• British Pharmacopoeia Volume III
  • Formulated Preparations: Specific Monographs

Zinc and Castor Oil Ointment

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General Notices

Zinc and Castor Oil Cream

Definition

Zinc Oxide, finely sifted

75 g

Virgin Castor Oil

500 g

Cetostearyl Alcohol

20 g

White Beeswax

100 g

Arachis Oil

305 g

Extemporaneous preparation

The following directions apply.

Triturate the Zinc Oxide with a portion of the Virgin Castor Oil until smooth and add the mixture to the remainder of the ingredients previously melted together. Stir while cooling until the temperature is about 40°.

The ointment complies with the requirements stated under Topical Semi-solid Preparations and with the following requirements.

Content of zinc oxide, ZnO

7.0 to 8.0% w/w.

Identification

A. Heat 1.3 g of the ointment gently in a porcelain dish over a small flame until the basis is completely volatilised or charred. Increase the heat until all the carbon is removed. The residue obtained is yellow when hot and white when cold.

B. Dissolve the cooled residue obtained in test A in 5 mL of 1m hydrochloric acid. The resulting solution yields the reaction characteristic of zinc salts, Appendix VI.

Assay

Heat 1 g of the ointment gently in a porcelain dish over a small flame until the basis is completely volatilised or charred. Increase the heat until all the carbon is removed. Dissolve the residue in 10 mL of 2m acetic acid and add sufficient water to produce 50 mL. To the resulting solution add 50 mg of xylenol orange triturate and sufficient hexamine to produce a violet-pink colour. Add a further 2 g of hexamine and titrate with 0.05m disodium edetate VS until the solution becomes yellow. Each mL of 0.05m disodium edetate VS is equivalent to 4.069 mg of ZnO.