Vicks VapoRub

Eucalyptus oil has been used in different medications to relieve symptoms of asthma and rhinitis and is a constituent of cold remedies and ointments designed to be rubbed on to the chest or applied around and even into the nostrils (Vicks Vaporub, Obat Madjan, etc.). Applied to the skin it acts as a rubefacient and counterrrritant, but substantial concentrations of volatile oil can be inhaled from the skin. Eucalyptus oil has also been used systemi-caUy to treat asthma. 

Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers CAS 464-48-2 and CAS 464-49-3 (optical isomers) CAS 21368-68-3 (racemic mixture) Synonyms Campho-phenique Musterole Ben-Gay children s vaporizing rub Vicks Vaporub Vicks Vaposteam Heet Sloan s Liniment Camphorated oil Camphor spirits Chemical/Pharmaceutical/Other Class Cyclic ketone of the hydroaromatic terpene group Chemical Formula CioHi O... 

The pandemic had a powerful economic effect as well. Sales of flu remedies, none of which was effective against the virus, skyrocketed. As it turned out, the product that may have benefited most from the scourge was Vicks VapoRub, introduced in 1905 by Lunsford Richardson, a druggist in Selma, North Carolina. The rub s main ingredient was menthol, a compound extracted from oil of peppermint. 

Richardson sold Ben-Gay, and he heard such testimonials from his customers. So he blended menthol into petroleum jelly and produced Richardson s Croup and Pneumonia Cure Salve. When rubbed on the chest, the stuff did produce the sensation of heat, and as the menthol evaporated it did clear the nasal passages. The product s name was too long, however, so Richardson sought a shorter, catchier one. He had a physician brother-in-law called Joshua Vick, and Vick had given him access to the laboratory where he d created his salve. A grateful Richardson decided to name it Vicks VapoRub, and the name stuck. 

A bowl of hot water with drops of essential oil, often used for soaking feet or used as a bidet. Again, the essential oil does not mix with the water. This is, however, a useful method for inhaling essential oils in respiratory conditions and colds the essential oil can be breathed in when the head is placed over the container and a towel placed over the head and container. This is an established method of treatment and has been used successfully with Vicks VapoRub, olbas oil, and Eucalyptus oils for many years, so it is not surprising that it works with aromatherapy essential oils ... 

Mr. Clean Detergent 1 year 3.42 2.74 Slightly yellowed Vicks VapoRub Salve 2 days 013 0.00 Unchanged... 

Camphor, CioHigO, is the active ingredient in vapor-steam products like Vicks VapoRub . Its vapor pressure at 20°C is 0.18 mm Hg. 

Pharmacologically, camphor is categorized as an irritant rubefacient, acting locally on the skin and mucous membranes to induce hyperaemia and feelings of comfort and warmth, with sensations of coolness when its vapours are inhaled. Camphor is readily absorbed from mucous membranes. The human lethal dose is probably from 50—500 mg/kg. Many over-the-counter preparations contain more than 3% camphor, some even 10% or more. Camphorated oil, camphor spirits, Sloan s Liniment, Tiger Balm (Obat Madjan) and Vicks Vaporub are well-known examples all over the world. 

Although the abovementioned results may be suggestive, there seem to have been no rigorous clinical trials of the commercial and popnlar Vick s Vaporub or Friars Balsam , both of which contain many potentially antitnssive ingredients. 

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