UC-NRLF 
 
 17B 077 
 
4k 
 
 * '., 
 
THE OLEATES, 
 
 AN INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR NATURE AND ACTION. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN V. SHOEMAKER, A.M., M.D. 
 
 Lecturer on Dermatology at the Jefferson Medical College; 
 Physician to the Philadelphia Hospital for Skin Diseases; Member 
 of the Pennsylvania State Medical Society; the Minnesota State 
 Medical Society ; the American Medical Association ; the American 
 Academy of Medicine; the British Medical Association; Fellow 
 of the Medical Society of London, etc. etc. etc. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 F. A. DAVIS, ATT'Y, 
 
 1217 FILBERT ST. 
 
 1885. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1885, by 
 
 F. A. DAVIS, ATT'Y, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
 All rights reserved. 
 
TO THE MANY 
 
 awl 
 
 WHO, FOIt THE PAST TEN YEARS, HAVE ATTENDED MY CLINICS 
 AT THE 
 
 PHILADELPHIA HOSPITAL FOR SKIN DISEASES, 
 
 THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY 
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 (iii) 
 
 iviS51801 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 A PERIOD of ten years has elapsed since 
 I became interested in the production of 
 the different oleates and their introduction 
 to the medical profession as useful remedies 
 for the treatment of diseases of the skin, etc. 
 From that time I constantly endeavored by 
 investigation and experiment to test their 
 value, and it is pleasant to say that my 
 efforts have proved successful, as evinced 
 both in my hospital and private practice, 
 and in the adoption of the oleates by prac- 
 titioners in this country and in Europe. 
 The results of my labors were publicly 
 made known through papers read before 
 the Philadelphia County Medical Society, 
 the Medical Society of the State of Penn- 
 sylvania, the American Medical Associa- 
 tion, the British Medical Association, 
 and the International Medical Congress, 
 
 (v) 
 
VI PKEFACE. 
 
 held at Copenhagen. This small volume is 
 not only a resume of all that I have here- 
 tofore written concerning the oleates and 
 their uses, but enables me to lay before 
 my readers in a permanent form all my 
 latest experience. It also contains much 
 new matter that I think will prove interest- 
 ing and of value that I have not heretofore 
 published. 
 
 It is with pleasure that I acknowledge 
 the efficient aid and co-operation of my 
 friend, Dr. L. Wolff, well known in con- 
 nection with the chemistry of this subject, 
 who, with untiring assiduity, rendered me 
 every assistance in his power to further my 
 efforts towards a satisfactory conclusion. 
 Likewise to my friend, Mr. J. Lesley Ander- 
 son, who carefully examined and corrected 
 the proof, my acknowledgment is due. 
 
 j. y. s. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, 1031 Walnut Street, 
 April, 1885. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 i. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 HISTORY AND ORIGIN 1 
 
 II. 
 
 PROCESS OP MANUFACTURE . . 15 
 
 III. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF THE OLEATES 40 
 
 IV. 
 
 THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF THE OLEATES 56 
 
 (vii) 
 
THE OLEATES. 
 
 AN INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR 
 NATURE AND ACTION. 
 
 I. 
 
 HISTORY AND ORIGIN. 
 
 THE use of fatty vehicles in apply- 
 ing medicinal substances to the cuta- 
 neous covering of the body, for the 
 purpose of producing either a local 
 effect or with a view of making a con- 
 stitutional impression, is probably as 
 old as medicine itself, and there is 
 scarcely a doubt that inunctions per- 
 formed a most important part in the 
 early history of medicine. The fatty 
 bodies then used were oils expressed 
 from the seeds and fruits of plants, as 
 
 well as fats of both domestic and wild 
 1 
 
2 THE OLEATES, 
 
 animals, and to each class different 
 actions were assigned. It is not be- 
 yond the recollection of the older 
 members of the profession, when dog 
 fat, snake and bear oils, though not 
 dissimilar in nature, or only slightly 
 so, had varied and often absurd thera- 
 peutic actions attributed to them. 
 
 When, in many other ways and in- 
 stances, chemistry came to enlighten 
 science, it showed that fats and oils 
 had, generally, a similar constitution, 
 depending on the presence of basic 
 and acid radicals the latter being 
 present in various forms, while the 
 former, as a prophenyl or glyceryl, 
 was generally found as a constant 
 component. 
 
 When Chevreul, in 1811, proclaimed 
 the chemistry of fats and oils, and iso- 
 lated fatty acids from their bases, the 
 first step in the direction of a more 
 
HISTORY AND ORIGIN. 6 
 
 thorough understanding of their nature 
 and action had been taken. Quickly 
 following this discovery it was proved 
 that fatty acids, especially the oleic 
 acid, could be united to other bases as 
 well as to the original one. 
 
 This is undoubtedly the first com- 
 prehensive knowledge we had of a 
 class of remedial substances which 
 forms the subject of this treatise, and 
 which are known as oleates. While as 
 such they had been in use for centuries 
 previous to this period, they were ap- 
 plied empirically without a knowledge 
 of their constituents. Thus we had 
 lead-plaster, soaps, etc., but they were 
 only known as such, and not as salts 
 or combinations of a fatty acid with 
 metallic or alkaline bases, which 
 stamped them respectively as lead 
 oleopalmitates and sodium or potas- 
 sium oleopalmitates or stearites. 
 
4: THE OLEATES. 
 
 Their medicinal application, in va- 
 rious ways, by using oleic acid as a 
 solvent for alkaloidal substances, was 
 subsequently agitated by Professor 
 Attfield, in 1862 ; and a paper on their 
 use in medicine, by Dr. John Marshall, 
 ten years later, brought them promi- 
 nently before the medical profession. 
 Dr. Marshall's valuable communication 
 and its suggestions soon attracted at- 
 tention, and efforts were made to fur- 
 ther perfect both the acid and its 
 products. It was about this time that 
 Dr. L. Wolff, a well-known chemist of 
 Philadelphia, was experimenting on 
 oleic acid and its derivatives, and in- 
 terested me in his investigations, 
 which we afterwards pursued to- 
 gether. 
 
 The oleic acid of the market of that 
 period was an unsightly, dark, and 
 rancid body, of very offensive odor, 
 
HISTOKY AND OEIGIN. 5 
 
 known to the trade as the red oil of 
 the candle-maker the refuse, after 
 the separation of most of the stearic 
 acid, which is utilized for illuminating 
 purposes. It represented a combina- 
 tion of oxyoleic and stearic acids, along 
 with numerous volatile fatty products, 
 and if it were, either alone or other- 
 wise, applied to the skin, it proved an 
 irritant rather than a mild vehicle and 
 carrier of medicinal substances. 
 
 Purification of this acid availed very 
 little, and to this day its use, though 
 advocated by mercenary manufac- 
 turers, is often accompanied, as I 
 shall point out hereafter, with fre- 
 quently unpleasant and injurious re- 
 sults. 
 
 As the oleates, as then known, were 
 at best only oleic solutions, or solutions 
 of some oleate in a large excess of 
 
 oleic acid, the disappointments they 
 i* 
 
O THE OLEATES. 
 
 caused in their action seriously inter- 
 fered with their successful introduction 
 and use by the profession. While oleic 
 acid sufficiently pure to overcome these 
 objections could be had, and was so 
 produced by Dr. Wolff, the price, in 
 consequence upon the manner of its 
 production, was such that it precluded 
 its extensive use in hospital or general 
 practice. It now became our principal 
 object to make an acid sufficiently 
 pure and at a reasonable cost. This 
 object was accomplished by using oil 
 of sweet almonds which contains a 
 large amount of olein and saponify- 
 ing it with litharge, in the same man- 
 ner as is employed in the process of 
 making ordinary lead-plaster, and dis- 
 solving the mixture in petroleum ben- 
 zine at a low boiling point, which left 
 the lead palmitate undissolved; the 
 clear solution of lead oleate, decanted 
 
HISTORY AND ORIGIN. 7 
 
 from its palmitate, was then put into 
 an agitator, and thoroughly shaken 
 with dilute hydrochloric acid (one in 
 eight), and on settling, when it gave 
 no longer evidence of the presence of 
 lead on the introduction of a stream of 
 hydrogen sulphide, the benzine was 
 distilled off from it, in the presence of 
 water, to obviate the possibility of the 
 oxidation of the acid. The acid was 
 now deprived of the odor of the 
 heavier coal-oil products by intro- 
 ducing a stream of . aqueous steam, 
 and was kept under a surface cover- 
 ing of water all the time to prevent 
 oxidation. It was subsequently sepa- 
 rated from the water, and filtered in 
 an apparatus admitting of no access of 
 atmospheric air. 
 
 The oleic acid so obtained contains 
 no palmitic acid (or almost none), is of 
 very light color, has a specific gravity 
 
8 THE OLEATES. 
 
 of 0.800 at 19 C., mixes in its propor- 
 tions with stronger alcohol without 
 giving rise to turbidity, proving the 
 absence of olein ; it commences to soli- 
 dify only at 4 C. (and not + 4 C. 
 as often erroneously stated, which it 
 only does when considerable quantities 
 of palmitic acid are in it), has a specific 
 odor without being acrid, and readily 
 dissolves the principal metallic oxides 
 and alkaloids. This acid can be pro- 
 duced at a moderate expense, and was 
 by us subsequently employed in ma- 
 king the oleates, as directed by Attfield 
 and Marshall.* 
 
 These oleates are the remedies of 
 which I spoke in my paper presented 
 to the Pennsylvania State Medical 
 
 * See paper on Oleates, with discussion, read before* 
 the Section of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, at the 
 Fifty-Second Annual meeting of the British Medical 
 Association, in the British Medical Journal, October 18, 
 1884, pp. 749 to 754. 
 
HISTOEY AND OEIGIN. 
 
 Society,* in 1879, and the use of which 
 I advocated at that time and suggested 
 that it was a subject worthy of further 
 investigation and improvement. 
 
 "While they possessed great advan- 
 tages over the ointments then in use, 
 they were by no means perfect, and on 
 account of their instability and their 
 indefinite chemical character often 
 gave negative and discouraging results. 
 This became evident in the so-called 
 mercuric oleate, which has had the 
 most extensive use, and was, in our 
 terminology, not even treated as an 
 oleate, but only as a solution of mercu- 
 ric oxide in oleic acid, the former being 
 referred to by the percentage in which 
 it was added to the latter and mis- 
 named an oleate of so much strength. 
 Although it contained valuable prop- 
 
 * Transactions of the Medical Society of the State of 
 Pennsylvania, volume xii. p. 707. 
 
10 THE OLEATES. 
 
 erties, representing those of the oxide, 
 it failed to show them very long, as, 
 by its chemical nature, the acid oxi- 
 dized at the expense of the oxide 
 very qnickly, reducing and precipita- 
 ting the latter both as a mercurous 
 oxide and metallic mercury. This is 
 unavoidable, as oleic acid is a readily 
 oxidizable body, the replaceable hy- 
 drogen of which, when not fully satu- 
 rated, is bound to produce like results 
 with oxides of diads. 
 
 The oleates of the alkaloids pre- 
 pared in this way contain large ex- 
 cesses of acid, and represent accord- 
 ing to their chemical character a more 
 stable class of remedies. As many 
 of the alkaloids, however, are not en- 
 tirely freed from their acid radicals, 
 and the latter are not displaced by the 
 weaker oleic acid, their production is 
 not always easily accomplished, and the 
 
HISTOKY AND ORIGIN. 11 
 
 desire of the manufacturer to produce 
 clear oleates creates the danger of 
 removing by filtration some or even a 
 greater part of the alkaloid which they 
 contain ; or even if fully dissolved by 
 heat or other solvents, they are very 
 apt to recrystallize or separate on 
 standing from their solutions. These 
 oleates of the alkaloids, as they are 
 termed, are little else than acid solu- 
 tions, or, as implied by their name, 
 they were considered so by stating the 
 percentage of the alkaloid held in solu- 
 tion by the oleic acid. Thus, while 25 
 per cent, quinine oleate contained 45.3 
 per cent, of the oleate, it also contained 
 54.7 per cent, of free oleic acid; 2 per 
 cent, aconitine oleate 3 per cent, of 
 oleate, 97 per cent, free acid; 2 per 
 cent, atropine oleate 3.94 per cent, 
 oleate, and 96.06 per cent, acid; 5 
 per cent, morphine oleate 6.5 per 
 
12 THE OLEATES. 
 
 cent, oleate, and 93.5 per cent, of the 
 acid; 2 per cent, veratrine oleate 
 2.94 per cent, oleate and 97.06 per cent, 
 acid; 2 per cent, strychnine oleate 
 3.68 per cent, oleate and 96.32 per cent, 
 of acid. It will thus be readily seen 
 that there is a vast difference be- 
 tween oleic solutions of alkaloids and 
 the oleates thereof. While in other 
 salts we lose sight of the acid radical 
 or the base, which we consider to have 
 lost their identity in the chemical 
 reaction of their constituents, we 
 have most unscientifically upheld a 
 series of preparations which, while we 
 have termed them chemically, we have 
 treated as mechanical mixtures alto- 
 gether. To use the argument that 
 the alkaloidal substances alone were 
 to give force to such preparations, is 
 to set up a theory which would upset 
 our present knowledge that two bodies 
 
HISTOKY AND OKIGIN. 13 
 
 on entering a true chemical combina- 
 tion lose their identity in forming a 
 third at variance with its components. 
 Even the oleates of the alkaloids, if 
 they are to be used in medicine, must 
 be considered as oleates only and lost 
 sight of as a mixture of alkaloid and 
 acid. 
 
 Impressed with the many defects, 
 disadvantages, and the instability of 
 the oleates as then made, we worked 
 toward the end of getting oleates that 
 would be what their name implied, re- 
 main stable, and could be relied on 
 for their action. To accomplish this, 
 it was first of all necessary to have an 
 oleic acid both in name and nature, 
 and next to combine it fully, i. e. 9 
 saturate it with the base to be used, 
 and thus enable us to produce neutral 
 and chemical oleates having neither 
 base nor acid in excess. 
 
14 THE OLEATES. 
 
 This was effected, as described in 
 a brief and incomplete manner in my 
 paper presented to the Pennsylvania 
 Medical Society in 1882, by first using 
 the above described oleic acid in mak- 
 ing a sodinm oleate as the source for 
 all the other oleates, and the manu- 
 facture of which I shall now proceed 
 to describe. 
 
II. 
 
 -PKOCESS OF MANUFACTUEE. 
 SODIUM OLEATE. 
 
 Na. C 18 H330 2 . M.W. 304. 
 SODIUM oleate is perhaps one of the 
 oldest if not the oldest oleate known ; 
 it does not occur in a pure state in com- 
 merce, the substance representing it 
 being known as the soap of the market. 
 That the sodium is combined with 
 not only oleic acid, but also palmitic, 
 stearic, and other acids, making it an 
 oleopalmitate or oleostearate or both, 
 is well known; also, that in the 
 process of saponification a great deal 
 of the oleic acid is changed into oxy- 
 oleic acid. To make a pure and true 
 sodium oleate therefore is easily ef- 
 fected by saponifying oleic acid, as I 
 
 (15) 
 
16 THE OLEATES. 
 
 have stated, with a solution of sodium 
 hydrate or potassium hydrate, on the 
 saturation of which water is added 
 and heat applied until a clear solution 
 of the sodium oleate is obtained. This, 
 if it were neutral, might at once be 
 utilized to make the oleates; but as 
 this cannot practically be accom- 
 plished, and an excess of alkali would 
 reduce the salts used for their precipi- 
 tation, or an excess of oleic acid would 
 again cause an excess of acid, which 
 was found of such disadvantage in the 
 earlier oleates, it is therefore neces- 
 sary to have in the process of making 
 the sodium oleate the alkali slightly 
 in excess, and then by the salting out 
 process of the soapmaker to separate 
 the oleate from its solution. This 
 accomplished, it is strained from the 
 liquid, well expressed, and then allow- 
 ed to dry. As yet,, however, it con- 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 17 
 
 tains salt and water and other admix- 
 tures which are best removed by dis- 
 solving the mass in stronger alcohol, 
 filtering it, and recovering the alco- 
 hol in it by distillation. The pure 
 sodium oleate so derived presents a 
 diaphanous almost colorless body, 
 readily soluble in warm and only 
 slowly soluble in cold water. A solu- 
 tion of this in eight parts of water 
 is what I shall term hereafter the 
 sodium oleate solution, by means of 
 which all oleates are to be made. 
 
 The manufacture of oleates from the 
 sodium oleate solution is very simple 
 and easily accomplished. A neutral 
 solution of a salt of the substance to be 
 derived as an oleate, is added to the so- 
 dium oleate solution until the latter is 
 completely decomposed, a degree to be 
 ascertained with a little experience in 
 the manipulation, and most readily 
 
18 THE OLEATES. 
 
 detected when on rapid stirring no 
 froth appears on the surface or bub- 
 bles cease to form. As some of the 
 salts, however, on addition of water, 
 not alone decompose but fail to yield 
 oleates, and their purification besides 
 is a matter of difficulty, I will treat 
 the process employed for each sepa- 
 rately, giving, however, first a synop- 
 sis of the general plan to be adopted 
 for making oleates of the alkaloids. 
 
 OLEATES OF THE ALKALOIDS. 
 
 As many of the salts of the alka- 
 loids are not readily soluble in water, 
 their solution is accomplished by the 
 addition of a slight excess of their 
 acids, which, upon being filtered, are 
 added to a warm solution of sodium 
 oleate. The amount of the salts so 
 used is to be noted, and the correspon- 
 ding amount of their alkaloids com- 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 19 
 
 puted from their molecular weights, 
 along with the necessary amount of 
 oleic acid necessary for complete satu- 
 ration. The separated oleate, de- 
 prived of its water, is then weighed 
 and the result in excess of the com- 
 puted oleate is set down as free olcic 
 acid. As the oleates of these prepara- 
 tions are at present principally used 
 as acid solutions (a method which I do 
 not recommend, however), sufficient 
 oleic acid is added to bring it up to 
 the requisite percentage, the true alka- 
 loidal oleate serving as a base. 
 
 ALUMINIUM OLEATE. 
 
 A1 2 (C 18 H^ 2 ) 3 . M. W. 397. 
 This is a substance of a yellowish 
 color of the consistence of a soft plaster 
 mass, but elastic to the touch, resemb- 
 ling hardened gelatine both in con- 
 sistence and appearance. It is often 
 
20 THE OLEATES. 
 
 manufactured of a white color and 
 streaked with yellow and brown, or 
 spotted with foreign ingredients. This 
 is due to the fact that it has not been 
 purified or deprived of the water it 
 holds inclosed in the spongy mass as 
 first precipitated. If pure and true it 
 should readily and without turbidity 
 dissolve in ether, chloroform, or petro- 
 leum benzine, should make a clear solu- 
 tion with fats or oils when melted with 
 them over a water-bath, and should be 
 very tenacious. It is best prepared by 
 precipitating the sodium oleate solu- 
 tion with a solution of aluminium sul- 
 phate; the white spongy precipitate 
 should be first expressed, then freed 
 from the adhering water at a tem- 
 perature not exceeding 100 C., after 
 which it is dissolved in good and 
 very volatile petroleum benzine; the 
 benzine solution is then filtered and 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 21 
 
 the benzine allowed to evaporate or 
 distilled off. The aluminium oleate 
 thus derived, well heated over a water- 
 bath to rid it of any adhering petro- 
 leum odor, is then ready, and presents 
 the condition and appearance as I 
 have noted. 
 
 Aluminium oleate, according to its 
 molecular weight, contains about 3.1 
 per cent, metallic aluminium, equiva- 
 lent to about 17.9 per cent, aluminium 
 hydrate. 
 
 ARSENICUM OLEATE. 
 
 A 3 (C 18 H^ 2 ) 3 . M.W.918. 
 
 This oleate, if properly prepared and 
 well made, is of a reddish-brown color 
 of a solid somewhat waxlike consist- 
 ence, breaks on bending, and melts at 
 about 85 C. As generally offered in 
 the market, and by some very respect- 
 able manufacturers too, it is not an 
 
22 THE OLEATES. 
 
 oleate but simply a mixture of oleic 
 acid, chloride of sodium, and arsenious 
 acid (to the latter of which its apparent 
 effect has been due), and is readily 
 miscible with alcohol, yielding there- 
 with a clear solution. If a portion 
 of this be treated with ether, or, still 
 better, petroleum benzine, and this, by 
 filtration or separation, is separated 
 from the underlying aqueous layer, 
 and into it a current of hydrogen 
 sulphide be led, no precipitate occurs, 
 showing the total absence of arsenicum 
 oleate. The arsenicum oleate (and so 
 far the only one which I have been 
 able to get is from Dr. L. Wolff), be- 
 sides possessing the characteristics 
 and appearance as above stated, should 
 be insoluble in alcohol but readily and 
 entirely soluble in petroleum benzine, 
 and when a current of hydrogen sul- 
 phide is introduced into the latter 
 
PKOCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 23 
 
 solution after filtration it gives a 
 copious yellow precipitate of arseni- 
 cum sulphide. 
 
 In my last paper on the "Oleates 
 and Oleopalmitates in Skin Diseases," 
 already referred to, I simply gave in 
 brief a few hints as to how arsenicum 
 oleate may be obtained, with no at- 
 tempt at accuracy or detail, and I am 
 therefore not surprised at the failure 
 of many manufacturers with it, in 
 view of the fact that the arsenicum 
 chloride is at once decomposed into 
 arsenious acid and hydrochloric acid 
 on the addition of water. If the 
 arsenicum chloride simply be added 
 to the sodium oleate solution, the re- 
 sult will be invariably a pseudo oleate, 
 as already pointed out, and I therefore 
 give the method employed by Dr. 
 Wolff, which he describes as follows : 
 "A solution of arsenicum chloride is 
 
24 THE OLEATES. 
 
 made in the usual way and then di- 
 luted with about four times its bulk 
 of glycerine. Instead of the sodium 
 oleate solution, I use the alcoholic 
 solution before the alcohol is distilled 
 from it. This alcoholic sodium oleate 
 solution is mixed with the glycerine 
 solution of arsenicum chloride until 
 the former is fully decomposed. After 
 the precipitate is strained off, washed 
 well with alcohol to get rid of any 
 adhering glycerine, the washed pre- 
 cipitate dissolved in benzine, and the 
 benzine fully evaporated, the residue 
 will present a chemically true and pure 
 arsenicum oleate. According to com- 
 putation it contains about 8.16 per 
 cent, of metallic arsenic, representing 
 about 21.5 per cent, of arsenious acid." 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 25 
 BISMUTH OLEATE. 
 
 Bi (C 18 H33 3 ) 3 . M. W. 1053. 
 
 This is a soft unguent body of 
 pearly-gray color, and should be term- 
 ed, chemically, a bismuthous oleate, as 
 bismuthyl does not enter into combi- 
 nation with oleic acid, a fact which is 
 overlooked by many in endeavoring 
 to make a direct union of bismuth 
 oxide with that acid. Ointments, so 
 named, hold simply the oxide in sus- 
 pension, but contain none of it in 
 solution or chemical combination. It 
 should be when properly prepared 
 semi-diaphanous, and on being rubbed 
 on the skin should present no evi- 
 dence of any solid particles suspended 
 therein, i. e., it should leave no white 
 mark on the skin or its crevices. It 
 parts very reluctantly with the water 
 it holds in suspension, and many of 
 
26 THE OLEATES. 
 
 the articles of this name in the market 
 have a watery sponge-like appearance. 
 When first precipitated it is very 
 white, and on manipulation a great 
 deal of water may be liberated ; while 
 in this state it does not readily mix 
 or dissolve in benzine, but on driv- 
 ing off all the water by evaporation 
 it fully dissolves, yielding an almost 
 clear solution. Its preparation is not 
 quite as easy as some of the others, 
 as it requires first of all the forma- 
 tion of bismuthous nitrate in crystals. 
 This is accomplished by treating puri- 
 fied metallic bismuth with nitric acid, 
 evaporation, and subsequent crystal- 
 lization. The crystals thus derived 
 are first drained off, dried between 
 bibulous paper, and then dissolved in 
 glycerine. This glycerole of bismuth- 
 ous nitrate is then decomposed with 
 the solution of sodium oleate, yielding 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 27 
 
 a bulky, white precipitate as before 
 remarked. Bismuthous nitrate can- 
 not be dissolved in water, as it yields 
 then the bismuthyl nitrate. Any bis- 
 muth oleate made in that way is little 
 more than a suspension of bismuthyl 
 nitrate (bismuth subnitrate) in oleic 
 acid. The precipitate should be well 
 washed with copious repetitions of hot 
 water until no traces of sodium nitrate 
 are detected in the washing. It is then 
 transferred to a water bath and evap- 
 orated until samples taken from it 
 dissolve in benzine without turbidity. 
 The true and pure bismuth oleate con- 
 tains about 19.9 per cent, metallic bis- 
 muth in combination with oleic acid, 
 that amount of bismuth representing 
 about 44.3 per cent, bismuth oxide. 
 
28 THE OLEATES. 
 
 CADMIUM OLEATE. 
 
 Ca (C 18 H^ 2 ) 2 . M. W. 673.8. 
 
 It is of a waxy consistence, yellowish- 
 white, and dissolves readily in benzine. 
 If dissolved in petroleum fats it gives 
 a solution of great brilliancy, which, 
 on cooling, assumes a semi-diaphanous 
 appearance. It is readily made by 
 precipitating the sodium oleate solu- 
 tion with an aqueous solution of 
 cadmium sulphate. The precipitate 
 should be well washed out with warm 
 water until the washings fail to show 
 any sulphate if tested with barium 
 chloride solution. It is then dried 
 well over the water bath or between 
 bibulous paper. It contains about 
 16.5 per cent, of metallic cadmium. 
 
PKOCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 29 
 COPPEK OLEATE. 
 
 Cu (C 18 Has 2 ) 2 . M. W. 625.4. 
 
 This is a beautiful green waxy sub- 
 stance of the cupric group, resembling 
 on drying slight efflorescence of cupric 
 salts. It dissolves readily arid without 
 turbidity in benzine, ether, and chloro- 
 form; oil of turpentine imparting to 
 these solutions its beautiful dark 
 green color. On account of its easy 
 method of manufacture it is generally 
 obtained in a good and pure condition, 
 provided that the oleic acid used in 
 the process of making sodium oleate 
 is pure and devoid of oxyoleic and 
 other irritant impurities. It is readily 
 made by precipitating the sodium 
 oleate solution with a solution of 
 cupric sulphate, the precipitate well 
 washed with hot water, until freed 
 from the sodium sulphate formed in 
 
30 THE OLEATES. 
 
 the decomposition, then dried between 
 bibulous paper, and subsequently air- 
 dried. So made it contains about 
 10.1 per cent, of copper. 
 
 IRON OLEATE. 
 
 Fe (C 18 H^ 2 ) 2 . M. W. 617.9. 
 This is a dark-brown-reddish plaster- 
 like substance of a distinct ferruginous 
 odor. As generally found it meets 
 all indications, excepting that impure 
 oleic acid still further renders its odor 
 more disagreeable. It is prepared by 
 precipitating the sodium oleate solu- 
 tion with a solution of ferrous sul- 
 phate. When first precipitated it is 
 of a greenish- white color, which upon 
 boiling and exposure to the atmos- 
 phere changes to a reddish and subse- 
 quently to a dark-brown-reddish color. 
 It should be well washed in the usual 
 way to remove the sodium sulphate of 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 31 
 
 the decomposition process as well as 
 the ferrous sulphate used in excess in 
 the precipitation. It contains about 
 9.4 per cent, of metallic iron. 
 
 LEAD OLEATE. 
 
 Pb (C 18 H3A) 2 . M. W. 669. 
 This is one of the oldest known 
 oleates, antedating as such even the 
 knowledge of oleic acid and its com- 
 pounds. It represents as such a purer 
 state of the lead-plaster of the Phar- 
 macopoeias. It is of a yellowish-white 
 color, of plaster consistence, though 
 harder than the ordinary lead-plaster, 
 and devoid of the slippery feeling 
 conveyed to the latter owing to 
 the presence of glycerine. It should 
 be readily soluble in benzine with 
 slight turbidity, and after filtration of 
 the solution and evaporation of the 
 latter leaves a semi-diaphanous 
 
32 THE OLEATES. 
 
 plaster body, which on exposure to 
 the air assumes at first a yellowish 
 color giving way to a pure white. It 
 is readily and easily prepared by pre- 
 cipitating the sodium oleate solution 
 with a solution of the neutral lead 
 acetate. In its precipitation there is 
 always some lead hydrate and car- 
 bonate formed, which, however, as a 
 contamination, is not objectionable. 
 After precipitating it should be well 
 washed with warm water until the 
 washings come off pure, and if de- 
 sired to obtain it absolutely pure it 
 should be dissolved in benzine after 
 being thoroughly pressed out and 
 dried. The benzine should then be 
 allowed to evaporate. It contains 
 about 26.7 per cent, of metallic lead. 
 
PEOCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 33 
 MERCURIC OLEATE. 
 
 Hg (C 18 H330 2 ), M.W.762. 
 
 This oleate is by far the most impor- 
 tant one which up to the present time 
 has been the most extensively used. 
 It is of a yellow color, of a some- 
 what tenacious ointment consistence, 
 and of the general odor of all oleates. 
 As usually found in the market it 
 has a greenish-gray color, owing to 
 the fact that its mercuric compo- 
 nent is reduced to a mercurous oxide 
 and metallic mercury, and has an 
 excess of oleic acid favoring the re- 
 duction process. If pure and properly 
 made it will show no sign of this ex- 
 cess; it should be insoluble in alcohol, 
 but readily soluble without turbidity 
 in benzine. Mixed with several times 
 its weight of stronger alcohol, and the 
 oleate allowed to deposit in this solu- 
 
34 THE OLEATES. 
 
 
 
 tion, will give the amount of mercuric 
 oleate in the latter after all the alcohol 
 is evaporated, while the evaporated 
 alcoholic washings will give the 
 amount of free oleic acid. A bright 
 strip of copper immersed in the oleate 
 will speedily be covered with a film 
 of metallic mercury. 
 
 It has been the custom to use as 
 mercuric oleates oleic solutions thereof, 
 to the detriment of the preparation, as, 
 by its oxidizing tendency, the oleic 
 acid soon disoxidizes the mercuric 
 oxide entering into its composition 
 and deposits it in such solutions as 
 mercurous oxide . as well as globular 
 metallic mercury. That such solu- 
 tions when used fail to give satisfac- 
 tion in results is, therefore, not to be 
 wondered at, and I feel satisfied that 
 none of the so-called oleates, or rather 
 oleic solutions, contain, after standing 
 
PKOCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 35 
 
 for some time, any appreciable or 
 serviceable amount of mercuric oleate. 
 The utmost care has been exercised by 
 chemists to overcome this, both by 
 using purer acids as well as a nicety 
 of manipulation, but to no purpose, as 
 the fault lies in the excess of the acid, 
 which will never admit the keeping of 
 such an unobjectionable preparation. 
 The process of making mercuric oleate 
 may be conducted in two ways. The 
 direct one is to unite the pure acid 
 directly with the mercuric oxide in its 
 chemical proportions, i. e., 71.65 parts 
 of oleic acid with 28.35 parts of mer- 
 curic oxide ; but this process is subject 
 to the excess of either one or the other, 
 which, however, can be remedied by 
 washing with stronger alcohol to re- 
 move any excess of acid. To remove 
 any undecomposed particles of mer- 
 curic oxide which would become detri- 
 
36 THE OLEATES. 
 
 mental as local irritants, dissolve the 
 oleate so derived in benzine, filter the 
 benzine solution and allow the benzine 
 to evaporate. Care must be had in the 
 direct process to conduct it entirely 
 under water and only with a moderate 
 heat, else the process of reduction will 
 commence before the entire reaction 
 has taken place. 
 
 The second, and by far the most 
 simple and rapid one of the two, as 
 well as that admitting of a better 
 product, is by the double decomposi- 
 tion of sodium oleate and mercuric 
 nitrate. The mercuric nitrate for 
 that purpose is made by the action 
 of strong nitric acid on mercuric 
 oxide in sufficient quantities to en- 
 tirely dissolve the latter, taking care 
 to use as little acid in excess as pos- 
 sible. The solution so obtained is 
 diluted with some water, an excess 
 
PKOCESS OF MANUFACTUKE. 37 
 
 being avoided, and is then decom- 
 posed by additions to it of solu- 
 tions of sodium oleate until the 
 latter is in excess, which will be 
 the case when the characteristic froth 
 of soap is observed on the surface. 
 The heavy precipitate, so formed, is 
 next drained off, and washed with 
 warm water to remove all traces of 
 soap and potassium nitrate, and when 
 this is accomplished and free from 
 water, it is mixed with alcohol, which 
 dissolves the free oleic acid from the 
 oleate, caused by the excess of nitric 
 acid in the mercuric nitrate solution, 
 and after this is decanted, the alcohol 
 is evaporated from the oleate. The 
 washings containing oleic acid can be 
 distilled and the alcohol recovered for 
 use in similar subsequent proceedings. 
 The mercuric oleate so prepared is a 
 pure and true oleate, permanent under 
 
38 THE OLEATES. 
 
 all ordinary atmospheric conditions, 
 and can be relied on for its action. 
 If to be diluted, it is best done with 
 a neutral fatty body, which will not 
 cause its decomposition. A neutral 
 mercuric oleate thus prepared con- 
 tains about 26.2 per cent, of metal- 
 lic mercury, equivalent to about 28.35 
 per cent, of mercuric oxide. 
 
 MEKCUKOUS OLEATE. 
 
 Hg 2 (C 18 H33 2 ), M. W. 962. 
 
 This is an oleate not generally 
 known or used, and only recently 
 brought out by me. It is a whitish- 
 gray granular sticky substance, which 
 is very prone to decompose, forming 
 1 mercuric oleate and mercurous oxide, 
 also globular mercury. It is at once 
 so decomposed if boiled or treated 
 with hot water, and should be washed 
 out cold only to free it from the ad- 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 39 
 
 hering sodium nitrate, and then freed 
 from adhering water between bibu- 
 lous paper. It is quite distinct, both 
 in appearance as well as in effect, from 
 the mercuric oleate, and on account of 
 its ready decomposition and the libe- 
 ration of free mercury it is apt to pro- 
 duce the same effect as the mercurial 
 ointment of the Pharmacopoeia. It 
 makes a turbid solution with benzine 
 and dissolves readily and clear in 
 warm fats and in the petroleum oint- 
 ments. It is prepared from crystal- 
 lized mercurous nitrate, which in turn 
 is prepared by treating metallic mer- 
 cury in excess with nitric acid, evapo- 
 rating the solutions crystallizing the 
 same, and drying the drained crys- 
 tals between bibulous paper. This 
 aqueous solution, decomposed with 
 sodium oleate, gives at first a whitish 
 precipitate, which if washed with hot 
 
40 THE OLEATES. 
 
 and boiling water yields a grayish- 
 blue ointment representing mercurial 
 plaster both in appearance and physi- 
 cal properties. In that form it repre- 
 sents a mercuric-mercurous oleate, 
 and combines both the sorbefacient 
 effect of the mercuric oleate with the 
 constitutional impression of the mer- 
 curial ointment. Its advantage is that 
 it contains double the amount of 
 mercury than the preceding mercuric 
 oleate, which amounts to about 41.5 
 per cent, of the metal. 
 
 NICKEL OLEATE. 
 
 Ni (C 18 Haa 2 ) 2 . M.W. 621. 
 
 This is another new oleate recently 
 brought out and investigated by me. 
 It is of a beautiful blended light-green 
 color, a glossy, waxy appearance, and 
 plaster consistence. It mixes readily 
 with fats and oils and dissolves in 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 41 
 
 benzine. It is made by decomposing 
 sodium oleate solution with a solution 
 of nickel sulphate, washing the pre- 
 cipitate with warm water and express- 
 ing and drying it at an ordinary tem- 
 perature. It contains about 9.5 per 
 cent, metallic nickel. 
 
 SILVER OLEATE. 
 
 Ag. C 18 H330 2 . M. W. 389. 
 
 The silver oleate is a grayish-brown 
 pulverulent body of an odor resembl- 
 ing oleic acid. It differs from the 
 other oleates in the respect that it is 
 not by itself soluble in either benzine 
 or neutral fats, but needs an excess 
 of oleic acid to render it so. That it 
 is an oleate, which might be doubted 
 from what is said above, can readily 
 be substantiated by burning it on pla- 
 tinum foil, when it will give off profuse 
 vapors, of an acrid odor, of a fatty, 
 
 4* 
 
42 THE OLEATES. 
 
 empyreumatic nature, while a small 
 quantity of silver oxide will be left 
 behind. It is easily prepared by pre- 
 cipitating a solution of the silver 
 nitrate with the solution of sodium 
 oleate, washing the precipitate with 
 warm, distilled water, excluding light 
 while conducting the process, to pre- 
 vent darking of the precipitate, and 
 also expressing and drying it with ex- 
 clusion of light. It, however, soon 
 changes color, getting darker, and 
 therefore should be preserved in either 
 blue, or, better still, amber-colored 
 bottles. It contains about 27.6 per 
 cent, of metallic silver, equivalent to 
 about 59.3 per cent, of silver oxide. 
 
 TIN OLEATE. 
 
 Sn (C 18 H^ 2 ) 2 . M.W.680. 
 
 This is a new oleate, that I had 
 occasion to introduce. It is an un- 
 
PKOCESS OF MANUFACTUKE. 43 
 
 guent body of soft consistence, and 
 brownish-gray color, has a character- 
 istic metallic odor, and a very fine, 
 greasy touch. It readily dissolves in 
 benzine, and makes a clear solution 
 when mixed with warm fatty sub- 
 stances or petroleum products. It is 
 prepared by decomposing a solution of 
 tin chloride with sodium oleate solu- 
 tion; as, however, a certain amount of 
 tin oxide is separated in this process, 
 it should, after separating it from the 
 liquids of decomposition and washing, 
 be dissolved in benzine; the solution, 
 after filtration, leaves^ on the evapora- 
 tion of the benzine, the tin oleate. It 
 contains about 17.3 per cent, of metal- 
 lic tin. 
 
 ZINC OLEATE. 
 
 Zn (C 18 H^ 2 ) 2 . 
 
 Specific gravity 1.0663. M. W. 629.9. 
 This, one of the most important of 
 
44 -THE OLEATES. 
 
 this series of preparations, is, in its 
 most useful form, an impalpable white 
 powder, of a fine, soapy touch, some- 
 what oily odor, and if heated it melts 
 into a homogeneous yellow liquid, 
 which, on cooling, hardens into a 
 mass presenting a crystalline frac- 
 ture, with a specific gravity as stated. 
 In powder form, while not entirely 
 soluble in benzine, it readily dis- 
 solves, if warmed over the water- 
 bath, with fat oils or petroleum fats, 
 which is requisite to test its purity, 
 for if zinc oxide is present warmed 
 fats will not affect it. If burnt on 
 platinum foil it should burn off to 
 a large extent, leaving but a small 
 white residue, soluble in concentrated 
 mineral acids. Its complete solubility 
 in warmed fats, absence of a disagree- 
 able smoky odor, and combustion, are 
 the surest tests of its purity. While 
 
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE. 45 
 
 it is easily prepared, it requires some 
 skill to obtain it as an impalpable, 
 perfectly white powder. This is ac- 
 complished by using a dilute solution 
 of zinc sulphate and decomposing it 
 while cold with the sodium oleate 
 solution. It is of importance that the 
 solutions should be cold, and the zinc 
 solution perfectly neutral, else an ole- 
 ate will result that is coarse, granular, 
 and soft, unfit for any other use than 
 making ointments. The more dilute 
 the zinc sulphate solution, the finer 
 and whiter the oleate will be. After 
 thoroughly washing it with cold water 
 it should be expressed, and the cake 
 air-dried and ultimately powdered, 
 which is easily accomplished. It con- 
 tains about 10.4 per cent, of metallic 
 zinc, in combination with oleic acid, 
 which is equal to about 12.9 of zinc 
 oxide. 
 
III. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF THE OLEATES. 
 
 WITH a view of determining whether 
 the oleates were absorbed into the 
 blood when applied to the skin and 
 thus produce systemic effects, the 
 following experiments were made by 
 Dr. L. Wolff and myself at the well- 
 eqnipped physiological laboratory of 
 the Jefferson Medical College, aided 
 by Dr. Brubaker, the Demonstrator 
 of Physiology of that institution. 
 
 In all instances the observations 
 were made upon rabbits, and were con- 
 ducted in the same way, viz : after 
 being properly secured on a Czermak 
 holder, the hair was carefully removed 
 from the abdomen, so as to present as 
 
 clean a surface as possible for the ac- 
 (46) 
 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 47 
 
 tion of the drug. The animals were 
 then placed in a large glass jar, so that 
 the excretion might be collected and 
 examined chemically, to determine 
 whether the drug had been absorbed. 
 The first oleate experimented with was 
 the- 
 
 QUININE OLEATE (25 per cent.). One 
 ounce was thoroughly rubbed over the 
 abdomen for a period of five minutes. 
 At the end of twenty-four hours the 
 urine was carefully examined, but no 
 trace of quinine could be detected. In 
 all other respects the animal was in a 
 normal condition. 
 
 In the second rabbit two drachms of 
 the same oleate were injected into the 
 abdominal cavity. At the end of six 
 hours no apparent effect had been 
 produced, but in eighteen hours it 
 was dead. Post-mortem examination 
 showed . evidences of irritation and 
 
48 THE OLEATES. 
 
 congestion of the peritoneal mem- 
 brane, while the coagulated oil was 
 found over the viscera and in the 
 peritoneal cavity. In this case no 
 quinine was discernible in the urine. 
 
 THE MEBCUEIC OLEATE was next ex- 
 perimented with in the same way. 
 Two drachms were applied over the 
 skin of the abdomen. At the end of 
 twenty-four hours the feces had lost 
 their hard character, and had become 
 soft and of a yellowish-brown color. 
 The feces and urine were both ex- 
 amined, but no mercury could be ob- 
 tained. (The change in the consist- 
 ency of the feces might have been due 
 to the rubbing of the abdomen.) The 
 animal exhibited no other evidences of 
 the action of mercury. 
 
 THE COPPER OLEATE was next ap- 
 plied. Two drachms, softened with 
 oleic acid, were rubbed upon the ab- 
 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 49 
 
 domen thoroughly. The rabbit re- 
 mained in an apparently normal con- 
 dition; at the end of twenty-four hours 
 the urine did not contain a trace of 
 copper. 
 
 THE ZINC OLEATE (one-half ounce) 
 was applied in an exactly similar 
 manner. At the end of twenty-four 
 hours the subject was decidedly stupid, 
 and almost helpless as regards motion. 
 Upon killing it with ether and then 
 opening the abdomen, a thick layer of 
 gelatinous material was found just 
 beneath the skin. The bloodvessels 
 of the skin were enlarged. The irri- 
 tability of the nerves and muscles 
 remained normal, as was shown by 
 stimulation with electricity. The 
 urine, which was drawn from the 
 bladder, contained no zinc. 
 
 THE STRYCHNINE OLEATE (two 
 drachms, containing two and a half 
 
50 THE OLEATES. 
 
 grains of strychnia) was rubbed along 
 the groin and inner surface of the 
 thigh for five minutes, no effect had 
 been observed during forty-eight hours 
 after thoroughly applying the oleate 
 to the abdominal walls. 
 
 THE ACONITINE OLEATE was applied 
 in a similar manner. Two drachms, 
 containing two and a half grains of 
 aconitirie, were rubbed along the groin 
 and inner surface of the thigh for five 
 minutes. At the end of twenty-four 
 hours no effect had been observed. 
 The animal was in a normal condition. 
 
 It thus appears from the foregoing 
 experiments that the supposition the 
 oleates were directly absorbed and 
 taken up by the lymphatics and con- 
 veyed into the blood is entirely errone- 
 ous ; on the contrary they prove that 
 the oleates at no time can penetrate 
 deeper than the epidermis and its con- 
 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 51 
 
 tinuation into the glands and follicles. 
 Herein consists, in fact, the advantage 
 that oleates have over ordinary oint- 
 ments : that they can enter into the 
 minute openings of the glands and 
 follicles, on account of being dissolved 
 in the fatty base and vehicle ; whereas, 
 in the ordinary ointments, no matter 
 how minutely subdivided, the medi- 
 cating agents would be prevented 
 from acting in this way, the fatty 
 vehicle alone being filtered off and 
 entering. All the suppositions and 
 hypotheses^ setting forth how the 
 oleates were absorbed and enter into 
 the blood at once, are fallacious, and 
 have not been confirmed by practical 
 results, the most powerful of them 
 scarcely showing any of their physio- 
 logical effects. By what physiological 
 process or manner the advocates of 
 such theories would demonstrate their 
 
52 THE OLEATES. 
 
 assertions is to me unaccountable,* 
 thus/ when a prominent writer claims 
 that on brushing oleic acid or oleates 
 lightly over the epidermic surface it 
 disappears with an astonishing rapid- 
 ity, equalling that of some evaporant, 
 I can only account for it by sup- 
 posing he is endowed with extra- 
 ordinary powers of observation, or 
 has made his statements without ob- 
 servation and on the most favorable 
 basis of his own expectations. While 
 there is plenty of room and use for 
 the oleates, the worst that can be done 
 by their friends or advocates is to claim 
 for them what they do not nor cannot 
 possess. The principal advantage of 
 the oleates is their solubility in the 
 fatty vehicles by which they are en- 
 abled to penetrate, not through the 
 skin and the walls of the vessels, as 
 might be inferred from the writings of 
 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 53 
 
 some authors, but into the natural 
 openings of the skin, the glands and 
 follicles ; there they may, by osmosis, 
 be interchanged with some of the sys- 
 temic fluids and be absorbed to a cer- 
 tain extent, but physiological experi- 
 ments seem to make even this un- 
 likely. The only instance in which 
 this might be the case is with the 
 mercurous oleate, which is so loosely 
 attached to its fatty radical as to 
 easily give it up in exchange for other 
 acids, forming salts with them, which 
 are more readily absorbed and assimi- 
 lated, producing then the character- 
 istic effects and symptoms of the drug. 
 Mercuric oleate, on the contrary, while 
 easily, by its own constitution, de- 
 composes into mercurous oleate, will 
 not in itself so readily exchange its 
 acid radical for another of the sudo- 
 rific excretion. That oxide of zinc is 
 5* 
 
54 THE OLEATES. 
 
 not carried into the follicle is quite as 
 well understood as that white or red 
 precipitate should or could not do so. 
 Take the ointment of either of these 
 precipitates and melt it, and then 
 place it on filtering paper, and you will 
 readily see the unguent base perme- 
 ating the porous tissue, while the sus- 
 pended substance is retained on its 
 folds. Dissolve an oleate in any of 
 the fatty vehicles, and you will find 
 that it passes through the porous sub- 
 stance undecomposed and in its en- 
 tirety, and is thus able to act on the 
 follicle and gland, both by its action 
 on the near-lying cutis, as well as by 
 the possibility of an osmotic process. 
 In this, and in this alone, consists the 
 advantage of the oleates, and a mate- 
 rial advantage it is. Thus, while the 
 ointments of white and red precipitate 
 will destroy the conidia and mycel- 
 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 55 
 
 Hum of superficial fungi in tricophy- 
 tosis, chromophytosis, etc., the mer- 
 cury and copper oleates alone can dip 
 into the follicles, and there exert a 
 like destructive action. It might be 
 said that if their principal value con- 
 sisted in their solubility that as much 
 could be accomplished by watery so- 
 lutions applied to the surface; but 
 such is not the case. Water or aque- 
 ous solutions have a tendency to swell 
 up the epiderm, and by doing so com- 
 pletely occlude the orifices of glands 
 and follicles, while fats or oils, and 
 fatty acids., as well as their derivatives, 
 exert the opposite effect, and are, for 
 that reason, enabled to enter into those 
 structures. 
 
IV. 
 
 THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT OF THE OLEATES. 
 
 BEFORE entering in detail on the 
 medicinal action of the individual 
 oleates, I would dwell on the proper 
 method of preparing them for use. 
 There has been some misconception as 
 to their nature, from the fact that one 
 or two of them can be used to great 
 advantage in their pulverulent state, 
 owing to their mechanical action, be- 
 sides the chemical influence they ex- 
 ercise, not on the unbroken surface, 
 but on denuded and pathologically 
 affected skin. Thus we find that the 
 zinc oleate, in its powdered state, is 
 a very excellent agent on account of 
 its property to relieve friction, and, at 
 the same time, contracting the con- 
 gested and tumefied integument. 
 (56) 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 57 
 
 Again, we see in the application of 
 the powdered silver oleate, to denuded 
 and ulcerating surfaces, a most useful 
 measure to coagulate the albumen lo- 
 cally, and forming a protective cover- 
 ing over these surfaces. In an at- 
 tempt, however, to extend the use of 
 powders to the other oleates, we simply 
 lose sight of the one great advantage 
 that is of such importance with this 
 class of preparations their solubility 
 in vehicles that can penetrate into 
 the depression of the epidermic cover- 
 ing. That some of the oleates occur 
 in powder form, and some as plasters, 
 and others as ointments, is part of 
 their physical condition, which the 
 chemist, by admixtures, should not try 
 to pervert. Their principal use must 
 always be as ointments, and it is, 
 therefore, that I would speak here of 
 them and their proper preparations. 
 
58 THE OLEATES. 
 
 While I omit now the proportions to 
 be used to which I will refer under 
 their respective headings I can say, 
 that, as a general rule, the ointments 
 should be made by melting the oleates 
 with the fatty substance intended for 
 their bases at as low a temperature as 
 possible to effect solution, which is, as 
 a rule, best accomplished by a water 
 bath, in. which the vehicle is first 
 melted, and then the oleate intro- 
 duced and stirred therewith until com- 
 pletely dissolved. This is done with- 
 out much trouble and difficulty by any 
 one, either physician or chemist, and 
 holds good for all save the ointment of 
 the silver oleate, and for its prepara- 
 tion more specific directions will be 
 given hereafter. The fatty vehicles 
 intended for ointment bases are a 
 matter of choice, according to the in- 
 dications of the case. While no doubt 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT 59 
 
 the most elegant preparations can be 
 made with the petroleum fats as bases, 
 they form, in my opinion, and in that 
 of others, the least desirable sub- 
 stances for such use.* I stated in my 
 paper read before the Medical Society 
 of the State of Pennsylvania (loc. cit.), 
 that I considered the petroleum pro- 
 ducts as objectionable for such a 
 purpose, and recently Dr. Robson, of 
 England, has made a similar observa- 
 tion in the use of vaseline as a surgical 
 dressing. I also consider them to 
 possess a feebler power, if any at all, 
 to penetrate than animal fats, which 
 have more affinity for the integument. 
 They always contain some stimulant 
 constituent left after their manufac- 
 ture, which prevents them from having 
 
 * See an article on the "Irritation of the Skin follow- 
 ing the Application of Vaseline," in the London Lancet 
 of November 8, 1 884. 
 
60 THE OLEATES. 
 
 an emollient action ; a great source of 
 hindrance to their use as external 
 remedies if you desire to soothe and 
 allay active inflammation. Irritant 
 ointments of veratrine and other like 
 substances, which I had made respec- 
 tively of paraffinates and simple oint- 
 ments, proved, in the former, almost 
 inert, while the activity of that made 
 with simple ointment very soon be- 
 came evident. Dr. J. G. Kiernan, of 
 Chicago, who repeated my experiments 
 with the petroleum products (as have 
 also several others), both upon him- 
 self and the lower animals, arrived at 
 the same conclusion. I am also con- 
 firmed in my opinion by Dr. Herman 
 Hager, who, in his celebrated work 
 on Pharmaceutical Practice, states that 
 the use of vaseline (or cosmoline, or 
 whatever their pseudonyms may be) 
 in place of lard, or an ointment in 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 61 
 
 such mixtures which contain a reme- 
 dial agent intended for absorption by 
 the skin, should be discouraged, as 
 vaseline (cosmoline, etc.) prevents ab- 
 sorption. 
 
 Although this has been disputed by 
 some, who, however, constitute no 
 medical authority, having a com- 
 mercial interest only in the sale of 
 their goods, and for pharmaceutical 
 reasons lay more stress on their hand- 
 some appearance than on their utility, 
 I think this matter should rest with 
 the physician to decide rather than to 
 the biased vendor. 
 
 All of the oleates, if desired in a very 
 concentrated form, can be rendered 
 thin and pliable by the addition of a 
 small quantity of oleic acid, which, 
 if warmed and melted with them, 
 readily renders their consistence fit 
 for the purpose of inunction. As a 
 
 6 
 
62 THE OLEATES. 
 
 diluent, when either the oleate itself or 
 its oleic dilution would make them too 
 powerful, I know of nothing better 
 than good fresh lard or lard oint- 
 ments; under no circumstances, how- 
 ever, should ointments of the oleates 
 be prepared by simply rubbing them 
 up with the diluent, nor should any of 
 them be accepted by the physician 
 which are not perfectly homogeneous. 
 The advantages of these ointments 
 may be set forth as being economical, 
 as they need only be used in small 
 quantities, and if properly applied and 
 well rubbed into the dry skin, there 
 will be very little adherent to the sur- 
 face that can be rubbed off or soil the 
 clothing a very desirable property 
 If, however, they are used, as was 
 evidently done by some, who raised 
 objections to them on that point, by 
 daubing them on in large quantities, 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 63 
 
 on the principle that if a little does 
 well more will do better, they may 
 fail to accomplish the purposes they 
 are intended for, and will simply 
 exert their influence on the patient's 
 clothing alone. They evidently forget 
 the anatomy of the integument, and 
 imagine the minute glands and fol- 
 licles to possess the capacity of much 
 larger organs. Where for reasons of 
 contact and surface action the oint- 
 ment has to be applied copiously, as 
 in the instance of the iron oleate 
 ointment to arsenical ulcers, the oint- 
 ment has to be secured by protective 
 measures, both to prevent soiling the 
 clothing as well as to insure its con- 
 tinued action on the parts affected. 
 
 To proceed to the consideration of 
 the individual oleates, their remedial 
 action and indication for use, I will 
 take up first the 
 
64 THE OLEATES. 
 
 ACONITINE OLEATE. 
 
 Aconitine oleate has been lauded for 
 its rapid constitutional effect, which 
 the writer has failed to observe even 
 after a number of careful experiments 
 pursued for years. It has a slight 
 local action, but the effect is however 
 very feeble ; it can be used in mild 
 cases of neuralgia owing to its weak 
 anaesthetic impression. 
 
 ATKOPINE OLEATE. 
 
 Atropine oleate has a mild action 
 upon the integument, the toxic effect 
 of the drug being almost impossible, 
 except it be applied freely over a large 
 surface. 
 
 ALUMINIUM OLEATE. 
 
 Aluminium oleate, melted with an 
 equal proportion of lard and some 
 fatty substance, represents the oint- 
 ment of aluminium oleate. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 65 
 
 The aluminium oleate ointment co- 
 agulates the albumen of the parts to 
 which it is applied, constringes the 
 vessels, checks and corrects all se- 
 cretion, and has marked styptic as 
 well as antiseptic action. It has a 
 decided astringent effect, and is 
 very serviceable in checking muco- 
 purulent discharges that occur in 
 dermatitis and in eczema. It can 
 be applied with advantage over the 
 flexor surfaces, and upon those parts 
 that have an excessive discharge from 
 friction or apposition of two por- 
 tions of integument. It is also well 
 adapted to cases in which the axilla, 
 groin, and buttocks of infants and 
 children become involved; its appli- 
 cation often rapidly checking the 
 profuse secretion, and restoring the 
 integument to a normal condition. 
 In hyperidrosis it lessens and fre- 
 
66 THE OLEATES. 
 
 quently removes the excessive secre- 
 tion, while in bromidrosis the fetid 
 discharge will either be entirely over- 
 come by its use, or very much di- 
 minished in its activity. It is both 
 beneficial and useful employed as a 
 dressing to foul ulcers, abscesses, sin- 
 uses, chilblains, and burns. 
 
 ARSENICUM OLEATE. 
 
 Arsenicum oleate, melted in the pro- 
 portion of one part to nine parts of 
 lard as an unguent base, or one part 
 in four, according to the strength de- 
 sired, forms the ointment of arsenic 
 oleate. 
 
 It is both a valuable alterative and 
 escharotic, but should always be used 
 with caution. Applied to the skin in 
 the natural state, little or no change is 
 produced, but when used moderately 
 strong on abrasions, wounds, and 
 
THEEAPEUTIC EFFECT. 67 
 
 ulcerating and granulating surfaces, 
 it acts as an escharotic, exciting ac- 
 tive inflammation and destroying 
 the tissue to some depth. On the 
 other hand, it will have a most excel- 
 lent alterative impression on the in- 
 tegument in the form of a very weak 
 ointment. In ulcerating epithelioma 
 it is one of the very best remedies, by 
 reason of its being better borne for a 
 longer period in its application than 
 any other form of arsenic. In lupus 
 it is especially serviceable, destroying, 
 by its constant use, cell infiltration 
 in a comparatively mild and pain- 
 less manner. In the erythematous 
 and tubercular forms of lupus, the 
 parts, however, should be thoroughly 
 scraped, in order to bring the oleate in 
 contact with the abraded surface. In 
 old ulcers, especially those of a scrofu- 
 lous nature, the arsenic oleate oint- 
 
68 THE OLEATES. 
 
 ment is of great utility. It is, like- 
 wise, of value as an alterative, in 
 the form of a weak ointment, either 
 alone or combined with other remedies, 
 in chronic sycosis, seborrhoea, and in 
 some of the chronic varieties of ec- 
 zema. It can be employed, after scrap- 
 ing or puncturing the surface, to de- 
 stroy warts, corns, horns, condylomata, 
 old granulations* and naevi. It can also 
 be combined with such preparations 
 as opium, belladonna, hyoscyamus, ar- 
 nica, arrowroot, naphthol, etc., either 
 to lessen its activity or enhance its 
 effect by the additional impression of 
 one or more of these remedies. 
 
 BISMUTH OLEATE. 
 
 The ointment of bismuth oleate, a 
 pearl-gray, soft, bland substance, pos- 
 sesses an emollient and slightly astrin- 
 gent action, and is useful in soothing 
 and relieving cutaneous irritation. It 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 69 
 
 is a valuable remedy in all pustular 
 eruptions, lightly pencilled over the 
 surface. In sycosis it relieves the 
 engorgement of the parts, often aborts 
 the pustules, and will lessen or re- 
 move the distressing itching and 
 pricking that is so wearing to the 
 patient, It allays and often over- 
 comes the high inflammation in ery- 
 sipelas and sunburn. In acne and 
 rosacea it soothes the hypersemic 
 skin, relieves the engorgement of the 
 glands, frequently subduing some of 
 the most intractable cases, and conse- 
 quently giving ease and comfort where 
 prolonged suffering formerly existed. 
 In some of the more obstinate forms 
 of acne and rosacea, however, I al- 
 ways deplete the parts thoroughly, 
 first by puncturing them with a 
 needle knife, and afterwards pencil- 
 ling the surface with the ointment. 
 
70 THE OLEATES. 
 
 This oleate is not only an impor- 
 tant, but also a useful remedy in the 
 treatment of the different varieties of 
 acute eczema, soothing and arresting 
 rapidly the irritated integument. It 
 is generally an effective agent for 
 cracked and sore nipples, used either 
 alone or in combination with opium 
 and belladonna and arnica, the dry 
 and excoriated condition of the parts 
 yielding on its application. 
 
 CADMIUM OLEATE. 
 
 The ointment of cadmium oleate 
 has had as yet but little practical 
 use. It is a very strong stimulant, 
 having an almost caustic action upon 
 the denuded integument, resembling 
 in this respect very much the action 
 of the ointment of nickel oleate. It 
 has been used with some advantage in 
 enlarged glands, especially in scrofu- 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 71 
 
 lous subjects, stimulating to renewed 
 activity the dormant absorbents, and 
 thus removing the abnormal condition 
 from the tissue. It has also been ser- 
 viceable at times in cases of chronic 
 eczema with great infiltration, exube- 
 rant granulations and old ulcers. 
 
 COCAINE OLEATE. 
 
 Cocaine oleate* (6 per cent, alka- 
 loid) has a slight anaesthetic action 
 upon the integument. The decided 
 effect, however, that has been claimed 
 by some on its application to the 
 skin has not been observed in my 
 experience, even after repeated ex- 
 periments with it in operations on 
 warts, corns, horns, cancer, lupus, 
 and the removal of superfluous hairs. 
 Squibbt states, in a recent article, that 
 
 * Prepared by W. T. Baker & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 
 f An Ephemeris of Materia Medica, etc., January, 1885. 
 
72 THE OLEATES. 
 
 when applied to the skin it should 
 be somewhat effective. On the con- 
 trary, I have found, by clinical expe- 
 rience, that its action is so weak as 
 to make it of little practical value. 
 Again, the present price is so great 
 about two dollars a drachm as to 
 limit its use in general practice, and 
 when employed it is even then too 
 costly an application, except on small 
 portions of the skin. It has been 
 recommended in mild cases of neu- 
 ralgia, local spots of eczema, and in 
 painful ulcers. Keys* reports that 
 he has relieved with it, temporarily, 
 mild anal pruritus. Jacksont also re- 
 lates that by its application the pain 
 under the operation for the removal of 
 superfluous hairs is somewhat lessened. 
 
 * Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, Jan- 
 uary, 1885. 
 f Loc. cit. 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 73 
 
 COPPER OLEATE. 
 
 Copper oleate, melted with either 
 four or nine parts of fat or lard, gives 
 respectively a twenty or ten per cent, 
 of the ointment of copper oleate. Ap- 
 plied in this form to the unbroken 
 skin it has no visible effect on the 
 surface, but penetrates deeply into 
 the follicles, causing slight stimula- 
 tion. If brought in contact with the 
 broken skin it has both an astringent 
 and stimulating effect, and an insolu- 
 ble albuminate is formed which coats 
 over the surface, thus supplying the 
 place of the abraded skin. It con- 
 denses the tissues, constringes the 
 bloodvessels, and thus lessens the de- 
 termination of blood to the part. It 
 acts as an irritant to any delicate sur- 
 face, causing inflammation and pain. 
 It is a most effective application to 
 
74 THE OLEATES. 
 
 arrest bleeding, particularly in irrita- 
 ble sores and indolent ulcers ; obstinate 
 granulations will often yield to the 
 ointment of the copper oleate after 
 resisting the usual applications. It 
 is a most excellent antiseptic, as well 
 as an antiparasitic agent. The most 
 successful results, however, have fol- 
 lowed its use upon vegetable parasitic 
 affections, both in my own experience, 
 and in that of Sawyer and Startin,* 
 of England. The last-named observer 
 has recently writtent as follows con- 
 cerning the copper oleate: "I have 
 been using the drug for two years, 
 and am so satisfied with its results 
 that I recommended it to my col- 
 leagues, who also expressed their satis- 
 
 * See an interesting paper on " Oleate of Copper in 
 Ringworm," by James Startin, Surgeon, of England, 
 read before the Willian Society, December, 1884. 
 
 \Brit. Med. Jour., Jan. 10, 1885. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 75 
 
 faction on trying it. An impure oleate 
 will irritate the skin, but the oleate 
 now made by a process of double de- 
 composition is perfectly pure and in 
 my opinion a very reliable application 
 in ringworm. I have never had com- 
 plaints, either by hospital or private 
 patients, from its use, and I have used 
 it to some hundreds.' 7 In America, 
 Fricke, Blackwood, Snowden, O'Hara, 
 Fenton, McClellan, Prall, Herr, Weir, 
 Rosenthal, Means, and many others 
 have also reported very effective re- 
 sults from its use in their practice. 
 My attention was directed to the cura- 
 tive action of the ointment of copper 
 oleate in parasitic affections, by the 
 remarks of some of my patients ; and I 
 believe I was the first to recommend 
 it for its antiparasitic effects in a 
 paper read before the Pennsylvania 
 State Medical Society, already re- 
 
76 THE OLEATES. 
 
 f erred to, and from which I quote : 
 "For several years I have had pa- 
 tients tell me, at the hospital and in 
 my private practice, that they cured 
 this or that member of their family of 
 ringworm by putting an old copper 
 penny in vinegar and applying the 
 liquid to the patches. Some, however, 
 resisted the treatment, and members 
 of the latter class were brought to 
 me with the statement that other 
 children had been cured by putting a 
 copper penny in vinegar and applying 
 the infusion, how was it that it did 
 not in this particular case do any 
 good! After due thought it occurred 
 to me that this coppery liquid might 
 destroy the fungus on the surface, but 
 if the parasite after a time passed into 
 the follicles at its lowest depth and 
 invaded the hair bulbs, it could not 
 affect it in any way ; and, also, if the 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 77 
 
 copper solution had the power to kill 
 the parasite on the surface, why could 
 it not do the same within the follicles, 
 providing it could be carried there ! 
 Acting upon this idea, and remember- 
 ing the great penetrating action of 
 oleic acid, I had it combined with cop- 
 per and mixed with a fatty base. The 
 ointment thus prepared I applied to 
 an inveterate and extensive case of 
 ringworm on the scalp of a child that 
 had been treated with numerous reme- 
 dies without benefit, and in the period 
 of six weeks the patient was com- 
 pletely cured. Other cases, both of 
 ringworm on the scalp and body, 
 were afterwards treated likewise with 
 equally good results." 
 
 In tinea versicolor, or chromophyto- 
 sis, it acts in a most decided manner, 
 rapidly removing the parasite from 
 the surface, as also the one which 
 
78 THE OLEATES. 
 
 penetrates deep into the follicles. The 
 red, yellowish, and often dark-brown 
 desquamating spots will clear up, 
 generally quicker and better from 
 the applications of the ointment of 
 copper oleate than by the use of 
 any other remedy. It is equally ef- 
 fective in favus, which yields quickly 
 to its application. In all vegetable 
 parasitic affections to which it is ap- 
 plied, care should be taken to avoid 
 the too frequent use of water to the 
 parts, which may prevent the copper 
 oleate from penetrating to the lowest 
 depth of the follicle, and thus inter- 
 fere with its action on the fungus. In 
 fact, I always, at the present time, 
 continue the application of the oleate 
 alone, until all evidence of the fungus 
 has disappeared, interdicting water 
 entirely during the treatment, which, 
 I believe, assists in nourishing the 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 79 
 
 parasite, thus making it more active. 
 In case it becomes necessary to clean 
 the parts, the use of oleic acid, alco- 
 hol, or ether will fully accomplish the 
 purpose. 
 
 In using the ointment of copper 
 oleate in parasitic affections it is not 
 required to epilate or pluck out 
 the diseased hairs, as the deep and 
 effective action of the remedy will 
 alone complete a cure, without fol- 
 lowing the old routine plan, which I 
 have for some time abandoned as pain- 
 ful and unnecessary. Copper oleate, 
 melted and spread as plaster, will re- 
 lieve, and very often cure, hard and 
 horny warts, corns, bunions, and thick- 
 ened conditions of the epidermis to 
 which it is applied. The ointment of 
 copper oleate is a useful remedy for 
 freckles, and other yellowish-brown or 
 blackish patches of the skin. The ob- 
 
80 THE OLEATES. 
 
 jection to its use by a physician, in 
 a communication to the Journal of 
 Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, and 
 my reply to it I append : 
 
 [From the Journal of Cutaneous and Yenereal 
 Diseases, September, 1883.] 
 
 ATLANTA, GA., July 19, 1883. 
 Editors Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal 
 
 Diseases : 
 
 GENTLEMEN : I had occasion to use the 
 remedy recommended by Shoemaker, of 
 Philadelphia, for the removal of freckles, 
 quoted in your April number, upon two 
 patients, and each time, about a week 
 after the beginning of treatment, was 
 rewarded by a beautiful crop of furimcu- 
 losis, but the freckles were not at all in- 
 fluenced by its use. The remedy was pre- 
 pared agreeably to the formula by him laid 
 down, but the above have been my results. 
 Have you had any such experience? 
 Yours, 
 
 E. BORCHEIM. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 81 
 
 [From the Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal 
 Diseases, November, 1883.] 
 
 To the Editors of the Journal of Cutaneous 
 
 and Venereal Diseases: 
 
 GENTLEMEN : In reply to the recent letter 
 of Dr. Borcheim, I would state that the 
 oleate of copper ointment, like all other 
 remedies, is not infallible, and, while in many 
 cases it has served me well in removing 
 freckles, in some it has failed. As I have 
 found the oleate of copper ointment not 
 always certain in its action on freckles, I 
 have never laid great stress upon it as a 
 remedy for removing them, omitting this effect 
 entirely in writing my paper on the oleates 
 in skin diseases, and only suggested it in 
 an incidental manner in reply to a query 
 made as to a remedy for freckles, by a 
 reader of The Medical Bulletin. The unfor- 
 tunate results that followed the use of the 
 oleate of copper ointment in Dr. Borcheim 's 
 practice may have been- due either to a pre- 
 disposition in those persons to furuncles,- 
 in which event almost any stimulating ap- 
 
82 THE OLEATES. 
 
 plication would have brought about the 
 same result ; or the oleate of copper, as I 
 will show further on, may not have been 
 properly prepared. I am inclined to the 
 latter view, as no furuncles either in my 
 own, or in the hands of others who have 
 largely used the ointment of the oleate of 
 copper, have ever followed. To ascertain 
 this I addressed a brief note to a number 
 of physicians, who, to my knowledge, had 
 used it in their practice, asking them for 
 their results with the oleate of copper oint- 
 ment, and of any untoward effects or fur- 
 uncular eruptions following its use. I give 
 a few of the replies, received in brief, as fol- 
 lows, withholding a number to the same 
 effect, not one confirming Dr. Borcheim's 
 experience.* 
 
 * Dr. Shoemaker incloses copies of letters from 
 Drs. O'Hara, Blackwood, Snowden, Fricke, Fenton, 
 McClellan, Pral], Herr, Weir, and Rosenthal. These 
 letters are to the effect that the writers have used the 
 oleate of copper ointment with benefit in freckles and 
 other affections, and without the production of furuncles 
 or any other untoward effects. EDITOR. 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 83 
 
 To show in which way the oleate of cop- 
 per, as well as all the oleates, may be ren- 
 dered not alone unserviceable, but abso- 
 lutely injurious, I would say, that when I 
 stated in my article on the oleates that they 
 should be made by the decomposition of 
 sodium oleate with a solution of the salt of 
 the desired base, I understood, of course, 
 that the sodium oleate should be made of a 
 good oleic acid. The United States Phar- 
 macopoeia, in its last edition, has adopted 
 oleic acid amongst its official articles, and 
 the description of it applies to an oleic acid 
 which can safely be used for making the 
 oleates such as I proposed. The oleic acid 
 generally in the market, and on account of 
 its low price kept by most druggists, and 
 offered by some of our manufacturing chem- 
 ists, more or less purified, is nothing more 
 than the red oil of the candle-makers, a 
 very impure oleic acid, containing admix- 
 tures and contaminations which can only 
 be removed by a teiious process, more so 
 and at greater expense than the direct pro- 
 
84 THE OLEATES. 
 
 cess of making a good and sufficiently pure 
 oleic acid, answering the test of the United 
 States Pharmacopoeia, from the oil of sweet 
 almonds. The oleic acid obtained as a by 
 product in the candle manufacture, contains 
 considerable stearic acid, its least objec- 
 tionable admixture, but one which renders 
 oleates made from it less diffusible. It 
 contains, besides, in consequence of being 
 overheated in the process of its manufac- 
 ture, various volatile acids, hydrocarbons, 
 sebacic acid, and, above all, oxy oleic acid, 
 which is well known by giving fats their 
 rancid odor and character when formed 
 therein. Pure oleic acid even absorbs some 
 oxygen from the atmosphere under ordi- 
 nary circumstances, forming oxy oleic acid, 
 but when heated does so in a very large 
 degree. The red oil, or oleic acid of com- 
 merce, in being separated from its glycerine 
 base, is exposed to a high heat, and is thus 
 changed largely into oxy oleic acid, with all 
 its characteristic irritant properties and 
 odor. 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 85 
 
 The most of the oleates which have been 
 shown to me by manufacturers who were 
 desirous of making them according to the 
 formula given in my paper, had, by ap- 
 pearance and odor, evidently been made 
 with the common oleic acid, and were, 
 besides, not even properly decomposed or 
 purified, and thus well calculated to do 
 more harm than good, and prove, probably, 
 irritative and productive of eruptions and 
 furuncles. The oleates and the ointments 
 thereof used by me, and by most, if not all, 
 the physicians who kindly gave me their 
 notes, were from the laboratory of Dr. L. 
 Wolff, of this city, the chemist to whom 
 we are indebted for the development of 
 this class of oleates. They are by him ob- 
 tained either by the decomposition of so- 
 dium oleopalmitate, freshly prepared from 
 pure oil of sweet almonds, as oleopalmi- 
 tates, or pure oleates from sodium oleate, 
 made of pure oleic acid, derived from fresh 
 oil of sweet almonds and freed from palmitic 
 acid. Such an oleic acid answers the de- 
 8 
 
86 THE OLEATES. 
 
 scription given of it in the United States 
 Pharmacopoeia, and should be the only kind 
 used. We feel sure that no unpleasant ef- 
 fects will occur with such oleates if prop- 
 erly and judiciously used. That the price 
 of the oleates is slightly advanced by making 
 them of pure material, is of no importance 
 when we consider the small quantity that 
 is necessary in the treatment of skin and 
 other affections. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 JOHN Y. SHOEMAKER, M.D., 
 
 Philada. 
 
 IKON OLEATE. 
 
 Iron oleate is readily soluble in fats. 
 Experiments with this oleate, mixed 
 with the various fats and given inter- 
 nally, have not brought about any 
 good results. The use of the oint- 
 ment of iron oleate by the inunction 
 method has no apparent constitu- 
 tional effect, for the reasons that have 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 87 
 
 already been cited under their physi- 
 ological action. It was thought by 
 the writer, after some clinical ex- 
 periments, which were presented in a 
 former paper, and in which the inunc- 
 tion of iron oleate appeared to be of 
 systemic value in anaemic and scrofu- 
 lous cases, that it would be an in- 
 valuable remedy for those diseases, 
 but subsequent and more extended 
 experience has shown its action on 
 the system to be of no value. The ac- 
 tion of iron oleate, like all the other 
 metals and alkaloids of the oleates, is 
 mainly upon the parts to which it is 
 applied. The ointment of iron oleate 
 is a valuable styptic and astringent. 
 In the inflammatory form of eczema, 
 in which the surface has become de- 
 nuded, red, raw, and bleeding, the 
 application of a weak ointment of 
 iron oleate, or the oleate itself used 
 
88 THE OLEATES. 
 
 in other soothing and slightly astrin- 
 gent combinations for the same affec- 
 tion will prove of the greatest value, 
 its styptic and astringent action 
 having the most happy effect upon 
 the parts. It has a marked effect 
 used in pustular eczema, sycosis, fur- 
 uncles, and in scrofulous ulcers and 
 sinuses. The iron oleate, mixed with 
 oil of ergot or any of the ordinary 
 oils, can be used with advantage in 
 dry seborrhoea, and in certain forms 
 of alopecia that result from an irri- 
 table condition of the glands of the 
 parts. The first and second stages 
 of acne rosacea are vastly benefited 
 and often entirely relieved by the 
 application of a weak ointment of 
 iron oleate. The lesions that result 
 from arsenical poisoning, especially 
 the pustules and ulcers, are more 
 amenable to the action of this oint- 
 
THEEAPEUTIC EFFECT. 89 
 
 ment than any other remedy that I 
 have used in such conditions. A 
 number of cases of arsenical poison- 
 ing have come under my observa- 
 tion, particularly in workingmen in 
 several large chemical establishments, 
 and in all cases the pustules and 
 deep and angry ulcers that were pre- 
 sent, and upon which other remedies 
 had failed, rapidly yielded to its ap- 
 plication. 
 
 LEAD OLEATE. 
 
 Lead oleate, melted with equal 
 parts of lard or lard-oil, or a mixture 
 of the two according to the season, 
 to present it in ointment form, gives 
 a cream-colored, semi-solid ointment 
 of the consistence of simple cerate. 
 It is more easily and cheaply prepared 
 than either Goulard's cerate, or He- 
 bra's litharge ointment, or any of 
 
 8* 
 
90 THE OLEATES. 
 
 the later modifications, and is also 
 more readily absorbed, and is superior 
 to all of them. 
 
 Unna, and many other physicians 
 who have tested the action of the 
 ointment of lead oleate, report excel- 
 lent results from its use. 
 
 The ointment of lead oleate, when 
 applied to the denuded skin, has both 
 an astringent and sedative action, 
 arresting by this effect morbid dis- 
 charges and allaying irritation. It 
 soothes effectually the intense irritation 
 that is often present in papular eczema, 
 and in those forms of the same dis- 
 ease that appear in the flexures of 
 the joints, around the axillae, the 
 inner part of the thighs and peri- 
 neum. Pustular eczema of young 
 infants, which is so annoying to the 
 little sufferers, is often benefited, and 
 the inflammation, discharge, and 
 
THEEAPEUTIC EFFECT. 91 
 
 itching entirely checked by its free 
 application; it is equally beneficial 
 in fissured eczema of the palmar 
 and plantar surfaces. If the inflam- 
 mation and cracking, however, be 
 severe and deep, and require a cer- 
 tain amount of stimulation, the addi- 
 tion of naphthol, oil of chamomile, or 
 oil of cade, will increase very much 
 its curative action. This ointment is 
 a useful remedy in hard and indu- 
 rated papules, in acne of the face, 
 neck, and back, and in rosacea. Thy- 
 mol, carbolic acid, naphthol, and many 
 other stimulating or soothing agents 
 can sometimes with advantage be 
 combined with it. 
 
 MERCURIC OLEATE. 
 
 The ointment of mercuric oleate 
 is a yellowish chemical combination 
 having a fatty smell, and is of an 
 
92 THE OLEATES. 
 
 unctuous consistence. It has a stimu- 
 lating, resolvent, and alterative im- 
 pression used on the integument, es- 
 pecially upon tumors, glandular en- 
 largements, indurations, and thicken- 
 ing of the skin. In some of the 
 old cases of eczema, in which the 
 skin becomes greatly infiltrated, the 
 twofold action of the ointment of 
 mercuric oleate is often attended with 
 happy effects. It is an acceptable, 
 and, at the same time, beneficial 
 agent in obstinate ulcers and indo- 
 lent papules, tubercles, and in in- 
 filtration that often is attendant upon 
 or follows abscesses, in inflamma- 
 tion of the hair follicles of the beard, 
 and scrofuloderma. It can be used 
 with success in the excess and de- 
 ficiency of pigment, that occur either 
 as a disease, from applications, or 
 from an effect of disease. It is a 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 93 
 
 useful remedy in both, the animal 
 and vegetable parasitic affections. 
 In animal parasitic disease, especi- 
 ally in phtheiriasis, or lousiness, the 
 ointment of mercuric oleate has alike 
 the effect of destroying both the para- 
 site and nits, which are not always 
 reached by other mercurial prepara- 
 tions. In all varieties of vegetable 
 parasites, it is not only effective on 
 the surface, but possesses the power 
 of penetrating into the hairs, the fol- 
 licles, and sebaceous glands, and thus 
 killing the fungus that has pushed 
 into these parts. 
 
 The advantages of the ointment of 
 mercuric oleate over the old mercu- 
 rial ointments for its topical use 
 are 
 
 First. Its chemical combination, 
 which makes it easier absorbed, gives 
 greater penetrating action, and thus 
 
94 THE OLEATES. 
 
 manifests itself in more prompt reme- 
 dial effect. 
 
 Secondly. It possesses the advan- 
 tage of being free from rancidity, so 
 objectionable a feature in the oint- 
 ments of other mercurial combina- 
 tions. 
 
 Thirdly. It is both economical and 
 clean. 
 
 In concluding the description of 
 the ointment of mercuric oleate, I 
 wish to call attention to the fact, 
 that while it is more rapidly ab- 
 sorbed, yet it is slow, for the rea- 
 sons already mentioned, under its 
 physiological action, to give rise to 
 systemic effect. Large quantities can 
 be applied over the general surface, 
 either in children or adults, with great 
 impunity, its toxic or constitutional 
 effect seldom following in the major- 
 ity of cases in which it is used. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 95 
 
 MERCUROUS OLEATE. 
 
 The ointment of mercurous oleate 
 is very much stronger in mercury 
 than that of mercuric oleate. In the 
 ratio of 41.6 to 26.2, or about one 
 and a half times as strong, it has 
 marked stimulating action bordering 
 on congestion on the integument, and 
 has a decided resolvent and alterative 
 effect. It is therefore applicable to 
 the same class of affections in which 
 the ointment of mercuric oleate is 
 used, particularly if it is desirable 
 to make a more decided impression. 
 
 Having had repeated failures with 
 the ointment of mercuric oleate in 
 the inunction treatment of syphilis, I 
 requested Dr. L. Wolff to make me a 
 stronger preparation, and the result 
 was the development of the ointment 
 of mercurous oleate. 
 
96 THE OLEATES. 
 
 In the inunction treatment of 
 syphilis this oleate is far superior 
 to either the ordinary blue ointment 
 or the mercuric oleate. It is a 
 very powerful agent, and should 
 be applied cautiously, as it pos- 
 sesses deep penetrating power, and 
 its quick diffusion will often bring 
 about rapid constitutional effects. Its 
 advantages over the ordinary blue 
 ointment are its cheapness and the 
 cleanly manner of its application. A 
 piece about the size of a bean can 
 be gently rubbed in the axillae, as well 
 as the same quantity on each limb 
 or on each side of the trunk. It will 
 be quickly absorbed, may leave a 
 reddened surface, but will neither 
 stain nor discolor the linen, nor occa- 
 sion the annoyance that follows the 
 old inunction treatment of syphilis. 
 An eczematous condition that is 
 
THEKAPEUTIC EFFECT. 97 
 
 often feared, and that has been 
 referred to as an objection in the 
 inunction treatment of syphilis by Dr. 
 John Ashhurst, in his paper on the 
 " Treatment of Syphilis/' presented 
 to the Philadelphia County Medical 
 Society, can always be avoided by 
 having the patient use vapor and hot- 
 air baths every second or third day; 
 and I regard the constant use of these 
 baths now as essential to success. I 
 say further that, after some years' 
 experience, the constant application 
 of the ointment of mercurous oleate 
 for a short length of time, or any 
 fatty substance to the skin, will attract 
 dust and dirt to the parts, the glands 
 and follicles will become distended, 
 both with the substance applied and 
 the foreign material, and the parts 
 must be opened up very often by 
 baths, otherwise any form of mercury 
 
98 THE OLEATES. 
 
 combination suspended in a fatty ve- 
 hicle would naturally fail to pass in, 
 and would consequently set up an 
 inflammation on the surface. 
 
 The ointment of mercurous oleate 
 is a most effective application in old 
 spots of psoriasis, and in chronic pal- 
 mar and plantar eczema in which the 
 integument becomes thickened, harsh, 
 dry, and cracked. In these lesions 
 the oleate can be used alone, or 
 it can be advantageously combined 
 with some form of tar or naphthol. 
 
 MORPHINE OLEATE. 
 
 Morphine oleate has, like all the 
 alkaloidal oleates, a feeble action, and 
 only upon the part to which it is 
 applied. It can be employed in all 
 irritable conditions of the integument, 
 but many other stronger sedatives are 
 preferable. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 99 
 NICKEL OLEATE. 
 
 Nickel oleate mixed with a fatty 
 base, in the proportion of from one 
 to sixty grains to the ounce, has a 
 very decided astringent action, almost 
 bordering upon the effect of a caustic 
 on abraded surfaces. The ointment 
 of nickel oleate of a weak strength, 
 from five to twenty grains to the 
 ounce of lard, acts at times very 
 well in epithelial ulcerations. It is 
 often effective in exuberant granula- 
 tions and in old callous ulcers. In 
 some chronic cases of eczema, es- 
 pecially of the extremities, in which 
 the skin is deeply infiltrated, hard, 
 and of a leathery state, if it be applied 
 in the proportions named, it will gen- 
 erally be attended with good results. 
 
 QUININE OLEATE. 
 
 Quinine oleate, both from physio- 
 
100 THE OLEATES. 
 
 logical experiments, which have 
 heretofore been given, and from 
 repeated clinical experience, has 
 proved with me of little if of any 
 service. Several cases have been re- 
 ported in the medical journals in 
 which its use has been extolled as an 
 invaluable remedy in cases of inter- 
 mittent fever, in debility, and in fact 
 wherever quinine is indicated and is 
 not well borne by the alimentary 
 canal. In my service in the Phila- 
 delphia Hospital for Skin Diseases, 
 and in private practice, I have used 
 large quantities of quinine oleate 
 from all the prominent manufac- 
 turers, and have as yet to observe a 
 single case that has had any de- 
 cided constitutional effect from its 
 topical application. I have repeat- 
 edly employed it freely in inter- 
 mittent fever, both in children and 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 101 
 
 adults, but without effect, the par- 
 oxysms returning unless arrested by 
 some other means. 
 
 SILVER OLEATE. 
 
 Silver oleate, applied in its natural 
 form to the abraded skin or sores, 
 combines with the albumen and fibrin 
 of the parts, forming a coat and 
 thus excluding the air. It likewise 
 causes a powerful contraction of the 
 bloodvessels, and condenses and su- 
 perficially destroys the tissue. Silver 
 oleate sprinkled over ulcers, bed sores, 
 and exuberant granulations will set 
 up a healthier action of the surface. 
 When previously dissolved with an 
 equal amount of oleic acid and then 
 mixed with lard in the proportion of 
 from five to sixty grains to the ounce, 
 it forms a dark-brown, soft, and pli- 
 able ointment. The ointment of this 
 
102 THE OLEATES. 
 
 oleate is a safe and efficacious remedy 
 applied over the inflamed surface of 
 erysipelas, or around the margins to 
 prevent the inflammation from spread- 
 ing. In superficial lupus, if kept con- 
 stantly applied to the parts, it lessens 
 the cell infiltration, and thus reduces 
 the active inflammation. In boils 
 and carbuncles it is serviceable, and 
 often arrests pustulation in its early 
 stage. Eczema, that occurs around 
 the mucous outlets, especially the 
 anus and geriitalia, attended with an 
 intolerable itching, will frequently 
 be quickly relieved by applying the 
 ointment of silver oleate either alone 
 or combined with opium, belladonna, 
 or hyoscyamus. Its deep penetration, 
 stability, and prompt action, together 
 with its comparative painless and mild 
 effect are the advantages it possesses 
 over the ordinary silver ointments. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 103 
 
 STRYCHNINE OLEATE. 
 
 Strychnine oleate can be applied to 
 the integument in large quantities 
 and for some time, without producing 
 any systemic action of the drug. Its 
 local impression is weak, and it is a 
 remedy of but little use or value. 
 
 TIN OLEATE. 
 
 Tin oleate, mixed with lard or a 
 fatty base, in the proportion of from 
 ten to sixty grains of the former 
 to one ounce of the latter, forms 
 a grayish-brown ointment, possess- 
 ing an astringent and nutritive ac- 
 tion. It is .of value and service in 
 papular and fissured eczema. The 
 ointment of tin oleate is of the 
 greatest utility in diseases of the 
 nails, or that are abnormal or de- 
 ficient in growth. It assists in such 
 
104 THE OLEATES. 
 
 cases in overcoming the brittle, split, 
 and soft conditions that result 
 from injury to the parts, or that 
 follow certain affections of the skin. 
 The ointment of tin oleate, especially 
 when combined with a little carmine, 
 forms an elegant article of toilet 
 for the nails and surrounding parts, 
 giving them a beautiful lustre. Ag- 
 nail, or the ragged and attenuated 
 skin of the base of the nail, that 
 is so frequently observed from neg- 
 lecting these appendages, can be re- 
 lieved or checked by the astringent 
 action of this ointment. 
 
 VERATRINE OLEATE. 
 
 Veratrine oleate has a valuable ac- 
 tion as a counter-irritant when used 
 upon the integument. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 105 
 ZINC OLEATE. 
 
 Zinc oleate occurs as a fine, pearl- 
 colored powder, with a soft, soapy 
 feel, very much like powdered French 
 chalk. It has both an astringent 
 and stimulating action. In hyperi- 
 drosis and osmidrosis, or excessive 
 sweating, fetid or otherwise, it is 
 one of the very best remedies for 
 topical use. It is especially appli- 
 cable to those who suffer from an 
 increased flow of sweat around the 
 axillae, genitalia, and palmar and plan- 
 tar surfaces. It is to the latter un- 
 fortunate and distressing class of 
 cases, in which the epidermis often 
 macerates, leaving a tender and ex- 
 posed skin, attended with a disagree- 
 able odor, that it can be used for re- 
 lief and at times with permanent good 
 results. Dr. "William Murrell, in the 
 
106 THE OLEATES. 
 
 London Medical Record, of November 
 15, 1883, also calls attention to the 
 value of the zinc oleate in local sweat- 
 ing. He reports that the zinc oleate 
 mixed with thymol (1 in 500) and 
 used as a dusting powder, forms an 
 excellent application in many varie- 
 ties of local sweating. He also states 
 that he has used it with much success 
 in the night-sweating of phthisis. 
 
 In acute vesicular eczema, in which 
 the parts become covered with small 
 vesicles, swollen, hot, inflamed, or 
 raw, weeping, and attended with in- 
 tense itching, the combined protect- 
 ing, astringent, and stimulating action 
 of the zinc oleate will usually cause 
 all the inflammatory symptoms to 
 abate, the discharge to dry up, and 
 the swollen skin to resume its normal 
 condition. Dr. McCall Anderson has 
 referred to its utility in eczema, es- 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 107 
 
 pecially of the nares, in an article pub- 
 lished in the Journal of Cutaneous 
 and Venereal Diseases. The great ad- 
 vantage and value of the zinc oleate 
 among the same class of cutaneous af- 
 fections, has been referred to by Dr. 
 James Sawyer in a communication 
 to the British Medical Journal, of 
 February 10, 1883, and also in an- 
 other to the Birmingham Medical Re- 
 view, published a year later. 
 
 Dr. Sawyer, in speaking of this 
 and other oleates used in the same 
 form, adds that "they can be em- 
 ployed in those troublesome, acute, 
 and discharging affections of the skin 
 in which greasy preparations of any 
 kind cannot be borne." Zinc oleate 
 will cling to the skin, and will not 
 fall or brush off like ordinary dusting 
 powder, and is, therefore, of very great 
 value in seborrhoea oleosa. It forms 
 
108 THE OLEATES. 
 
 a most excellent and useful toilet 
 powder for ladies who are troubled 
 with shining faces or seborrhoea 
 oleosa, dusted over the parts either 
 alone or mixed with an equal quantity 
 of arrow-root, bismuth, subnitrate, 
 or lead carbonate, and scented with 
 the oil of verbena or rose. It like- 
 wise acts in a most efficacious man- 
 ner dusted on an inflamed sur- 
 face that is hot and tumid; in cases 
 of erythema about the groins and 
 axillae, and is also beneficial in herpes 
 and herpes zoster. One part of the 
 powdered zinc oleate melted with four 
 parts of a fatty vehicle yields the 
 ointment which can be used in the 
 same class of affections just enumer- 
 ated, and in acne, rosacea, and in sub- 
 acute and chronic forms of eczema.* 
 
 * See report on " Oleate of Zinc in Eczema," by Dr. 
 A. A. Wells, Boston, Mass., in the New England Medical 
 Monthly, January, 1885. 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. 109 
 
 I have now described in detail the 
 special effect of each individual oleate, 
 and the deductions that have been 
 drawn from a personal and most 
 careful observation during the past 
 eight years in laboratories with the 
 chemist and physiologist, and from 
 my private practice and extensive 
 clinical service. A large number of 
 practitioners, who have used the ole- 
 ates in the manner in which they 
 should be employed, have reported 
 highly favorable and practical re- 
 sults from them. Others have been 
 unfortunate enough to apply im- 
 pure or improperly prepared oleates, 
 and the results in such cases have 
 generally been either negative, or 
 irritating and injurious to the parts. 
 A very few unfortunate, careless, and 
 injudicious observers, skeptics in the- 
 rapeutics, who only believe in the 
 10 
 
110 THE OLEATES. 
 
 older and oft-tried remedies, have 
 taken up the oleates for fashion or 
 popularity's sake, and, after a very 
 limited experience in their applica- 
 tion, condemn them without a fair 
 trial. The communications that have 
 appeared from the latter class speak 
 of their action disparagingly, and 
 their effects as problematical, but are 
 devoid of research, which appears 
 when they speak of quinine oleate 
 being limited to inunctions for its 
 systemic impression, showing an ab- 
 sence of practical experience or proper 
 deductions from their results. 
 
 In concluding my remarks I would 
 sum up by stating that although the 
 oleates have not been found to fill the 
 place they were originally intended for 
 by those who introduced them, they 
 have made for themselves a most 
 
THERAPEUTIC EFFECT. Ill 
 
 prominent place amongst the more sci- 
 entific means we possess for treating 
 affections of the cutaneous covering. 
 They have opened up a new branch 
 for therapeutics, and occupy a position 
 that has not been held either by 
 ointment or lotion, and which they 
 will occupy not in a transitory man- 
 ner, but permanently, and in an 
 increased ratio as their nature, use, 
 and effect will become more thor- 
 oughly understood and known. 
 
 In the following papers will also be 
 found much of instructive interest in 
 regard to the oleates : 
 
 "Working Formula for the Oleates," by 
 Henry B. Parson, in the Druggists' Circular 
 and Chemical Gazette, January, 1885; 
 " Oleates," by F. C. J. Bird, read at a 
 meeting of the Manchester Pharmacy Stu- 
 dents' Association, December 18, 1884, in 
 the London Pharmaceutical Journal and 
 
112 THE OLEATES. 
 
 Transactions, January 3, 1885 ; " Neutral 
 Oleate of Mercury," by Charles R. C. Tich- 
 borne, LL.D., etc., in the London Medical 
 Press, September 24, 1884. 
 
INDEX, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Abraded skin 101 
 
 Abscesses 66 
 
 Acid, oleic . 8 
 
 Acids, fatty 6 
 
 Acne 69, 91, 108 
 
 rosacea . . . . 88 
 
 Aconitine oleate, experiments with .,50 
 
 therapeutic use of 64 
 
 Adulterated oleic acid . . 83 
 
 Advantage of oleates over ordinary ointments 51, 62 
 Advantages of mercuric oleate ointment .... 93 
 
 Agnail 104 
 
 Alkaloids, oleates of '. . . 10, 18 
 
 Alopcecia 88 
 
 Alterative 66, 68 
 
 Aluminium oleate 19 
 
 uses of 64 
 
 Ansesthetic effect of aconitine oleate 64 
 
 Anderson, McCall, eczema 106 
 
 Animal parasites 93 
 
 Antiparasitic 74 
 
 Antiseptic 74 
 
 10* (113) 
 
114 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Antiseptic, aluminium oleate as an 65 
 
 Arsenical poisoning lesions 88 
 
 Arsenicum oleate 21 
 
 uses of 66 
 
 Astringent 73, 87, 99, 101, 104, 105, 106 
 
 Atropine oleate, use of 64 
 
 Attfield, Professor, on oleic acid . 8 
 
 Bed-sores 101 
 
 Bismuth oleate 25 
 
 uses of 68 
 
 Bleeding, to arrest 74 
 
 Boils 102 
 
 Borcheim, E., on freckles . 80 
 
 Bromidrosis 66 
 
 Bunions 79 
 
 Burns 66 
 
 Cadmium oleate 28 
 
 uses of 70 
 
 Callous ulcers 99 
 
 Carbuncles 102 
 
 Chemistry of fats, etc. 6 
 
 Chevreul, chemistry of fats 6 
 
 Chilblains .....:: 66 
 
 Chromophytosis 77 
 
 Cocaine oleate . . 71 
 
INDEX. 115 
 
 Condylomata - . . . . 68 
 
 Copper oleate 29 
 
 experiments with 48 
 
 uses of 73 
 
 Corns 68, 79 
 
 Counter-irritant 164 
 
 Cracked nipples 70 
 
 Cutaneous irritation 68 
 
 Debility 100 
 
 Dermatitis 65 
 
 Diluent for oleates 62 
 
 Economy of oleates 62 
 
 Eczema 65, 68, 71, 72, 98, 99, 106 
 
 acute 70 
 
 fissured 91, 103 
 
 inflammatory 87 
 
 of mucous outlets 102 
 
 old cases of 92 
 
 papular 90, 103 
 
 pustular 88 
 
 Enlarged glands 70, 92 
 
 Epidermis, thickened 79 
 
 Epithelial ulcerations 99 
 
 Eruptions, pustular 69 
 
 Erysipelas ... 69, 102 
 
116 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Erythema 108 
 
 Escharotic 66 
 
 Exuberant granulations 99, 101 
 
 Face, shining 108 
 
 Fats, chemistry of 6 
 
 Fatty acids 6 
 
 bodies used in medicine 5 
 
 Favus . 78 
 
 Fetid discharges 66 
 
 sweat 105 
 
 Fissured eczema 91, 103 
 
 Follicles, hair, iniiammation of 92 
 
 Foul ulcers 66 
 
 Freckles 79 
 
 Fungi 78, 93 
 
 Furuncles 88 
 
 Furunculosis from copper oleate 80 
 
 Glands, enlarged 70, 92 
 
 Granulations 68, 71, 74, 99, 101 
 
 Hager, H., on vaseline, etc., as bases ...... 60 
 
 Hair follicles, inflammation of 92 
 
 Herpes 108 
 
 zoster ' 108 
 
 History of oleates . . . 5 
 
 Horns . . 68 
 
INDEX. 117 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Horny warts 79 
 
 Hyperidrosis 65, 105 
 
 Indolent papules 92 
 
 Indurations 29 
 
 Intermittent fever 100 
 
 Inunction in syphilis 96 
 
 Iron oleate 30 
 
 uses of 86 
 
 Irritant 104 
 
 Itching 102, 106 
 
 Kiernan, J. G., on petroleum bases 60 
 
 Lard as a diluent for the oleates 62 
 
 Lead oleate 31, 89 
 
 Local sweating 106 
 
 Lousiness 93 
 
 Lupus 67, 102 
 
 Manufacture, process of 15 
 
 Marshall, John, on oleates 8 
 
 Mercuric oleate 9, 33 
 
 experiments with 48 
 
 uses of 91 
 
 Mercurous oleate 38 
 
 uses of 95 
 
 Morphine oleate 98 
 
 Murrell, William, local sweating 106 
 
118 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Naevi . . 68 
 
 Nails, diseases of 103 
 
 Nares, eczema of 106 
 
 Neuralgia 72 
 
 aconitine in 64 
 
 Nickel oleate 40 
 
 uses of . 99 
 
 Night sweats 106 
 
 Nipples, cracked and sore 70 
 
 Objections to use of copper oleate 80 
 
 Obstinate granulations 74 
 
 ulcers 92 
 
 Ointments, how made with oleates 58 
 
 Old granulations 68 
 
 ulcers 71 
 
 Oleates of the alkaloids 18 
 
 Oleic acid 8 
 
 impure 83 
 
 Origin of oleates 5 
 
 Osmidrosis 105 
 
 Painful ulcers 72 
 
 Papular eczema 90, 98, 103 
 
 Papules, hard 91 
 
 indolent 92 
 
 Parasites . 93 
 
INDEX. 119 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Parasitic affections 74, 78 
 
 Patches of skin 79 
 
 Petroleum bases objectionable 59 
 
 Phtheiriasis , 93 
 
 Phthisis, night sweats of , 106 
 
 Physiological action of the oleates 46 
 
 Pigment, disorders of 92 
 
 Plantar eczema 98 
 
 Process of manufacture . . . 15 
 
 Pruritus 72 
 
 Psoriasis 98 
 
 Pustular eczema , 88 
 
 eruptions . 60 
 
 Pustulation 102 
 
 Quinine oleate 99 
 
 experiments with 47 
 
 Ringworm 74, 75 
 
 Robson, on vaseline 59 
 
 Rosacea 69, 91, 108 
 
 Sawyer, on copper oleate 74 
 
 James, zinc oleate 107 
 
 Scrofuloderma 92 
 
 Scrofulous ulcers 67, 88 
 
 SeborrhoBa 68, 88 
 
 oleosa . 107 
 
120 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Secretions, profuse 65 
 
 Sedative 90 
 
 Shining face 108 
 
 Silver oleate 41 
 
 uses of 101 
 
 Sinuses 66 
 
 Skin patches 79 
 
 thickening of 92 
 
 Sodium oleate 15 
 
 solution 17 
 
 Solution, sodium oleate 17 
 
 Sore nipples 70 
 
 Sores 101 
 
 Squibb, on cocaine 72 
 
 Startin, on copper oleate 74 
 
 Strychnine oleate 103 
 
 experiments with 49 
 
 Styptic 65, 87 
 
 Sunburn 69 
 
 Sweating, fetid 105 
 
 Sycosis 68, 69, 88 
 
 Syphilis 95 
 
 Therapeutic effect of oleates 56 
 
 Thickened epidermis 79 
 
 Thickening of skin 92 
 
 Tin oleate . . 42 
 
INDEX. 121 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Tin, uses of ... 103 
 
 Tinea versicolor 77 
 
 Toilet of the nails 104 
 
 Toilet powder 108 
 
 Tubercles 92 
 
 Tumors 92 
 
 Ulcerating epithelioma 67 
 
 Ulcerations, epithelial 99 
 
 Ulcers 101 
 
 callous 99 
 
 obstinate 92 
 
 old 71 
 
 painful 72 
 
 scrofulous 67, 88 
 
 Unna, on lead oleate 90 
 
 Vegetable parasitic affections 78, 93 
 
 Veratrine oleate 104 
 
 Vesicular eczema 106 
 
 Warts 68 
 
 Wolff, L., experiments of 8 
 
 Wolff's method for arsenicum oleate 23 
 
 Zinc oleate 43 
 
 experiments with 49 
 
 uses of 105 
 
 11 
 
OLEATES. 
 
 fPHE peculiar power possessed by oleic acid of pene- 
 ^ trating the skin and subjacent tissue and of thus 
 bringing medicinal principles with which it may be 
 combined into direct contact with diseased parts, and 
 facilitating thereby the absorption of medicines applied 
 epidermically, has been familiar to the profession for 
 a number of years. It was hoped, when this property 
 was announced, that a desideratum in the treatment of 
 local affections, as localized chronic inflammations, etc., 
 and in securing the constitutional effect of drugs in 
 cases in which an irritability of the prinue vise forbade 
 their exhibition per os, had been supplied. This hope 
 was disappointed, however, through the failure on the 
 part of the pharmacist to furnish the physician with 
 eligible preparations of the salts of oleic acid with 
 metals or alkaloidal bases. This promising means of 
 medication thus fell into comparative, disuse, and epi- 
 dermic medication was seldom resorted to. 
 
 i 
 
Latterly, however, and principally through the 
 experiments of Dr. J. V. Shoemaker, of Philadelphia, 
 pharmacy has supplied this defect. As a result of his 
 experiments, Dr. Shoemaker has also been enabled to 
 give the medical profession many valuable suggestions 
 touching the therapeutic application of these salts. 
 
 9 
 
 We secured from Dr. Shoemaker full instructions* 
 in his method, and immediately placed before the 
 profession a line of these preparations. The favor 
 with which they have been received, and the rapidly 
 growing demand for them, are their most emphatic 
 endorsements. The oleates of the following metals 
 and alkaloids are on our list: 
 
 Aluminium. A valuable astringent, serviceable in 
 eczema, and for dressing burns. 
 
 Arsenic. Used in the form of an ointment, contain- 
 ing twenty grains of oleate of arsenic to the ounce. 
 Valuable as a caustic in lupus, epithelioma, etc. 
 
 Bisrnuth. An excellent emollient application. 
 
 Copper. For the treatment of ringworm, and the 
 removal of freckles, etc. 
 
 Iron. A local astringent and general tonic. 
 
 Lead. A cleanly and efficient substitute for Hebra's 
 Diachylon ointment. 
 ii 
 
Mercury. A discutient to inflammatory exudates, 
 and to secure the constitutional effect of the metal. 
 
 Nickel. An amorphous, waxy solid ; good results are 
 reported from its application in some cases of 
 chronic eczema of the extremities, where the skin 
 is hard and leathery. 
 
 Silver. An excellent application in Pruritus and in 
 ' erysipelas. 
 
 Tin. A remedy of considerable value for restoring 
 the lustre of diseased nails. 
 
 Zinc. An impalpable pow.der and of great value in 
 intertrigo (chafing). 
 
 Aconitine (2 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 Atropine (2 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 Morphine (10 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 Morphine and Mercury (5 per cent, morph. and 
 
 20 per cent, mercuric oxide). 
 Quinine (25 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 Strychnine (2 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 Veratrine (10 per cent, of the alkaloid). 
 
 The advantages of these oleates of alkaloids in 
 securing the constitutional effect of the drugs through 
 their epidermic employment, have been amply de- 
 monstrated in the treatment of children, . and in dis- 
 eases attended with nausea and gastric irritability. 
 
 iii 
 
OINTMENTS OF OLEATES. 
 
 The following ointments are offered as representing 
 the most desirable strengths of these preparations. 
 
 The percentages annexed indicate the proportion 
 of oleate in the ointment. 
 
 Aluminium, 50 Per Cent. 
 
 Arsenic, 5 " 
 
 Copper, 20 
 
 Iron, . . 25 
 
 Lead, 50 
 
 Mercury, 10 " 
 
 Silver, 5 " 
 
 Zinc, 25 " 
 
 Circulars fully descriptive of the above, and such 
 other information touching the therapy of the oleates 
 as has appeared, will be furnished gratis on application. 
 
 PARKE, DAVIS & CO., 
 
 DETROIlY MICHIGAN. 
 NEW YORK: 
 60 MAIDEN LANE AND 21 LIBERTY ST. 
 
PLUII NIK ON AVOIDED SUBJECTS 
 
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 Hahnemannian Medical Institute of Philadelphia, of 
 
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 18mo. 126 Pages. Price, $1.0O. 
 
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 be, something can yet be learned from this, and yet it 
 is so plain that any one who can read at all can fully 
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 The Author, DR. H. N. GUERNSEY, has had an un- 
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 His work is ably endorsed by many leading men in 
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 spectfully refer those unacquainted with 
 us to any one of the more than 
 
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 BEAHOH OFFICES : 1217 Filbert Street, 
 
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 BALTIMORE, Mu. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
 
BOOKS FOR DRUGGISTS. 
 
 OUR MEDICAL BOOK STOCK INCLUDES A 
 FULL AND COMPLETE ASSORT- 
 MENT OF 
 
 Books for Druggists and Pharmacists 
 
 THE LATEST BOOKS 
 
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 Collateral Sciences, 
 
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 LISHED, AND FURNISHED AT THE 
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 F. ji. DAVIS, ATTY, 
 
 jjopfaelkr, 
 
 72/7 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
THE MEDICAL BULLETIN 
 
 A MONTHLY JOURNAL 
 
 MEDICINE i SURGERY. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 JOHN V. SHOEMAKER, A.M., M.D., 
 
 The Largest & Best Medical Journal for the price published 
 TERMS: $1.OO A YEAR IN ADVANCE. 
 
 A. L. HUMMEL, M.D., F. A. DAVIS, Att'y, 
 
 Business Manager. PUBLISHER, 
 
 1217 Filbert St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 OPINIONS OF ITS SUBSCRIBERS. 
 
 "Everybody is charmed with it." WILLIAM MURRELL, M.D., 
 F.R.C.S., Surgeon to Westminster Hospital, London, England. 
 
 " Send me the excellent MEDICAL BULLETIN." J. A. S. GRANT, 
 M.D. (Bey), Cairo, Egypt. 
 
 "I am more than pleased with it." RALPH M. COLE, M.D., 
 Lowell, Mass. 
 
 " I consider it the best journal for the price I have ever seen." 
 LUTHER B. CREATH, M.D., Kenneyville, Texas. 
 
 "I find it the most interesting journal I receive." SAMUEL 
 WIMPELBERG, M.D., Poughkecpsie, N. Y. 
 
 " 1 take ten journals ; all of them are worth something, but THE 
 BULLETIN much more than others." E. H. DORLAND, M.D., 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
 " Am more than pleased with it each time I see it." W. W. 
 TOMPKINS, M.D., Charleston, W. Va. 
 
 "The longer I take it the better I like it. Nearly every article 
 is a gem." H. M. DEAN, M.D., Muscatine, Iowa. 
 
 "It is a marvel of cheapness, and its contents withal are prac- 
 tical and metropolitan." U. A. BAKER, M.D., Adrian, Mich 
 
 "It is an excellent monthly publication, containing articles from 
 some of our best men in each number, besides an attractive dessert, 
 or what might be termed a convivial style of medical literature. All 
 who know Dr. Shoemaker will always expect the choicest articles 
 from his artistic pen." S. R. KNIGHT, M.D., Superintendent P. 
 E. Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Send your Subscriptions to the Publisher. 
 
 XV 
 

 
 
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