous substance

* Characteristic faint odor

* Insoluble in water, but a high proportion of water may be incorporated in it melting and stirring; sparingly soluble in cold alcohol; freely soluble in solvent ether and in chloroform

* Contains not more than 0.25 Pecent of water

* Melting point: 36 - 42oC

UTILITY

* Wool fat has capacity of absorbing water and is used as a base in water-absorbable ointment. It increases the absorption of the drug from the skin. It is used also as an emollient.

STORAGE

* It is kept in well-closed container at a temperature not exceeding 30oC.

SPERMACETI

SYNONYM - Cetaceum, Esperma de Ballena

SOURCE

* Spermaceti is a solid wax obtained from the mixed oils that are recovered from the head and blubber of the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus (family - Physeteridae) and the bottle-nosed whale Hyperoodon rostratus.

PREPARATION

* The whales are killed by means of torpedo-like harpoons that explode within the animal. In the head, in front of and above the skull, is a large cavity known as 'case', containing sperm oil. The liquid is removed either by buckets or by pumping. On cooling, it deposits 11 Pecent of spermaceti. The crude deposit is pressed, melted, strained and treated with boiling aqueous caustic soda with which any residual oil forms a soap. The spermaceti is then separated, washed and allowed to cool.

CONSTITUENTS

* It contains a mixture if several constituents of which cetin predominates; cetyl palmitate, cetyl myristate, acetyl laurate, cetyl stearate.

PROPERTIES

* White, somewhat translucent, slightly unctuous masses with a crystalline Fracture and a pearly lusture

* Faint odor and a bland, mild taste

* Insoluble in water and cold alcohol, soluble in ether and chloroform; dissolves in 50 parts of hot alcohol, but separates on cooling

* Specific gravity: 0.95

* Melting point: 42 - 50oC

UTILITY

* It is one of the solid fatty substances employed to give consistency to cerates and ointments.

STORAGE

* It is preserved in well-closed containers.

PREPARED LARD

SYNONYM - Adeps lard

SOURCE

* Prepared lard is the purified internal fat known as 'flare', of the abdomen of hog, Sus scrofa or Sus domestica (family - Suidae).

PREPARATION

* Take the internal fat of the abdomen of hog, preferably fresh. Remove as much of the membranes as possible. Cut the fat into small pieces. Put it into a suitable vessel with about 4 gallons of cold water. While a current of water runs through the vessel, break up the masses of fat with the hands, exposing every part to the water, so that whatever is soluble may be thus dissolved and carried away. Afterwards collect the washed fat on a sieve or in a cloth and drain away as much water as possible. Liquefy the fat at a heat not exceeding 57oC and strain through flannel, pressing the residue while hot. Then put it into a pan heated by steam and keep it at a temperature, a little but not much above 57oC, stirring it continually until it becomes clear and entirely free from water. Finally, strain it through flannel.

CONSTITUENTS

* Lard contains approximately 40 Pecent solid glycerides- myristin, stearin and palmitin and 60 Pecent of mixed liquid glycerides- olein. It contains more olein than beef fat or mutton suet.

PROPERTIES

* White, soft, unctuous mass

* Faint odor; bland taste, free from rancidity

* Insoluble in water, but readily soluble in ether and chloroform

* Melting point: 36 - 42oC, forming a clear liquid from which no water separates

UTILITY

* It is used as an ingredient in ointments.

CAUTION

* Prepared lard is to be protected from conditions favoring rancidity. It should be free from moisture, beef-fat, sesame seed and cottonseed oils, alkalis and chlorides.

ISINGLASS

SYNONYM - Russian isinglass, ichthyocolla

SOURCE

* Isinglass is a collagen derived from the thin, inner, silver shiny layer of the air bladder of some fishes, particularly sturgeon, Acipenser huso. Brazilian isinglass is a similar product but derived from fish of different genera.

PREPARATION

* The air bladder is collected, washed thoroughly and then the outer thick and fibrous layer of the wall is separated from the inner layer which is exclusively isinglass raw material. Then they are cut into small pieces and after maceration, pressed into sheets by means of large roller.

CONSTITUENTS

* Isinglass consists chiefly of collagen and resembles gelatin in its properties.

PROPERTIES

* It is a light whitish or yellowish, semi-transparent, tough, fibrous, tasteless and odorless solid.

UTILITY

* It is an important component of plasters.

SOAP

* SOFT SOAP

* HARD SOAP

* CURD SOAP

SOFT SOAP

SYNONYM - Sapo mollis

PREPARATION

* Soft soap is made by the interaction of either potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide with a suitable vegetable oil or oils or with fatty acids derived therefrom. The soap, if prepared from oil, contains the glycerin formed during saponification. It yields not more than 44 Pecent of fatty acids.

PROPERTIES

* A soft yellowish white to green or brown unctuous substance; odor characteristic

* Soluble in water and in alcohol

* Does not impart an oily stain on paper

* Incinerated, it yields an ash, which is very deliquescent

UTILITY

* It is used in soap liniment.

STORAGE

* It is stored in well-closed containers.

HARD SOAP

SYNONYM - Sapo durus

PREPARATION

* It is prepared from fats or oils, with sodium hydroxide and it consists of the sodium salts of the fatty acids.

PROPERTIES

* A white or whitish flakes or cakes, or yellowish white powder; faint odor

* Free from rancidity

* Slowly soluble in water and alcohol

* Horny, pulverizable when kept in dry warm air; easily moulded when heated

* Does not impart an oily stain to paper

* Incinerated, it yields an ash, which does not deliquesce

STORAGE - It is stored in well-closed containers.

CURD SOAP

SYNONYM - Sapo animalis

PREPARATION

* Soap made with soda and purified animal fat consisting principally of stearin. It is a soap prepared by salt solution, reheated and mixed with sufficient water to form a smooth emulsion; run into frames, cooled and cut into bars or cakes. It is frequently high in alkali and usually contains fillers such as sodium silicate.

PROPERTIES

* White or with a very light greyish tint; dry; nearly inodorous

* Horny, pulverizable when kept in dry warm air; easily moulded when heated

* Soluble in hot water and in alcohol

* Does not impart a greasy stain to paper

UTILITY

* It usually constitutes the bar laundry soap.

* It is a component of opodeldocs.

STORAGE

* It is stored in well-closed containers.

STARCH

SYNONYM - Amylum

CHEMICAL FORMULA - (C6H10O5) n

SOURCE - Starch consists of granules obtained from

1. Grain of Maize - Zea mays (family - Gramineae)

2. Grain of Wheat - Triticum aestivum (family - Gramineae)

3. Tubers of Potato - Solanum tuberosum (family - Solanaceae)

4. Rice - Oryza sativa (family - Gramineae)

PREPARATION

* From maize - In making starch from maize corn, the germ is separated mechanically and the cells softened, so as to permit the escape of the starch granules. This is done by permitting it to become sour and decomposed, stopping the fermentation before the starch is affected.

* From wheat flour - For small scale, starch may be made from wheat flour by making a stiff ball of dough and kneading it while a small stream of water trickles upon it. The starch is carried off with the water, while the gluten remains as a soft, elastic mass. The quality of commercial starch depends largely upon the purity of the water used in its manufacture.

* From potatoes - Starch may be made from potatoes by first grating them and then washing the soft mass upon a sieve. This separates the cellular substances and permits the starch granules to be carried through. The starch is then thoroughly washed by decantation. The quality of starch also largely depends upon the purity of water used in the washing.

CONSTITUENTS

* Amylopectin ((-amylose), amylose ((-amylose).

PROPERTIES

* Irregular, angular, white masses or a fine powder;

- Corn starch: polygonal, rounded or spheroidal granules upto about 35(m in diameter which usually have a circular or several-rayed central cleft.

- Wheat starch: simple lenticular granules 20 - 50(m in diameter and spherical granules 5 - 10(m in diameter; striations faintly marked and concentric.

- Potato starch: simple granules, irregularly ovoid or spherical, 30 - 100(m in diameter and sub-spherical granules 10 - 35(m in diameter; striations well marked and concentric.

* Odorless

* Slight characteristic taste

* Insoluble in cold water or alcohol and almost all organic solvents

* Aqueous suspension neutral to litmus Identification

* It yields, when boiled with 15 times of its weight of water and cooled, a translucent viscous fluid or jelly, which is coloured blue by iodine solution; the color disappears on warming and reappears on cooling.

UTILITY

* It is a component of 'glycerol of starch'.

* It has absorbent and demulcent properties.

STORAGE

* It should be kept in a well-closed container and stored in a cool dry place.

SELF ASSESSMENT

* What are semisolid vehicles. Discuss classification and utility of semisolid vehicles.

QUIZ

1. The vehicle used for preparation of eye ointment is

(a) Yellow soft paraffin

(b) Liquid paraffin

(c) Yellow beeswax

(d) Lanolin

2. The semisolid vehicle prepared from the wool of sheep Ovis aries is

(a) Lanolin

(b) Spermaceti

(c) Prepared lard

(d) Isinglass

3. Prepared lard is prepared from

(a) Air bladder of sturgeon

(b) Head and bladder of the sperm whale

(c) Wool of sheep

(d) Abdomen of hog

ANSWERS: 1 (b); 2 (a); 3 (d).

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