01 n. A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purif…
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A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odor, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments.(Chem. & Pharm.)