Here is your short essay on Liniments

Liniments are solution or mixture of various substances in oil, alcoholic solution of soap or emulsions or occasionally semi-solid preparations intended for external application and should be labeled accordingly. They are applied with rubbing or massaged into the skin as counter irritating or stimulating agents to the affected area and because of this were known as embrocations.

Dental liniments, which are no longer official, are solutions of active substances and are applied onto the gums by rubbing. Liniments are usually applied with friction and rubbing of the skin, the oil or soap base proving for ease of application and massage.

Alcoholic liniments are used generally for their rubifacient, counter irritant, mildly astringent and show penetrating effects. These types of liniments easily penetrate to the skin than those with oil base.

The oily liniments are slow in their action but are more useful when massaged. The function of liniment depends on the additives but most of liniments may function solely as protective coating on the affected area. Liniment should not be applied to the broken or bruised skin because they would be very irritating especially if alcohol is used as solvent.

They may contain following substances: (a) analgesic, (b) antimicrobial, (c) rubefacient, (d) counter irritant, (e) stimulants, and (f) soothing agents.

Although alcohol is primarily used as solvent, it enhances the penetration of the medicaments into the skin and has counter irritant or rubefacient action.

Counter irritants are used to mask pain from fibrositis, sciatica, nuralgia and similar complaints by producing warmth, tingling and numbness. When rubbed onto the skin, they also cause redness and hence are called as rubefacients. Cottonseed oil and arachis oil are less irritant than alcohol and spread more easily on the skin

Examples

Example: Prepare and dispense Turpentine Liniment

Soft soap

Camphor

Turpentine oil

Purified water, sufficient to produce 100.0 ml

Method of Dispensing:

Mix the soft soap with small amount of purified water (10 ml). Make solution of camphor in fresh rectified turpentine oil. Gradually add camphor solution to the soap mixture with trituration until a thick creamy emulsion is formed. Add sufficient amount of purified water to make up the volume and mix.

Example: Prepare and dispense Calamine Liniment

Calcium hydroxide solution 100.0 ml

Method of Dispensing:

Melt weighed amount of wool fat, oleic acid and arachis oil. Triturate calamine with the melted oil. Add calcium hydroxide solution and shake it. Transfer it to a suitable container and shake vigorously.

Throat Paints

Paints are solutions or dispersions of one or more medicaments intended for application to the skin or, in some cases, to the mucous membrane. They may contain volatile solvent that evaporates quickly to leave a dry or resinous film of medicament. Throat paints are more viscous due to high content of glycerin.

Paints are sticky and adhere to the affected site and prolong the action of the medicaments. Common examples of pastes are: 1. Brilliant green and crystal violet paint, 2. Crystal violet paint, 3. Coal tar paint, 4. Compound mastric paint 5. Mandl’s paint 6. Tannic acid glycerin paints

Storage: Paints should be kept in airtight containers.

Labelling

Comply with the general requirements for labeling. In addition it should states ‘For External Use Only’.

Container: Wide mouth screw capped colored bottles.

Example: Prepare and dispense Brilliant Green and Crystal Violet Paint.

Rx

Brilliant green 0.5 g

Crystal violet 0.5 g

Ethanol (90%) 50.0 ml

Purified water, sufficient to produce 100.0 ml

Method of Dispensing:

Dissolve the brilliant green and crystal violet in ethanol (90%). Add sufficient water to produce 100 ml.

Example: Prepare and dispense Crystal Violet Paint.

Crystal violet 0.1 g

Purified water, sufficient to produce 100.0 ml

Method of Dispensing:

Dissolve crystal violet in purified water. Add sufficient purified water to produce 100 ml.

Example: Prepare and dispense coal Tar Paint.

Coal Tar 10.0 g

Acetone, sufficient to produce 100.0 ml

Method of Dispensing:

Disperse the coal tar in 70 ml of acetone and allow to stand for one hour. Filter if necessary and dilute with acetone to 100 ml.

Example:

Prepare and dispense Iodine paint (Syn.: Mandl’s paint)

In this preparation Iodine acts as antiseptic and potassium iodide dissolves the iodine, peppermint oil acts as flavoring agent and produce cooling effect, alcohol is used as a solubilizing agent for the peppermint oil. This preparation contains iodine, hence should be prepared in glass apparatus. It should not be prepared in mortar and pestle because porcelain contains pores and iodine enters in these pores. It is difficult to washout the iodine and this entangled iodine can change the color of other preparations.

Method of Dispensing:

Dissolve potassium iodide and iodine in purified water in glass mortar and pestle with small portion of glycerin. Add peppermint oil dissolve in ethanol and mix. Add sufficient glycerin to produce 100 ml.