Ointment of Lead.
Take of olive oil, half a pint; white wax, two ounces; sugar of lead, three drachms. Let the sugar of lead, reduced into a fine powder, be rubbed up with some part of the oil, and afterwards added to the other ingredients, previously melted together, continually stirring them till quite cold.
This cooling and gently astringent ointment may be used in all cases where the intention is to dry and skin over the part, as in scalding, &c.
Mercurial Ointment.
Take of quicksilver, two ounces; hogs’ lard, three ounces; mutton suet, one ounce. Rub the quicksilver with an ounce of the hogs’ lard in a warm mortar, till the globules be perfectly extinguished; then rub it up with the rest of the lard and suet, previously melted together.
The principal intention of this ointment is to convey mercury into the body by being rubbed upon the skin.
Ointment of Sulphur.
Take of hogs’ lard prepared, four ounces; flowers of sulphur, an ounce and a half; crude sal ammoniac, two drachms; essence of lemon, ten or twelve drops. Make them into an ointment.
This ointment, rubbed upon the parts affected, will generally cure the itch. It is both the safest and best application for that purpose, and, when made in this way, has no disagreeable smell.