Cucumber Ointment.
Editor Pharmacist:
DEAR SIR,—Having been requested by a physician to prepare some cucumber ointment for him, I tried several formulas without producing as nice a one as I wished. I first employed that of Prof. Procter, but found that it was too troublesome and tedious, while it did not furnish an elegant preparation. The following is the formula which I have used, which is quite simple and easy, and any apothecary can prepare it.
| Take of | Oil of Sweet Almonds, | seven fluid ounces. |
| Spermaceti, | eighteen drachms. | |
| White Wax, | five drachms. | |
| Glycerin, | one fluid ounce. | |
| Green Cucumbers, | lbs. iv. |
Cut the cucumbers in small pieces, mash them in a wedgewood mortar, let them macerate in their own liquor for twelve hours, express and strain; melt the almond oil, spermaceti and wax together, by means of a water bath; add to it the strained liquor, stirring constantly so as to incorporate the whole together. Set aside in a cool place (an ice chest preferred), till it becomes hard, then beat with a wooden spoon, so as to separate the watery portion of the cucumbers from the ointment, pour off the liquor thus obtained, and mix the glycerin with the ointment without the aid of heat, by working it with the hands until it becomes thoroughly incorporated. Put up in four ounce jars, cover with a layer of rose water, and set aside in a cool place. The ointment prepared in this way will keep sweet and nice for twelve months. It is much esteemed by physicians and the public generally in the south and southwest.
Respectfully, LUTHER E. SALE.
Huntsville, Aug., 1870.
—The Pharmacist, Chicago, Oct. 1870.
