ichthammol
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ichthammol
[ik´tham-ol]an ammoniated coal tar product, used in ointment form for certain skin diseases.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
ich·tham·mol
(ik'tham-mol),A viscous fluid, reddish brown to brownish black, with a strong, characteristic, empyreumatic odor, soluble in water and in glycerin; obtained by the destructive distillation of certain bituminous schists, sulfonating the distillate and neutralizing the product with ammonia. It is used in skin disorders; its beneficial effect is due to its mild irritant, stimulant, antiseptic, and analgesic action; used in 10-20% concentrations in an ointment ("drawing salve").
Synonym(s): ammonium ichthosulfonate
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