Spermaceti
Dublin Core
Title
Spermaceti
Description
Latin Name: SpermacetiCommon Name: Literally, "whale sperm"- oil or wax from the head of a sperm whale
Classification: Demulcent and emollient
Isolated Drug/s: None
Medicinal Usage: Used in many different kinds of lotions, as well as for the treatment of gonorrhea and catarrh. Spermaceti can be mixed with wax and olive oil to form cerates (a substance similar to ointment but harder and non-melting), which is applied as an adhesive in excoriations.
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Source
Specimen: Spermaceti wax. Image courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Files
Citation
“Spermaceti,” OnView, accessed April 23, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/18236.